I appreciate that you're actually reading my posts, absorbing the points and replying to them -- and I can see why you'd think that intuitively, Laura should step it up -- but I still think in this case it's better to wait until at least after the POV.
Also, I mentioned Danielle from BB7 in my post. When she was nominated, she wasn't originally a pawn of any kind. Janelle had heard that Danielle and Allison were after her, and had nominated them both with the intention of getting EITHER of them out. And for some time there, the House was really considering keeping Allison (mostly because of CT's influence) so she could go after Janelle. Danielle then was in very real danger but she smartly folded, and performed the rest of the week like Helen Keller and Mother Teresa rolled into one, while Allison went balls-to-the-wall trying to cajole and make promises and get every vote she could. And what happened? Everyone felt Allison was coming on too strong, saw Danielle as calm and collected, and evicted Allison in a landslide 8-2 vote.
I think when there are fewer numbers in the House, and the personalities and alliances are more well-defined, then you can go around trying to campaign and flip votes. But this early in the game when there are so many people and Herd mentality often sets in (this was part of Allison's undoing), it's best to let the other person sink him/herself.