John Heilemann: 'Flailing' Obama Campaign 'Has Been Horrible Since The Debates'

» 5 comments

On Tuesday, New York Magazine reporter and co-author of Game Change, John Heilemann, slammed President Barack Obama's response to his lackluster debate performance last week on MSNBC. Heilemann said the president has made a bad situation worse, and his campaign's response has been 'horrible' and 'flailing.' He stressed that things like the Big Bird ad are symptomatic of a campaign that appears externally to be virtually rudderless.

RELATED: Sesame Street Asks Obama Campaign To Take Down Big Bird Ad

Heilemann recalled his conversations with senior Obama campaign adviser David Plouffe, who said that the campaign would target Mitt Romney in two, seemingly contradictory ways. Plouffe said that they intended to hit Romney for being a flip flopper with no core values, but at the same time they would target him for harboring extreme right wing values at odds with what most Americans believe.

After detailing what he seemed to think was a strong strategy, Heilemann slammed the Obama campaign for not sticking to it.

'I think they have been horrible since the debate,' said Heilemann. 'They are flailing right now. And the stuff they're saying, the Big Bird ad, all of it.'

MSNBC host Alex Wagner cut him off, saying that the Big Bird ad would be the focus of the next block. 'Good,' said Heilemann. 'Let's talk about how horrible the Big Bird as is in the next segment.'

Watch the clip below via MSNBC:

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Sorry but I need to agree, The Big Bird issue has no traction , unless it can be contextualized as an example of Romney's fecklessness ie the only cut he cold mention is Big Bird. Romney hasn't abandoned his right wing stances he has only covered them with platitudes. We may very well be headed to a Romney Presidency.

• If Obama blows this election and loses after a commanding lead, I seriously doubt he will be writing a book that HBO picks up for a political movie. simpletons.

• Seriously? Did he give you actual 'quotes' from 'actual people'? Now that you righties are lathering in Romney's post debate poll numbers you should remember 2 very important points. One, Romney's numbers improved after he began speaking not as a moderate but, sounding more like a Liberal, from not raising taxes on the middle class to covering pre-existing conditions (both lies) and two, now that you are cheering these poll numbers, how will you feel when they swing back? The one thing Romney's rise in the polls has shown Republicans and Conservatives is that Liberal ideas are favored.

• I fear you may be correct. Big Bird is good for a joke or two, but it is not the basis for a campaign.

• Just as the punditariat overstated the Romney fall around the 47% gaffe, they are going to overstate the Obama fall from the debate.

  The only time a pundit isn't boring and predictable is when they are hyperbolic and predictable.