I've been waiting for Obama to say something like this:
"I think it is fair to say that I believe I can bring the country together more effectively than she can," Obama said. "I will add, by the way, that is not entirely a problem of her making. Some of those battles in the '90s that she went through were the result of some pretty unfair attacks on the Clintons. But that history exists, and so, yes, I believe I can bring the country together in a way she cannot do. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be running."
The problem here is that he buried the lede. Declaring that "I can unite better than you can" sounds really odd out of context. In fact, it sounds like an attack, which is incredibly counterproductive in any discussion about unity. But in context, it makes perfect sense. History matters. Electing Clinton will likely bring a rerun of many of the same issues and tactics we all lived through in the 1990s. The show may not work this time around, but that doesn't mean it won't be brought back.
Obama needs to lead with hist explanation of history here. If he does, my guess is that this line will resonate with a good number of the voters who are not yet really paying attention to the race.
Flip the script, Sen. Obama. You got it backwards!
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