Making Better Ads
By Anonymous Liberal Tuesday Sep 09, 2008 7:30amI completely agree with Nate Silver: the Obama campaign needs to make better ads.
It's not that Obama's ads are bad by any normal metric. They're well produced and they usually hit the right themes. The problem is that they're very conventional. Obama is supposed to exude change. But his ads don't. They look like the ads we see every election cycle: images, text, and video footage linked together by the voice of a professional narrator. They may be marginally effective, but they are exceedingly forgettable and often make Obama come across as just another politician playing the same old game (even though his ads are much more honest than McCain's).
The Obama campaign needs to think a little more outside of the box. They should aim to produce ads that are either more creative/funny than a typical campaign ad, or more sincere. On the creative front, a good example is this anti-Norm Coleman ad from Minnesota:
With the exception of this kind of spoof ad, though, I think the Obama campaign should stop wasting its money on production value and professional narrators. If the message is change, why not cut out the middleman and simply have Obama and Biden address the American people directly? No narrator. No music. Nothing but the candidate himself, unfiltered, speaking bluntly to the American people. As I've noted previously, David Axelrod used this technique with great success in Deval Patrick's gubernatorial campaign, which also emphasized a "change" theme. (see these two ads for example).
Obama and Biden could use these kind of ads to rebut Republican lies and set the record straight. Each ad could be devoted to rebutting a single major lie (such as the Bridge to Nowhere claim or the claim that Obama will raise taxes). Both Obama and Biden have a gift for sincerity, and would come across well in this format. And I think it would help them really own the change theme. It would make the Obama/Biden campaign look and feel genuinely different and, if done effectively, would co-opt the maverick/straight-talker image that the McCain/Palin campaign is trying so desperately to cultivate. I suspect ads like these would also garner a lot of free press as the news channels play them and discuss them.
And here's one more reason for the Obama campaign to take this approach. If they don't, the McCain campaign is going to beat them to it, and the media is going to fall over backwards praising them for being so mavericky. Mark my words.
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I suppose it would be fine for Obama to take the high road and stay up there, pristine and untouched by "old politics"
IF
he hadn't eliminated the 527's in the process.
McCain's campaign is personally taking the lowest of low road, so we can just imagine what the Rovebot 527's do on his behalf.
PEACE
Hire the Daily Show staff. That's what I say.
Why Is John McCain Supporting NAMBLA & Pedophiles?
John McCain is attacking Barack Obama for trying to make our children aware of how to protect themselves from pedophiles.*
Why does John McCain want to protect pedophiles and keep our children from detecting their advances?
John McCain: Stop Supporting NAMBLA and Pedophiles.
Alexdem @ 2:
Outstanding suggestion! Right on.
They seem to be the only ones unafraid to point out the hypocrisy
I agree. Obama is looking and sounding more and more like a typical pol, and less and less like a agent of change. One would think that after 8 years of Bush fascism Obama would be way ahead but instead we are faced with a real possibility that we could lose this election because Obama (like Kerry and Gore) refused to fight.
Hire the people who do/did Apple ads. Maybe another 1984-style ad to shake things up.
R: Hello, I'm a Republican...
D: and I'm a Democrat.
D: Hey Republican, why do you choose to ignore every major issue America wants?
R: My friends... War hero. 9-11. Maverick. Grrrrrrrrr. And did I mention War hero? War hero. Maverick. Straight talk. Drill, my friends.
If they make a bad ad though, even if its with the intention of being creative/original, it could come back to haunt them like McGovern in that tank.
Creative and funny sounds right to me. Alexdem@2 is on the right track. Obama certainly seems to have a good sense of humor and there's no doubt his opponents are more than worthy of laughter, well, more like ridicule but that would be too much like taking the lipstick off the pig.
I think he should have dramatic music, really fast clips, explosions and words flying off the screen. Too bad Don LaFontaine (movie trailer voice over guy) died recently because he would do the narration: "In a country under peril stands one man who will change it's future... etc."
No one admires the high minded ideals of the Obama campaign more than I.
But he will never get a chance to display them as president if he doesn't get seriously intense at pointing out McCain lies and media complicity.
It isn't negative to point to the truth. And he shouldn't allow the media to keep perpetuating lies from the McCain camp for fear of seeming negative.
He should also call out the failures of Republican policies. He isn't going to get enough crossover votes to matter anyway. The few Republicans that I know who are actively supporting him already know these failures.
