ElectionLandia08: Behind the Curtains

My read on what's happening today behind the curtains in ElectionLandia08.

Obama's team is playing chess, not checkers.

Not even going to Oregon or Kentucky, but to Iowa to claim victory without claiming victory.

It will be a similar speech to the one he made following Iowa primary.

But today he takes on Bush and McCain on Iran, Cuba. Going to Florida tomorrow.

It is general election time.

The question the media will want to dwell on is how much it alienates Clinton base. Saw this national poll, though, so it's not the worst time to not quite claim victory, but, you know, claim victory.

On Iran, Cuba. Tells Wolf Blitzer the policies of the past 50 years on Cuba have failed, like with Iran and also during the last 8 years of Bush.

It's gutsy, but strategic to play good cop vs. bad cop cowboys. It, of course, ties McCain to Bush. But it also takes on what is a perceived Obama weakness and McCain strength while advancing a diplomacy agenda - even if it's blurry and, yes, a good cop - but a cop nonetheless - diplomacy agenda.

It's at least 10 moves ahead if it were a chess game, at least two months ahead in the election process. When the republicans try to play this card over and over, he'll just say it's old news, old politics and that he's addressed it. Under that scenario, polls don't change even in an arena of debate that's supposed to be McCainLandia.

Anything that McCain says that sounds like the same debate Obama had with Clinton, he'll call "old." That makes another pundit Laugh Out Loud!

I'm assuming that the Dem nominee will have about an 8-12 percentage point advantage following convention - that, along with all the other perceived advantages for Dems ($, saliency, organization, etc., etc., etc.) places this in the

Strategy Prepare Influence Neutralize

category.

Some of the best of all time.

Electoral map will be still be interesting as November approaches. Clinton, Rove, Bush and McCain think so anyway.