Former Madison mayor, [Paul Soglin](http://www.waxingamerica.com/2008/09/free-advice-to-the-obama-campaign.html), posted today about the need for the Obama campaign to respond strongly to the McCain message of “experience and leadership.”

McCain, Soglin reasons, is conveying a message of competency instead of ideology, which is considerably more important to swing voters. Hence, it is important for Obama to respond accordingly, by bringing McCain judgment into question.

In all fairness, the Obama camp has done this by using McCain’s support of Bush as an indicator of judgment. The ads portraying McCain as a Bush loyalist do more than “play to the party faithful,” as Soglin argues. They appeal to a large segment of the population that considers Bush an incompetent fool, regardless of ideology. If Obama can successfully portray McCain as a Bush crony, he will win this election.

Another way to pick at McCain judgment would be to get Hillary Clinton back on the campaign trail, to question the selection of Palin as V.P. Although the voters Palin appeals to are principally conservative evangelicals — not disaffected Hillary supporters — if the Obama campaign can shine light on what a cynical and nonsensical choice for VP Sarah Palin truely is, more indepedents will lose trust in McCain.