Obama is talking like a scared rabbit now. The press and the GOP have ripped apart his every word. He's no longer speaking from the gut. I'm totally bored by his presentations. Where's that "fire-in-the-belly" that we used to love?
It's time to kick butt!
Yeah -- Obama and Biden, straight to camera, telling it like it really is. They can still use the old-school big words and a few images to underline the issues and points they're making.
"I'm Matt Santos, and you better believe I approve this message."
:-)
That... was awesome. Somebody needs to show this to the Obama campaign the day before yesterday.
(Trump used for graphical reasons)
INT
-Penthouse of Trump Tower-
-Donald Trump putting on his cufflings, and adjusting his tie as a plummer in the background fixes a sink-
Donald- John McCain says that Obama will raise my taxes, and frankly nobody likes to hear that... I work hard for my money... But then again I pay less than 10% of my income in income taxes... - turns to the plummer- Sean do you know what percent you pay?
Sean- Mr Trump I believe its close to 42% all together, its tough out there.
Donald Trump- That's just crazy, crazy
- Text over screen - Tax breaks for the rich, tax burden on the rest of us-
Obama 08
Lipstick on a Pig. When will we learn. Fight fire with fire. You don't respond with explanations of what the senator meant by the phrase, you Attack. The only response to this ginned up controversy should be:
"Of course if I was the McCain/ Palin campaign with breaking news items about Troopergate and charging the State of Alaska for nights spent in my home, I'd change the subject and react to a phony charge of calling me a pig."
"Damn it Maverick, get in the fight!"
Top Gun
this is a great idea. straight talk. Imagine that.
Norm Coleman and Al Franken are doing that in MN. To be honest, they aren't really effective. Norm's are insulting to normal Americans making them look like drunk idiotic bowlers, and Al's just plain don't get a point across.
For all the talk about feeding negativity into Obama's ad cycle, I'm genuinely refreshed that he largely avoids it and keeps to the issues. The biggest problem I see, is that I don't see enough ads by him. Perhaps that's because I'm in MN where he may have an easy advantage over McCain.
I'm about to put my foot through the TV screen. Our local PBS stopped carrying the BBC in the morning, so I'm having to watch the local (bleeccchh) "news."
"Giggle giggle giggle...it's raining cats and dogs, but traffic's at a snail pace...giggle giggle giggle. Now this from the campaign trail, Senator and war hero mccain had this to say, 'My friends...' And here was Senator Obama's troop hating response, 'Ummm...' Now back to more traffice and weather with Perky Porksmore...giggle giggle giggle."
It occured to me this morning why repugs keep winning elections.
The one with the simplistic answers
Has an easier task selling a snow job
I really liked the Ned Lamont ads. They should hire that guy!
There were a couple of CNN types on last night (try not to go there but stopped when I heard Palin's name) that were talking about the parallels of the campaing and the primary where Hillary was running. I hate to say it but I think there is some truth. Many of us were hoping for hard hitting attacks on the right, especially at McCain. What they CNN types were saying is that Hillary was taken aback by the phenomenon of the Obama campaing and never recovered. The parallel was drawn by Palin's selection and it seems the Obama campaign has been taken aback and doesn't quite know how to respond.
The thrust of this post is right on. Hit hard, hit out of the box, and use humor! The more we can laught at the idiocy of the republican campaign the more it will stick. The FAUX channels attract millions of viewers with Family Guy, etc. Sort of like a captured audience, and thats not to mention the ones who go there to see the sexual innuendo. I am not saying use sex in the campaign ads but maybe.....!
I see us loosing another one, that would be three in a row. Time for us to get down and dirty. Problem is if you attack McCain they will say you are attacking a POW and if you attack Palin, well you already see how we are loosing that fight. Sorry guys, the only thing we can hope to win in '09 is a super majority in congress so we can do our job of oversight on the next Republican President.
I agree with the topic and feel like we've been on idle for some time.
Duh!
They are the same, except for a slight variation in skin tone.
You have fallen for a faux progressive simply because he is a Democrat and you hate McCain so much.
Jesus, C&L. Wake up.
McCain = Obama, for God's sake.
Dukakis was the guy in the tank.
it would be a VERY different world if McGovern had one. Wishful thinking.
