I wonder if CNN and MSNBC as well as the networks, will play this 20 times a day the way they have with McWorse's "celeb" ads.

It would be nice but I damnly doubt it.

Exxon John

I love it!!!!

'bout time

heh...

Well, we finally learned how to hit back.

pretty good ad.....lobbyists,tax breaks for big profit companies who probably don't pay much in taxes anyways. obama needs to hit harder...body shots and head shots.

Um - I'm a big Barack supporter, and I liked the message, but god damn did that video suck. Way too slow, boring as hell, and what's with all the slow fades? They can do better. This was lame

Good ole Exxon John McMobile.

Matt @ 9:

Um - I'm a big Barack supporter, and I liked the message, but god damn did that video suck. Way too slow, boring as hell, and what's with all the slow fades? They can do better. This was lame

Since they're using a catchy nickname for McLame that ties into a widely recognized song they kinda' needed to stick with the tempo of that piece of music. Exxon John has a nice ring to it and considering that many people still remember the spill and its damage, plus the CNN special that's being aired, I think this is a pretty darn effective piece. Sorry it wasn't fast enough to maintain your attention for 60 seconds. That may say more about you than it does the ad.

you know obama is going to get hit hard for this, and be called a hypocrite...

Fucking brilliant!

Its a real ad right? Since McSame started the negativity, break it off in him.

obama needs a clear message(ads) about his taxation policy i suspect that will occur after convention. a report is coming out next week that reveals that corporations don't pay their fair share of taxes.......

One of the co-conspirators in 1933 to overthow the US government and install a fascist government was Standard oil. At the time the chain of gas stations was called Esso, now it's Exxon.

Drilling solves nothing (aka right wing hater) @ 14:

The campaign needs to add...

"We've already had two Oilmen in the White House....we don't need a third"

A graph showing the cost of a gallon of gas circa Feb 2001 up to today's prices superimposed in the background....

Better yet
Exxon John, the best president their money can buy.

I love this add. Its really great. (I like the voice of that narrator) It has nice cowboy like theme - I guess that that is allusion to McCain nickname (Maverick)

If they were going for simplicity, they got it. It wasn't one of my favorites but it gets its point across.

I was just reading how unexcited the repubs are about their convention. A lot of them aren't even bothering to go. One said, no one wants to attend a funeral.

Compare that to 75,000 people with tickets to hear Obama give his speech.

Now explain to me how McCain is going to win.

Matt @ 9:

Um - I'm a big Barack supporter, and I liked the message, but god damn did that video suck. Way too slow, boring as hell, and what's with all the slow fades? They can do better. This was lame

i somewhat agree but the contrast with other ads allows this ad to stick out if you will.....being at a different pace and rhythm will probably gain attention by certain demographics....i'm sure they group tested. i still would like to see an ad the shows mccain hugging bush with his latest approval numbers....pretty basic but i think effective

But will they play it on TV? Or is it just for the already-convinced?

Great that they want to hit back, but seriously? This is some extraordinarily lame old music - and kind of esoteric, besides - for an ad that's supposed to appeal to a wide audience. Let's try to keep the references within the twenty-year mark.

The GOP wants an upstanding campaign..."no blame game"...."no class warfare"...because they know their party could be ruined for decades.

I ask...would THEY do the same for the Democratic Party?

I believe it is time to shrink the GOP small enough where we can then put it in a bathtub and drown it.

EXCELLENT... A+

pissed off patricia @ 27:

Now explain to me how McCain is going to win.

Depends on what you mean by 'win.'
Get the most votes? depends on who's counting, donut? Stalin (allegedly) said: I don't care who votes. I care who counts the votes...
McSame's strategy is to provide every WHITE voter in the country a (specious, spurious, sure, but deniably plausible) reason NOT to vote for St. Barry. Celebrity/spite? Uppity Kneegrow? White women? "the Other." Anything that'll stick, they'll throw...

and, given the average political acuity of the average Murkin (the low-info is the norm) voter, it'll work to perfection.

McSame's counting on the fact that Murkins will feel good enough about themselves for putting a Kneegrow on the ballot that they'll stop short of putting one in the Preznincy...

http://obamascrapbook.com/index.htm

Googlebomb it. Make it viral.

