Taking Umbrage Is In #
February 25th, 2008 | In Worth Considering
John Dickerson offers the best kind of commentary: pointing to something you hadn’t noticed but see everywhere once you’re aware of it.
The swift reaction from the Obama forces was good damage control and even better umbrage-taking, a political tactic that has been elevated to a high art in the 2008 campaign. There was once a time when campaigns didn’t respond to items like this for fear of giving them too much publicity. But if done correctly, candidates can exploit flamboyant displays of public upset to gain attention, raise money, put their opponents on the defensive, and distract from an unfavorable story.