They should include Obama's line "They must think you're stupid!" after every presentation of GOP bulls***.
ysbaddaden Says:
"“Giggle giggle giggle…it’s raining cats and dogs, but traffic’s at a snail pace…giggle giggle giggle. Now this from the campaign trail, Senator and war hero mccain had this to say, ‘My friends…’ And here was Senator Obama’s troop hating response, ‘Ummm…’ Now back to more traffice and weather with Perky Porksmore…giggle giggle giggle.”"
That is EXACTLY what the local morning, mid-day and evening news is like!
Leave the offices and film John Mccains greasy fingerprints
The Democrats can't coast or they will lose this election... they need to take some risk and chances... McCain just put all his chips in with Palin and it seems to be working.... we can argue all we want about her hypocracy and her not having any real substance, but the simple fact of the matter is the vast majority of voters do not know anything about the issues and just vote on personality...
the Democrats also need to focus on voter turnout... putting all the BS aside.... if the dems can get say another 10 million voters out, particularly in key states, they win the election easily...
if i was the McCain camp I would not have Palin do any interviews.... all I would have Palin and McCain say in every single thing they say or question they answer is change, change, change.... in the debates all i would have them say is change... change... change... whoever is viewed as the change candidate will win... the pick of Palin represented change and shaking things up... we will see how many in the key states will believe the McCain "change" strategy..
i woulld suggest hiring better ad people. madision avenue's best. they can sell anything and realize that the target audience is not composed of rocket science. they are ignorant and will believe the message if it's packaged right. the gop recognizes that and that's why they can put lipstick on a pig and sell it as a thoroughbred. in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Republicans are upset about the phrase "Lipstick on a pig" ???
I agree.
Whenever I hear a reference to a "pig", I immediately think of Sara Palin, too!
this surpises me too. it would see that Obama would have access to more creative talent. they do seem kind of bland. however, if they went overboard, i think it would turn off some older folks.
pd @ 14:
Warren Buffet (currently richest man in the world) complained last summer that he wasn't paying enough taxes. He said he was paying around 16-17%, and not even trying to hide it in offshore tax shelters. He compared this to one of his lowest paid employees (asst. secretary or receptionist) who was taxed just under 40%.
Maybe getting him to do a commercial like that could work.
ysbaddaden @ 18:
Hey, try my life. I had to explain to a European friend yesterday what the hell was going on, and how Americans could be so dumb. How do you answer that?
To get him to fully realize the situation, I filled him in a bit..
- You know, they advanced the argument that Palin had foreign-policy experience because Alaska is next to Russia.
- What?
- Yup.
- You're joking, right?
- No, that's pretty much exactly what they said. Seriously.
- You're really not joking?!
- Nope.
[speechless]
What can you say?
A great ad would mirror the side-by-side McCain 2008/Bush 2000 convention speeches just like the Daily Show did after McCain's speech. Hilarious. It was exactly the same! (written by the same people, probably) At the end, you could just throw up a the word "Change?" against a black backdrop. Done.
and now they are talking about a second stimulus being on the way. this is a perfect example of selling the lipstick on a pig idea. ignorance love a stimulus check, in this respect, we are all ignorant because we all like that check in the mail. however, this is where the facts get in the way. ignorance says shut up and enjoy it. the facts ask where is the money coming from to provide for the stimulus checks. reach in peter's pocket to pay paul. dear people we rob from ourselves and our children's children to provide happy money today. not that hard to understand.
Scott Koontz @ 6:
OMFG...This would be an awesome ad!
It would be great if Obama were more concise in his responses to the scurrilous claims and outright lies of the McCain campaign. The 'umms' and 'ahhs' are really distracting, even though I didn't think it was an issue at first. I think his responses should be just as thoughtful but much shorter (concise).
As for the hardhitting/passionate part, he has to be very careful because there is the stereotype of the *angry Black man* that he has to avoid like the plague. What his supporters would see simply as 'no nonsense', his detractors would label as angry, over the top, frightening, etc.
How about Rainier Wolfcastle from the Simpsons shouting:
"MCCainnnnnnnnnnnnnnNNNnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Bumper sticker...
McCain=Change that is the Same?
Rachel Maddow said yesterday on her new show that Obama will use 527’s.
When one person says "Obama needs better ads," you would think it's just a concern troll, but this is a whole chorus of people saying "Obama needs better ads," and I've been thinking this since the primaries. This isn't people coaching Obama. This is people saying, WAKE UP. You will lose if you let your opponent define the turf. As Begala said, this is about striking first, not striking back.
