better than nothing
Posted by T2 at July 30, 2008 05:54 PMIt reinforces Obama's basic message and swings a hammer at McCain's credibility. It's a classic response ad for a candidate who has the advantage. Getting in the mud with McCain is not where Obama wants to go, since that would take him off his message.
Posted by CA Pol Junkie at July 30, 2008 06:03 PMEh.
Posted by coral at July 30, 2008 06:52 PMI agree, CA Pol, and the title pretty much sums up the premise. Obama's going to take the high road. And it's not a grumpy voice making wild assertions like McCain's ad, it's sourced statements saying McCain's a liar, his kind of politics are part of the past, and Obama is what the future looks like. I got an "out with the old, in with the new" vibe from this. Totally on message, and not something that can be construed as dirty politics or unfair since it's not Obama doing the accusing, it's "reputable" news sources.
Posted by iamcoyote at July 30, 2008 07:00 PMMan, the format of those ads is so pat. I can hardly watch them. Fortunately, a DVR allows me to watch programming on my time table and edit out the noise.
I guess the only ads I'll see will be when they're critiqued on line.
Posted by brisa at July 30, 2008 07:04 PMFormat pat x2. I'd like to see a hit back response ad that does away with the time and focus tested gimmicks such as reducing your opponent to black and white, stopping the frame at an unflattering transition expression. To me it would feel more confident in it's returned beat back - but like I said, these are tested negative response gimmicks.
The Obama team has been clear in that it wants to focus on positive coalition-building campaigning. We're not going to see either the campaign or a 527 airing anything that appropriately kneecaps the GOP ticket anytime soon. That means as much as Steve (and most of us) would like to see hordes of Tier Two assassins mercilessly shredding the NRC and McCain, it's not going to happen for a long while.
Posted by idiosynchronic at July 30, 2008 09:55 PMWhat are the chances that an Obama ad could be run six or seven times in two markets by the campaign, but repeated several hundred times over a week on all the cable shows?
This is kind of important because when those ads are run on cable news shows, the audience conflates them with news. They ads gain credibility simply because they are being brought to you by news organizations.
Is it just impossible that any ad by any Democrat will ever get that kind of free promotion? Or does it take a special kind of ad?
What do you think?
Posted by James E. Powell at July 30, 2008 11:02 PMSo typical, when the GOP is smearing the Democrats with lies and distortions, our response is to either be too slow in responding or not responding at all. I give up. By the 2004 election, half this Country thought Kerry had not deserved his purple hearts, and worse, ridiculed his service. Democrats haven't figured out that the reason the GOP using such ads are because they work.
Personally, I think Democrats should hit McCain first and hard, and we don't have to lie or distort the truth.
Posted by Judith at July 30, 2008 11:45 PMIt's not bad--I like how they have media quotes saying McCains assertions are lies and I think it's good that in the 2nd half he talks about tax cuts and energy policy and debunks what McCain has said about him without repeating it. But yeah, the music, black and white, etc, Gag.
Posted by CG at July 31, 2008 06:29 AMWhat's this...could this be a dogwhistle here to those prejudiced against the elderly....Same Old politics? I wouldn't want to be presumptuous here though.
Anyway it's good to see them hitting back because I can't stand McSame and his repuke politics of making the election a referendum on the opponent when their own policies and governing practices have clearly been a disastrous miserable failure for the country.
Posted by emal at July 31, 2008 06:46 AMWhat needs to happen next is an Obama staffee calls McCain a liar so that the MSM runs with the meme "Is McCain lying?" Then the ad gets bunches of free play and the truth that McCain is a liar is reinforced.
Posted by phidipides at July 31, 2008 09:24 AMWhat needs to happen next is an Obama staffer calls McCain a liar so that the MSM runs with the meme "Is McCain lying?" Then the ad gets bunches of free play and the truth that McCain is a liar is reinforced.
Posted by phidipides at July 31, 2008 09:24 AM"their own policies and governing practices have clearly been a disastrous miserable failure for the country." You do mean the last one and a half years Congress has been run by Democrats resulting in their all time low approval rating of 9%? You know the leadersheep that promised Americans lower gas prices in the lead up to the November, 2006 vote. January, 2007 saw gas prices at $2.04, what are they now? All their proposals won't make the burden any cheaper on the lower income groups any time soon. Even Rep. Clyburn states Democrats actions in fighting global warming hurts Blacks more. That they will pay the big price and still not be able to participate.
The president spoke and gas prices fell. Democrats speak and they go up. That is what Obama wanted anyhow, he was just shocked how quick it happened. That is what Albert Gore wanted too. That's been his message all along.
Posted by peter at July 31, 2008 10:02 AMWhat a lame-ass ad. Change you can believe in? Examples? Supports Telecom immunity and illegal spying like Bush. Supports government funding of religious groups like Bush. Supports the death penalty for non capital crimes like Bush. Supports repeal of gun control laws like Bush. Supports NAFTA like Bush. Supports Bush claims for immunity from prosecution like Bush. Obama must believe the electorate is as stupid as his fauxgressive supporters.
.... January, 2007 saw gas prices at $2.04.... Rep. Clyburn states Democrats actions in fighting global warming hurts Blacks more....The president spoke and gas prices fell.....peter 10:02You're confused fella. It was Bush that promised he would use his influence to keep oil prices low. Rep. Cliburn is wrong: global climate change will harm blacks more while developing technologies to reverse it will create jobs that will help all Americans. There are two reasons gas prices have fallen. One, Bush sent a rep to talk to Iran which made the likelihood of a third Middle East war seem less. In case you didn't know it, wars make prices higher . If the Bush neo-Cons and the Israelis do some more saber rattling, expect an upward curve in prices again. Secondly, the high prices and lousy Bush economy have led to Americans driving billions of miles fewer. Try to follow here, reduced demand > increased supply > lower prices. It's explained here. And one more thing, the reasons Democrats are disgusted with congress: they're still funding the war and still not impeaching the corrupt swine in the Bush Regime. Posted by Mike at July 31, 2008 01:40 PM
Mike, that was in 1999 and 2000. Since then Pelosi gave her guaranties. She's done so well after the electorate gave her the chance to prove it.
Posted by peter at July 31, 2008 02:41 PM