Inoculate Obama from the October swiftboats.

The above link really is a humanizing introduction to Obama's family history.

A weapon against demonizing political opponents.

AMERICAblog
GOP Senate aide calls McCain Convention "a funeral"

http://www.americablog.com/2008/08/gop-senate-aide-calls-mccain-conventi...

POINTLESS! Sorry, I've had enough of these cute YouTube ads designed to appeal to people who already know the deal. Run ads in battleground states with simple, straightforward language saying: oil companies are screwing us: they're reaping record profits while we are all paying insane prices for gas; mccain's solution is to give even more money to oil companies and let them drill wherever they want -- and he expects us to believe his policy has nothing to do with the fact that those oil companies are paying him millions of dollars. if you're that gullible and you want to keep getting screwed over, VOTE JOHN MCCAIN!

annenberg school of communication professor grades 3 mccain ads and 3 obama ads....obama does pretty well

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/08/12/campaign_ads/

YORK, Pennsylvania (AFP) - Republican White House hopeful John McCain Tuesday stepped up a fusillade against Russian "aggression" and declared that today, "we are all Georgians."

McCain said he had spoken by telephone earlier with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who he said wanted to thank the American people for their support.

"I told him that I know I speak for every American when I say to him, today, we are all Georgians,"

Uh sorry Duke I'm an American. They shouldn't have elected that clown Saakashvili and I don't support them for it.

gwen @ 45:

POINTLESS! Sorry, I've had enough of these cute YouTube ads designed to appeal to people who already know the deal. ...

That has been the DNC play book for a while now, preach to the choir and "explain" to people who don't agree with their policies.

DNC should dumb it down and talk to people who don't agree with them

Joshu @ 41:

http://obamascrapbook.com/index.htm

Googlebomb it. Make it viral.

Inoculate Obama from the October swiftboats.

The above link really is a humanizing introduction to Obama's family history.

A weapon against demonizing political opponents.

That's beautiful! It's so complete and so easy to follow. I don't know who made it but they did an excellent job.

Why didna they use this music for the commercial?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPqwnelySlc

While I love the fact that Obama is hitting back and going "negative" (albeit truthful) ... I cannot even imagine ... cannot even fathom how negative the gee-o-pee is going to go from here.
I mean, they are bad enough when there isn't any hitting back. And when the Dems even so much as honestly question anything about the Con candidate they just say "everyone’s doing it" "both parties are EQUALLY responsible" ... and use it as an excuse to go even further into the gutter.
Lying even ... knowingly lying JUST to get the message across.

Now with this? With Obama directly challenging him? Going "negative" (albeit truthful) ...

Gods I can't even imagine what we are in for and where they will go from here.

What kind of outright LIES will they peddle in the name of "Everyone's doing it"?

VERY happy to see this coming out though ... especially how they used the right / left camera trick before the Cons could ... LOVE it.
But who knows where these people will go when the other team decides to play their game and beat them at it soundly with reality.

My wife says I'm an old "babe in the woods" when it comes to political sophistication so I hope you'll forgive my naivety but I'm confused. How is this ad a "negative" ad? Claiming McLame's child is a love child, that's negative but pointing out that McSame is in the hip pocket of big oil (and providing numbers to back it up), how's that going negative?

Inquiring (and naive) minds need to know.

Um, question: do they intend to run this on primetime TV? Will it run during the DNC convention? Because making a 73 second ad which admittedly is pretty good, and contains a great meme on McCain, is useless if it's only going to be seen by the choir.

Great idea, but this should be a 30-second commercial spot by the DNC.

Samson- @ 60:

Chicken Hussein Little - NOT!!@22

"curl up in a ball"? huh?

anyhoo.... the reasons that obama should be prepared for that is because there is some accuracy in the charge.

so, how do you "shove this down their throat"?
"Exxon employees have given Obama $42,100 to McCain's $35,166"

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/oil-industry-leans-toward-mcca.html

And why would employees of any company donating to Obama be a problem? Maybe they realize that with Obama as president they stand a better chance of having some protections and redress when it comes to dealing with the corporation they work for.