THE GUY NEEDS TO FIRE HIS AD STRATEGIST right now.
Alexdem @ 2:
That's actually not a bad idea at all.
dancingwithdragons @ 40:
How about "Short-changed!"
Does the candidate have to say that "I'm blah-blah, and I approve this message" at the end of the ad, or is that just so you get used to his voice? Otherwise, Barack can do the whole ad himself, and at the end go
"I'm Barack Obama, and..." *to someone off camera* "Do I really still have to say this??"
I agree. Obama needs better and harder hitting ads.
There are now only 8 weeks left. The latest ad from McCain, the "sex-education for kids" ad - is downright horrific. It is being played all over. It will frighten people. It's outright propaganda. It's sole purpose is to stir up deep feelings of fear in people, including race fear (black man, smiling at little white children, sex). The Obama camp MUST respond to this in the strongest way. There are only 8 weeks left. Time is running out and from where I sit, it looks like the Dems are allowing the rightwingers to dictate the terms of the show.
OMFG.
Just heard on NPR a clip from a McCain speech yesterday. He was talking about Todd Palin and the iditarod race. He said something about if Palin could go through that race, 2000 miles long, in freezing temperatures, he could handle anything in Washington.
Give me a frgn' break. I can't believe I just heard that. What is this race coming down to? What's this country coming down to when the dog race of the husband of a vice presidential candidate becomes a talking point for McCain's speech?
McCain has truly lost it, and I'm losing it, too when I hear stuff like this.
But, as long as we are in the twilight zone, Todd Palin did crash, a pretty major crash, in that DOG race early this year.
All the talk "Lipstick on a Pig." We are going to Lose. Obama has to turn this around. FAST.
Rachel Maddow said yesterday on her new show that Obama will use 527’s.
When???
I agree with those pushing the Daily Show format -- get clips showing opposite statements and string them together. Also, hire the Apple agency or better yet, Errol Morris. Find somebody to wipe the lipstick off the pig.
Deval Patrick won because his opponent shot herself in the foot by attacking lawyers.
In a state were 1 out of every 11 people is a lawyer, a politician would have to be a special kind of moron to attack lawyers. The state bar association came out with its first political endorsement in over 200 years just on that one issue.
I saw that sex education ad last night. I can't believe that Obama's surrogates aren't shouting from the rooftops about this. Isn't this what these people are supposed to do? Everyone that has access to a television camera, has the political clout and supports Obama needs to step it up. NOW!
I think the concern is that if Obama does a humorous ad, then McCain fires back that he's not taking Important Issues Seriously.
The other problem is that it has to be funny to a broad audience, or played in specific areas. And what do you poke fun at? The people we need to reach, the ones with their heads firmly planted up the media's arse and addicted to 'expert analysis' from pustulent lumps like the 'media analyst' who thinks 'lesbian Air America host' is valid criticism, have trouble recognizing facts, let alone jokes.
That being said, the best humor is the joke that tells itself. Get Palin's pitbull/lipstick line ... and if McCain's 'lipstick on a pig' comment is on video, pair the two together, and make HIM deliver the 'insult'.
Maybe we should create a forum right here where were we creatre our own ads for Obama, rate them and forward the best to the Obama campaign.
Re: TheWalrus @ 47
The right-wingers are extremely adept at propoganda. Those of us who recognize propoganda react with digust. The rest of the population just takes their "daily dose of medicine."
After reading this article, unless Obama lies repeatedly, nothing is going to change. We are screwed. They pretty much admit everything is a lie but it works, so they will continue.
"We have created a system where there is not a lot of shame in stretching the truth," said Charlie Cook, editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
I would love to see an ad featuring someone from that Chicago neighborhood where Barrack was a community organizer talking about how Barrack helped them get a new job or helped prevent them from losing their home. Heartwarming stuff: "Thanks to Barrack, I was able to get a new job... and keep my home." They could then shift to "Now, maybe the repubilcans think this is funny... people losing their jobs and homes, I'm sure that is a laugh a minute when you have 7 of them."
