Barack Obama: 'Making the case'

by John McCormick

Sen. Barack Obama contends with his own reputation as he prepares to address the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"I'm not focused on trying to match the soaring rhetoric or levels of excitement that we had four years ago,'' Obama said in a 22-minute interview with the Chicago Tribune aboard his campaign plane. "This is much more a yeoman-like task of making the case for my presidency and the need to moe American a fundamentally different direction."

See our account of that Obama interview in today's Tribune and see a transript here:

The Chicago Tribune's interview with Sen. Barack Obama aboard his campaign plane late Thursday night (Aug. 21) as he flew over Indiana returning to Chicago for his final home visit before the Democratic National Convention

Q: What goals do you have for your convention, what do you hope it will accomplish and what messages should it send?

A: "I think the most import thing we can do is to make the choice this November clear to the voters. I think we are at a historic crossroads. The economy is not working for ordinary Americans. It's not just the steady accumulation of bad news - higher unemployment, higher inflation - I think people recognize, partly because of high gas prices, that we've got structural problems that have to be attended to. People's incomes and wages are flat and their costs are rising. The social compact that delivered health care and pensions through jobs are going away, and so people are I think are worried that if we don't deal with these issues now, that our standard of living could, if not decline, at least remain stagnant. So, what we want to do with this convention is be very clear: John McCain's policies do not dramatically differ from George Bush's and so we should not expect a different outcome...If on the other hand, we're willing to push for real change and the promise of a clean energy economy, a health care system that works for all Americans, college that's more affordable, investments in science and technology and infrastructure. All those things can lay the groundwork for a more unified and more prosperous and more balanced economy down the road. So, that's the most important goal we have set now. Obviously, we want to also make sure that the American people have a clear sense of who I am, coming out of the convention. Not because this election is about me, but rather because I don't want the Republican strategy of attacking my character, or misrepresenting my biography to get in the way of people's ability to make a clear decision about the issues."

Q: How is the speech coming, how are you going about writing it and how worried are you about rain?

(He laughs) "Rain, I can't do much about. We've got to trust the meteorologists that say rain is very unlikely in Denver that time of year. You know, in terms of the speech, you know in some ways four years ago was special because I didn't know any better. I just sat in a hotel room watching a basketball game and wrote it up, most of it sort of in one sitting. And it went through a bunch of revisions, but basically the framework of the structure was there. This speech requires more thought, more preparation and, you know, I'm collaborating with my speechwriters more in making some of the key arguments that I think have to be made."

Q: How are you writing it mechanically? You are a yellow pad guy, right?

"I'm somebody who likes writing things out longhand first."

Q: The expectations are going to be pretty high because of your 2004 convention performance. How much better an orator are you now than you were then and why?

"Four years ago was special because it was a surprise to people. I was new on the national scene and so I think some of the language that I used then was new. People have now heard me speak for the last four years and very intensely for the last two. And so, you know, in some ways they've seen it and heard it before. So, I'm not focused on trying to match the soaring rhetoric or levels of excitement that we had four years ago. This is much more a yeoman-like task of making the case for my presidency and the need to moe American a fundamentally different direction."

Q: What are you going to try to make the debate about in the campaign this fall and how will your convention contribute to that, especially considering polls show a majority of Americans still say you have not yet made clear what you would do as president?

"We're going to just keep on hammering away at what my plan is, and how it contracts with what we have seen over the last eight years and what John McCain proposes. But, John, you've been on the campaign trail with me this week. You were at two town-hall meetings today. I think you'd be hard-pressed to suggest that."

Q: But these polls oddly still show that people are unsure what you would actually do?

"And so the question, you know, not to push the point, but if the people in my town-hall meetings are getting a very clear sense of what I stand for, and the folks in the public-at-large aren't, and they're getting most of their information from you guys, you know, it raises a real question. I suspect that this week, you know, the press has devoted 90 percent of its time to VP speculation, despite having no information on it. So, you know, we're always wrestling with that challenge, and we'll try to use our TV spots to communicate these issues, but we only have 60 seconds. I do think that to some degree the debates will be very important on this front because my suspicion is that viewer-ship is going to be very high and will give us unmediated ability to talk to the American people about what we plan to do."

Q: There seems to be a storyline developing that you are losing some ground to Sen. McCain and that could worry some Democrats as you head into the convention. Why do you think things have tightened up, and why did you take a more aggressive tone following after vacation?

"I'm not somebody, as you know, who spends a lot of time obsessing with polling, I mean, if I did, about this time last year I would have dropped out of the race. We always anticipated this race was going to be relatively tight. It's not as if ... coming out of the primary season we had some huge lead. And we had a bruising primary battle. John McCain had three, four months where basically his views were unchallenged, so I don't think it's surprising that the race has tightened. I think that although the American people know we need change, John McCain's been in pubic life for 25 years, he's got a compelling biography. I'm relatively new, and people are going to take their time and lift the hood and kick the tires before they make their final decision on this race."

Q: Why did you sort of toughen things up this past week?

"Leading into the convention, it was always our belief that it's important to amplify what the differences are between the two campaigns and the two candidates. Partly because that's one of the ways that we can get the press to write about the issues and let people know, you know, what I plan to do as president."