PS Are you taking my comment about curling up in a ball personally? I hope not, the armadillo defense seems to be the primary response this democratic congress has to any of the shit tossed at it by the administration or the repug members of the house and senate. It would be nice to see it stop.

God, even a few of the red neck block heads will catch the message here.

Nice going! Worth running 24/7.

This country had better wake the f*ck up fast.

sixhundredsixtysix @ 62:

"This is not going negative in my opinion."

Not in mine either ... which is why I "quoted" each time.

It will be perceived that way though ... and as we all know - ESPECAILLY in campaigns - perception is reality.

It does not matter what our opinions are ... the MSM will give us our opinion and it will be "Boy they both said that they would run a respectable campain and now they have both gone negative equally"

And as childish as it sounds it can be pointed out that McCain had agreed to that point and broke the promise first, so why bother playing by the rules if your opponent isn't.
Also, fuck the media, americans need to stop paying attention to it, it is not news any more it is infotainment.

Chicken_Hussein_Little@63

not at all CHM. i didn't take it personally. i have read your posts for too long now, and i think you are one of the good guys. we disagree from time to time, but (not to overstep my bounds) i think we are fighting the same fight.

let there be no doubt, mccain is much more closely aligned with big oil than obama. but, like i said, the charges that obama is leveling can be thrown back at him, exposing the one side of him that is rarely discussed: his corporate/hedge fund/banking/industry side (see supply side).

and, in regards to your question (from the link):

The oil/gas money that Barack Obama has received is entirely from individuals whom the Center for Responsive Politics has associated with the company, as my article makes clear in several spots. But John McCain's oil/gas money is really no different. Of the $1.3 million from oil/gas to McCain that we have identified through June, all but $32,900 of it came from individuals. Put another way, 97.5 percent of the money John McCain has collected from oil and gas interests came from individual employees of those companies and their families. 100% of the money to Obama has come from individuals; he doesn't accept PAC donations.

So that $2 million in oil-related campaign contributions to McCain that Obama cites in his ad accusing his opponent of being in the oil industry's pocket? That money (which includes our $1.3 million figure and a tally by another group, and may entail double-counting) is almost entirely from individual employees of oil and gas companies, not from PACs.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/oil-industry-leans-toward-mcca.html

like i have said numerous times, either obama needs to do better at 'walking the walk', or he should avoid some of the political strategies his campaign has employed.

now this is the sort of dig that demonstrates creativity and intelligence in ways that are far beyond the capacity of a reichtoid playbook... no matter how good rove has been at smearing, this completely defangs their smears while being entertaining and informative all at once... this is why jon stewart and stephen colbert are huge successes whilst sadistic reichwing stupidity will never be humorous to anyone who's not an imbecile...

"""now this is the sort of dig that demonstrates creativity and intelligence in ways that are far beyond the capacity of a reichtoid playbook… no matter how good rove has been at smearing, this completely defangs their smears while being entertaining and informative all at once… this is why jon stewart and stephen colbert are huge successes whilst sadistic reichwing stupidity will never be humorous to anyone who’s not an imbecile…"""

Good point!
Odd, I've never even thought that when it comes to campain ads.
So true.
Why would I think the Dems would have a hard time playing this game??

In the end I hope the country is left laughing at this pathetic excuse for a candidate and his dopey old ass style of campain tactic.

MoDMaN @ 38:

Matt @ 9:

Um - I'm a big Barack supporter, and I liked the message, but god damn did that video suck. Way too slow, boring as hell, and what's with all the slow fades? They can do better. This was lame

I agree... great message, lame production value.

Here's an ad I did for the DNC contest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFt_5FLHQ4M

Maybe I should do a negative one too, feels about right after 8 years of being told to F#@k Off.

Have to agree. This clip is just.... bad. The idea was good, but how it was carried out and presented... what a stinker. It looks like something a high school student would put out. I'm sure the DNC dropped a pretty penny on it too. I'd be asking for a refund.

This ad was made by what, a third grader? Lame!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VMfcOIegcs&feature=related

I liked this on better and it's not executed much better. The Exxon John line was tired the second time it was uttered by the third grade anouncer.