Jerseyan @ 53:
As a matter of fact the lead story on the Today Show was about Obama being "sexist" over his lipstick on a pig comment.
dancingwithdragons @ 37 says:
Agreed, FTW!!
hunttom @ 58:
This sounds like a winner.
kscitydude @ 22:
I agree completely. But in one hand we have: attack the Republicans and we may lose. In the other hand : keep doing what we do and we will lose.
My opinion: Barack and Biden should never defend themselves from a Republican attack ever again. They should just attack McCain on any subject. Nothing off the table. Attack, attack, attack, attack.
I say he should run an ad saying that John McCain will start a nuclear war with Russia, and Sarah Palin will try to pray away the Russian counter-attack.
They should run ads about McCain collaborating with the North Vietnamese. Play some of his propaganda videos.
They should attack Paulin's husband for being a traitor.
They should attack Paulin's daughter for being trailer trash.
...
I would like to see an ad that displays all the media that have fallen for this strawman topic of "lipstick on a pig" mounted on a wall... depicting the fish that took the bait, hook, line and sinker... They are avoiding the true "kitchen table" topics Americans are worried about. They are not forcing the candidates to talk about the issues and the policies they would put in place. Our media are literally fish in a barrel, and McCain's stratagists are hooking each and every one of them.
How about a Reagan ad?
Show video clip of Reagan's famous (and arguably the most effective ad of all time) 1984 ad in which he asks, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
And then have Barack look directly into the camera and ask, "Well, ARE you better off than you were 8 years ago?" Fade to black.
What do the Republicans do when one of their own starts getting called on their lies?
THEY FORM A "PALIN TRUTH SQUAD"!!!!!
"We're proud of Governor Palin's leadership in Alaska and record of taking on entrenched special interests and the good old boys network," said former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift. "Governor Palin's commitment to reform is well-known but there are those who would seek to distort that record with vile rumors and smears against her, her husband, her children and her friends. We will not allow those on the left and in the media to smear a woman who has always served her constituents with honor. We know the truth and are committed to ensuring it as well."
The full list of coalition members:
National Members Of The Palin Truth Squad:
· Former Governor Jane Swift (R-MA)
· Governor Linda Lingle (R-HI)
· Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, (R-AK)
· Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
· Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
· Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
· Congresswoman Thelma Drake (R-VA)
· Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK)
· Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
· Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX)
· Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
· Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI)
· Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-FL)
· Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
· Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-NM)
· Jo Ann Davidson, RNC Co-Chair
· Rosario Marin, Former U.S. Treasurer
· Meg Stapleton, Former Aide To Governor Palin
· Kristan Cole, Lifelong Friend Of Governor Palin
State Members Of The Palin Truth Squad:
· Former Lt. Governor Jane Norton (CO)
· State Representative Amy Stephens (CO)
· State Board of Education Member Peggy Littleton (CO)
· State Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff (FL)
· County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez (FL)
· Former Iowa Senate President And Former U.S. Ambassador To The Eastern Caribbean, Mary Kramer (IA)
· State Representative Jackie Walorski (IN)
· State Representative Laura Brod (MN)
· Former GOP State Party Chairwoman And Former State Rep. Barb Sykora (MN)
· Jayne Millerick, Former NH GOP Chair (NH)
· State Senator Jennifer Beck, Honorary Co-Chair NJ Women For McCain-Palin (NJ)
· Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, Honorary Vice Chair NJ Women For McCain-Palin (NJ)
· Bergen County Clerk Kathe Donovan, Honorary Co-Chair NJ Women For McCain-Palin (NJ)
· DA Dona Ana County Susana Martinez (NM)
· Former Lt. Gov. Lorraine Bono-Hunt (NV)
· State Senator Barbara Cegavske (NV)
· State Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert (NV)
· Sue Lowden, Nevada GOP Chair (NV)
· Kay Ayres, OH GOP Vice Chair (OH)
· Betty Montgomery, Ohio Women For McCain-Palin Chair (OH)
· Mary Taylor, Ohio Auditor Of State (OH)
· Margie Hughes, Clackamas County Chair Of Women For McCain-Palin (OR)
· Linda Neace, West Linn Small Business Owner For McCain-Palin (OR)
· Deanna Smith, Women For McCain-Palin Chairwoman (OR)
· Renee Amoore, PA GOP Deputy Chair (PA)
· Joyce Haas, PA GOP Vice Chair (PA)
· State Senator Lisa Baker (PA)
· Diana Irey, Washington County Commissioner (PA)
· Christine Toretti, RNC National Committeewoman and McCain-Palin Pennsylvania Co-Chair (PA)
· Kim Ward, Westmoreland County Commissioner and McCain-Palin Pennsylvania Regional Chair (PA)
· Former First Lady Susan Allen (VA)
· Lori Ann Miller, Young Republican Federation Of VA Chairman (VA)
· Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow (WI)
· Peggy Oban Boze, McCain-Palin Chairwomen For King County (WA)
· Susan McCaw, Former Ambassador To Austria (WA)
· Della Newman, Former Ambassador To New Zealand (WA)
Hey, remember when this happened to John Kerry and the Dems rallied around him to protect and defe-........huh?........they what?.......oh, they didn't do that...?
