But the bigger problem has to do with messaging: of late the campaign's argument against Mr Obama has been on issues of substance, philosophy and character.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky ., who is attempting to walk a delicate line between social conseR-Ky .es and his more libertarian-minded supporters, has been sending mixed messages of late on the issues of abortion and contraception.
But the message of this late flamboyance wasn't lost on Ellie Kosel, a second violinist.
Teams, systems, groups of players schooled in the same well-ordered habits: this has been the message of the late stages of Brazil 2014, and will be the lurking theme of Sunday's delicious-looking World Cup final whatever shape the match itself takes.
My favourite messaging story of late concerns another friend, who after telling a Tinder date she was in the bath with a candle received the reply, "I hope you burn and drown".
That's the message of his latest and 11th book, "The Clash of the Cultures: Investment vs. Speculation" (Wiley & Sons, $29.95).
That is also the message of his latest book, "Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion" (Joseph Henry Press, 2007).
Whether as a teeny-bopper, a dominatrix, a cowgirl or a geisha, Madonna dressed in a way that embodied the message of the latest musical adventure.
The message of the latest polls isn't that springtime gas prices and culture war debates will determine who wins the White House in November.
The true take-home message of the latest IPCC report is crystal clear: climate change is real and caused by humans, and it continues unabated.