Rasputin@78

personally, i look forward to glowing in the dark...

yet, the puking blood, hair falling out and the radiation-caused slow death seems like a downer...

(i make light because if i didn't i think you would be seeing me on the evening news doing something a bit irrational)

sixhundredsixtysix @ 73:

"""now this is the sort of dig that demonstrates creativity and intelligence in ways that are far beyond the capacity of a reichtoid playbook… no matter how good rove has been at smearing, this completely defangs their smears while being entertaining and informative all at once… this is why jon stewart and stephen colbert are huge successes whilst sadistic reichwing stupidity will never be humorous to anyone who’s not an imbecile…"""

Good point!
Odd, I've never even thought that when it comes to campain ads.
So true.
Why would I think the Dems would have a hard time playing this game??

In the end I hope the country is left laughing at this pathetic excuse for a candidate and his dopey old ass style of campain tactic.

i think this ad proves that the dems can not only play the game much better than reichtoids, they can change the very nature of the game with such a strategy...

excellent voice over too

I'm amazed that none of you seem to be aware that that ad was an exact take off of a youtube promotion of "Big John Cornyn". The Cornyn ad was actually serious about trying to make him look heroic with that stupid music and the big booming narrative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt05KC3Add8

Joshu @ 41:

http://obamascrapbook.com/index.htm

Googlebomb it. Make it viral.

Inoculate Obama from the October swiftboats.

The above link really is a humanizing introduction to Obama's family history.

A weapon against demonizing political opponents.

Hey scrapbooker--very nice, but there's a typo: it says Obama graduated high school in 1990.

Like it..sorry. Guess I am into oldies...
44G : not to be nitpicky, but this song was origionally done by Jimmy Dean, not Roger miller.
Another great nickname by Dan Abrams on Verdict...Teflon John. Teflon,Exxon John.
Dnurse

Matt @ 84:

Chicken Hussein Little - NOT!! @ 13:

Matt @ 9:

Um - I'm a big Barack supporter, and I liked the message, but god damn did that video suck. Way too slow, boring as hell, and what's with all the slow fades? They can do better. This was lame

Since they're using a catchy nickname for McLame that ties into a widely recognized song they kinda' needed to stick with the tempo of that piece of music. Exxon John has a nice ring to it and considering that many people still remember the spill and its damage, plus the CNN special that's being aired, I think this is a pretty darn effective piece. Sorry it wasn't fast enough to maintain your attention for 60 seconds. That may say more about you than it does the ad.

Did you make this add? Cause it seems like you're taking my criticism quite personally. If you actually bothered to read my post and think about it, instead of reacting like a child being scolded, I was saying that I did like the message in the ad.

What I was critiquing was the presentation. It was boring in the fact that the music was slow, the voice doing the singing was lame, the graphics were lame, and the slow fades prolonged what could have easily been a 30 second ad.

Furthermore, the song being used has already been used in a campaign video for republican hack John Cronyn in Texas. This video is not only slow, but they're also ripping off a song that's already been used. They could have easily done better, and I would expect better out of their campaign. If they were going for parody they feel well short.

In addition to this - this add should be a series of three or four ads hitting John McCain on the major issues presented in this add: lobbying loyalist, In bed with big oil, energy independence, and the economy. Hell, each one of these could be their own series.

Good suggestions. You should contact the Obama folks. All feedback/criticism is welcome.

Litabell @ 92:

If they were going for simplicity, they got it. It wasn’t one of my favorites but it gets its point across.

I was just reading how unexcited the repubs are about their convention. A lot of them aren’t even bothering to go. One said, no one wants to attend a funeral.

Compare that to 75,000 people with tickets to hear Obama give his speech.

Now explain to me how McCain is going to win.

I think the republican nat'l convention had better get some cattle prods out or something to liven up the audience. Whenever I see McCain at one of his town hall meetings most of the people either look bored, nervous or sleepy. Not to mention VERY white.

I'm not so sure about an Obama victory. There are alot of stupid morons in America. After GWB got reelected I lost confidence in the intelligence of most people.

I am counting on the possibility they will secretly vote for Obama and not tell their friends.