If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.
Given the centrality of the Iraq war this perhaps isn't the most appropriate example, but if we see this as a metaphor for politics rather than a meditation on war strategy, the basic question is whether Obama's willing to throw the grenade after confusing them with the pumpkins or if he thinks the pumpkins will be enough.