Q: Have you faced any test in your own life that can give Americans the assurance of personal strength and courage in a crisis in the same way provided by John's McCain's experience of enduring torture in a North Vietnamese prison?

"Well, look, you know, I would suggest that enduring torture is a fairly unique experience that no president -- or very few presidents -- have undergone. What I would point to is the journey I've traveled throughout my entire life. You know, it's pretty unlikely that I ended up here. I wasn't born into prominence, was raised by a single mom. I had to scratch and claw my way to the point I am now, and I think I've done so without cutting corners or compromising my integrity. And maybe it looks easier than it is."

Q: You have described patriotism as "loyalty to America's ideals" and said it "must...involve a willingness to sacrifice." What is the thing that you value that you have sacrificed for America's ideals and what does it tell the country about your brand of patriotism?

"Well, you know, I think the choices I've made in my adult life to work as a community organizer, instead of taking more lucrative offers, to work as a civil rights attorney, rather than go to a white-shoe law firm. All those decisions have been consistent with my belief that a life of service is a way of expressing one's patriotism. You know, I think military service is one of those paths to service and one that I have the highest regard for."

Q: What are you prepared to do to turn the conversation this fall into something more substantial than it has been this summer? You say you want a "serious" discussion, but how can you actually achieve that when there are so many outside players that also play a role?

"I feel like we have done a pretty good job this summer. If you got the transcripts of all the speeches we've made on everything from Afghanistan to energy to fixing the economy. That's a pretty substantive body of work. We have not devoted a lot of time to silliness...I have pointed out policy contrasts with John McCain, but I haven't spent time attacking his character. Over the last month, we've had to respond to a series of attacks that are fairly typical of what Republicans have done during the presidential races over the last 20 years. So, it is a challenge to make sure that you respond forcefully, without getting distracted. And part of my goal is to make sure that we're not spending time talking about me, but that we're talking about the American people, the fact that they're losing their homes, losing their jobs, losing their pensions. You know, if I can consistently push the argument in that direction, then I think we will have done the American people a valuable service."

9) Do you envision the presidency as being the leader of the free world, or the leader of America?

"I think first and foremost, the leader of America and promoting America's national interests. That's the job description, keeping Americans safe and secure, growing the American economy. But I think now more than ever, the fate of America's economy, our long-term security, also depends on our ability to forge alliances and partnerships with other countries, and certainly the lines between... foreign policy and economic policy blurred, when trade and technology have shrunk the globe and made goods and services move across boarders with lightening speed. Issues like terrorism are transnational. So, my job as president would be to look after the American people and their safety and security, but part of that job involves being able to see beyond our own horizon."

Q: John Edwards recently said that running for president got to his head. What has the process done for your own ego?

"...I actually think this has been a very humbling experience. You know, the longer I'm at this, the more I realize how many problems have mounted over the last eight years, how many tough decisions we're going to have to make to dig ourselves out of the hole that we're in. You know, I've also learned how solid the American people, how generous they are and how decent they are. You know, they really need help right. They need leadership right now and so I think it's very humbling to be in the position I'm in, knowing that, you know, I'm one man and, you know, will make the occasional mistake. What keeps me up at night is not losing the election, but it's, you know, making sure that I can deliver on the promises that are being made in the course of this campaign, and, you know, the broader promise of America that people still believe in."

Q: After the convention, what are some of the things that you are contemplating to keep your momentum going? Trains and boats have been popular in the past. How will you keep the storyline robust and dramatic?

"I'm not sure that gimmicks are what's required. I think just hard work. We're going to hit the ground and campaign a lot of places and talk to people and listen to them and explain to them the choice they face in November, and if we do that, I think we'll win."

Q: How do you assess yourself as a candidate? Are you still getting better?

"Yes. There's no doubt. Over the course of 19 months, you're going to have your good weeks and you're going to have your bad weeks and you're going to have speeches where you're hitting on all cylinders and others that are, you know, painful to listen to, or to deliver. But overall, I think we get better. You know, for me the challenge is not so much technical, you know, how am I delivering a speech, or, you know, is our campaign well run. It has much more to do with something in your gut...Do you feel like you are tapped into the truth of what people are experiencing right now? Are you communicating a sense of why this election is so important? Are you able to transmit the struggles that you're hearing from the single mom, or a guy whose been laid off? Are you able to give voice to that in a way that resonates? You know, you're not always there, but I think what you try to do is, it's like hitting in baseball, you know, you're never going bat 1,000. But what you want is to have a good swing and make contact and hopefully your batting average improves over time."

Q: What can you say about the V.P. selection process that would have some shelf life, even if you make your announcement before this is publishing?

"We had some wonderful candidates, people who are serious and who I respect deeply. It has been a difficult decision-making process. But I'm confident that from the pool that I had to choose from, we'll have a very strong vice president who can be a good partner for me not only in campaigning, but also in governing."

Q: When did you decide in your own mind?

"I'm not going to go into the details."

Q: Can you give me a little more on the speech for the convention?

"We have plenty of work to do, but you know I tend to work pretty well under pressure."

Q: Is Friday going to be a big work day on that?

"That's the reason we're down tomorrow. Do some work, do some speech prep."