Stark conrast, huh?
I guess I have to ask, "Why? Where is the evidence that the ads aren't working?" Making advertisements "funny" and "creative" just for the sake of being "funny" and called "creative" seems like a waste of resources, to me. "Funny, creative" is not equal to "convincing." Sure, I remember and laugh about the Sonic commercials with the guy and his wife having those insane conversations, but they do nothing to convince me that I should buy a burger or shake at Sonic. Neither does Junior Whopper taunting his dad, "What are you going to do, spank my bun?" prompt me to pull into BK. They just give me a good laugh while I wait for my programming to resume.
Thanks.
mp
Janet @ 57:
I think there's still a limit, even if it's been stretched way beyond what's even remotely reasonable. And I think the McSame campaign might be reaching that limit. This latest lipstick-pig deal seems to have been more-or-less completely debunked by the media (as well as the Obama campaign of course). In other words: Media actually did their job.
If we're lucky, it'll embolden them to become more critical in general (something which can only benefit Obama). Not that I'd count on it.
Alexdem Says: Janet @ 57:
After reading this article, unless Obama lies repeatedly, nothing is going to change. We are screwed. They pretty much admit everything is a lie but it works, so they will continue.
I think there’s still a limit, even if it’s been stretched way beyond what’s even remotely reasonable. And I think the McSame campaign might be reaching that limit. This latest lipstick-pig deal seems to have been more-or-less completely debunked by the media (as well as the Obama campaign of course). In other words: Media actually did their job.
If we’re lucky, it’ll embolden them to become more critical in general (something which can only benefit Obama). Not that I’d count on it.
Alexdem, the fact that the media is putting this topic up for discussion is the problem. They are fueling the debate of "sexism" by even allowing others to profess Obama was being "sexist" in his comments, and pushing the topic further with themselves (media) admitting it was not. STOP DISCUSSING THIS JUNK... GET TO THE ISSUES. DO YOUR DAMN JOB.
The Democrats have to get the poor and rural votes back. The biggest coup the Republicans have pulled off is getting the poor in this country to believe in them.
I never understood why the Kerry campaign didn't use that great clip of Bush in a tux telling a dinner full of fat cats that "Some people call you the elite. I call you my base."
Obama lipstick comment:
“John McCain says he’s about change too, and so I guess his whole angle is, ‘Watch out George Bush – except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics – we’re really gonna shake things up in Washington,’” Obama said.
“That’s not change. That’s just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it’s still going to stink after eight years. We’ve had enough of the same old thing."
Absolutely nothing sexist about it. I'm so sick of this.
Here's another one:
Start with the montage of 'Palin has national security expertise because Alaska is next to Russia.'
Close up to a shot of tanks or soldiers. They can be plastic toy soldiers, because we next start to pull out ... the troops/tanks are in Alaska, and there's a dashed line pointing in the direction of Russia ...
... we pull out further, and we can now see that we're looking at a game of RISK, and young children are moving pieces and rolling dice.
Obama: "National security isn't a game."
A montage of world leaders and real-world situations - Ahmadinejad, Putin, Kim Il-Jung (provided he's not pulling a Weekend at Bernie's gig), Georgia, Iran, missiles launching, nuclear facilities.
Obama: "It's time to change our strategies and stop playing toy soldiers with our troops."
Americans must understand that four more years of republican/evangelical rule will bring ruin to the middle class. More people are going to fall into despair. No jobs, no health care, no home, no social security, people will go hungry.
It is not a pretty sight but this is the GOP. The consequences must be conveyed. It is reality.
