Obama turns the “rolling the dice” argument back on its maker:
The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. And that’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high.
And then he squashes the “inexperience” argument, again in jiu-jitsu style:
In this election, it is time to turn the page. In seven days, it is time to stand for change.
This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must be catching on, because in these last few weeks, everyone is talking about change.
But you can’t at once argue that you’re the master of a broken system in Washington and offer yourself as the person to change it. You can’t fall in line behind the conventional thinking on issues as profound as war and offer yourself as the leader who is best prepared to chart a new and better course for America.
The truth is, you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. I believe deeply in those words. But they are not mine. They were Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when Washington insiders questioned his readiness to lead.
Not only is Obama’s skill as a rhetorical counter-puncher a joy to watch in action, it’s also a substantial shelter from the sh*tstorm that’s certain to hit any Democratic nominee. I don’t think that’s as big a threat this year as it has been in the past — voters disgusted by Republicans won’t be very receptive to tittle-tattle about Democrats — but it’s going to happen, and it would be nice to have a nominee who knows how to deal with it.