Gun To A Gunfight

Count me in as down for Barack Obama's McCain is a celebrity ad (with special cameo from Steve Carell).



I've been saying that the Obama camp had 10-15 seconds of a negative ad down before turning to a laundry list, but this one gets it about right. I think the big takeaway for me is that Obama's team figured out that the media is so insipid, they would only get their ad covered if it was seen as a "response" to the McCain ad. So by framing it that way, it gives them the opportunity to shoehorn in a bunch of pictures with McCain and Bush and make the case against their failed conservative policies. The election needs to be less about Obama and more about the axis of Bush-McCain, and this is a way to turn that around. And there's nothing out of bounds here - McCain's campaign is indeed crawling with lobbyists, and he is indeed proclaiming his support for most of George Bush's policies. It also shows how ridiculous the "celebrity" tag is when applied to a well-known politician - of course you can turn that around on everyone, but on the facts, McCain represents the same wrong direction we've been headed in for seven years.

I'm also partial to this DNC ad using the DHL/Wilmington deal to paint McCain as a job killer:



And this Obama ad blasting McCain for his position on Yucca Mountain.



Obama didn't start down this road, but he can absolutely finish it. And what's more, as the election rolls around he'll be outspending McCain 2-1 to boot.

Fluff v. Substance

The McCain campaign is rolling with the celebrity theme, tying the "fabulous life" of Barack Obama, who recently paid off his student loans, to the struggles of working people, who John McCain and his eight houses and $500 loafers certainly connects with.

It is good that the Obama campaign countered by simply calling the ad a lie.

"This ad is a lie, and it's part of the old, tired politics of a party in Washington that has run out of ideas and run out of steam. Even though a host of independent, nonpartisan organizations have said this attack isn't true, Senator McCain continues to lie about Senator Obama's plan to give 95% of all families a tax cut of $1,000, and not raise taxes for those making under $250,000 a single dime. The reason so many families are hurting today is because we've had eight years of failed Bush policies that Senator McCain wants to continue for another four, and that's what Barack Obama will change as President."

What I like MUCH better than that is that the Obama campaign is exploiting the new opening provided by the Wilmington/DHL deal which McCain and his lobbyist/campaign manager supported, which is resulting in thousands of job losses in the Ohio community. Obama is up with a radio ad here explaining the whole thing.

July 9, 2008: Portsmouth, Ohio. Here's what John McCain said about DHL's plans to eliminate 8,200 Ohio jobs:

"I gotta look you in the eye and give you straight talk: I don't know if I can stop it or not. Or if it will be stopped."

But there's something John McCain's not telling you: It was McCain who used his influence in the Senate to help foreign-owned DHL buy a U.S. company and gain control over the jobs that are now on the chopping block in Ohio. And that's not all: McCain's campaign manager was the top lobbyist for the DHL deal...helped push it through. His firm was paid $185,000 to lobby McCain and other Senators.

Now 8,200 Ohioans are facing layoffs, and foreign-owned DHL doesn't care.

"I gotta look you in the eye and give you straight talk..."

John McCain, same old politics, same failed policies.

That is pitch-perfect and the best ad of the cycle for the Obama campaign, hands-down. This Wilmington deal is getting national attention as well as hitting regional news in Ohio. Without Ohio, McCain pretty much can't win. This is a major opportunity and I wouldn't stop running this until November 4. Make TV ads from it as well.