My wife and I were about to donate our biggest amount so far to the Obama campaign. I think that would be a waste. We are now looking for the toughest 527 because it is only there that any hope for Obama and Democrats resides. Obama can stay above the fray, but unless the repuke assholes are hammered back at the trench level, Obama will lose. Negative campaigning works. You must fight fire with fire. My first choice was MoveOn, but I don't think they are tough enough. Maybe VoteVets, but I am not sure.
Shadowgm Hussein@71
That is a keeper!
The ads that have poked fun at McCain are not biting enough. The goofy background music is intended to make McCain's positions on issues look silly, but I come away feeling that it's Obama who isn't taking issues seriously.
It would be good to always refer to McCain as "Republican John McCain" and finish with "John McCain and the Republicans" as in "John McCain and the Republicans - can we survive four more years?" Also, there has been reference to how bad the last eight years have been, but those memories have faded. Bring those memories back in the ads - cheerleading for the war and Katrina, etc. - and tie McCain to the Republicans that have completely failed.
Forget ads. I never see them. The key is the speeches and interviews . The MSM play excerpts of these over and over again. Obama needs to create sound bites. He had a few of them that were effective in the DNC speech. Obama tends to think (gasp!) before he talks so his speech is a bit drawn out. If he wants to speak to bitters, he needs to use his own straight talk. For instance, he could say , "McCain is a lying sack of shit."......maybe not that straight.
New Advert for Obama :
Show this klutz of a guy, going about his day. Spills coffee at breakfast. Trips out the door. Wears odd socks. etc…
And behind him, there’s a guy who’s following him the whole time, repeating every mistake deliberately.
Finally, when klutz guy number 1 crashes his car (accidentally) and the guy following him does the same, he gets out of the car and says “What the hell, man? What are you doing?”
“I’m just doing what you’re doing” says the guy
“Why?” asks the klutz.
Second guy laughs. “Because I’m a maverick.”
Camera focus’s on coffee stained mess of guy 1 and his busted car.
Voice over : Maverick. It may not mean what you think.
“That’s not change. That’s just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it’s still going to stink after eight years. We’ve had enough of the same old thing.”
Notice how the "MSM" conveniently omit the lead-in sentence which forces the latest installment of the "sexist" argument.
Yeah--what is going on? It's like Kerry all over again. The whole campaign seems to have stalled. I never held out great hopes for Obama to win--it always seems that that Dems don't understand the nature of their opponents--but this campaign has just ground to a dull old halt. Obviously Palinsane has flummoxed them. But if they do not 1. destroy her, and 2. gain control over the race's trajectory and discourse immediately, that is to say right now, like now, like this week, then they are toast. I only say this in the perhaps vain hope that Obama campaign people look at blogs like this and hear them. You guys--you are losing the race. You may have lost it already. Get off your damn asses and stir up something.
It's going to be a long two months.
Obama needs to start closing. He got through the primaries on "change." He needs to simplify and shift the message to black-and-white, good or evil, to close the deal with the rest of the country. The message needs to be repetitive; reciting the litany of failures of the current administration. Then point out this has hurt America, and McCain's wish to stay the course means he wants to keep hurting America. Then deliver the message: Obama wants to help America, not hurt her.
"Second guy laughs. “Because I’m a maverick.”"
Yeah--or an obviously mechanical robot with a Bush mask on it that says in crappy robot voice "Mav-er-ick, Mav-er-rick, while all the while doing totally ordinary things that the people around it do. SOrt of like the way Monty Python showed Mr Neutron trimming his rose bushes while the voice over earnest tried to persuade us that Mr. N was "easily the most dangerous man in the world, he really is..."
Meanwhile they need ads that show a cartoon Palinsane with exaggerated oversized hair and her terrible squeaky accent telling people how the earth is flat and if you don't teach underage kids about sex, they won't have any.
You could have a mugger rob an old lady, empty the cash from her wallet into his pocket, and then giver back the wallet saying self righteously "thanks but no thanks." That could be a repeatable theme, situations where people steal something real and self righteously pretend to give it back. We need to turn "thanks but no thanks" into the new "don't taze me bro. Make it a laugh line. We should all make Youtube videos impersonating her saying that signature line, in our best Coen brothers Fargo accents. Waddaya say?
I thinkthe campaign needs to address the Drill Now movement. Someone here help me out with this. If international oil companies are given more leases,in addition to the leases they already have here in the US, are they obligated to sell that petroleum to the USA to help lower our gas prices? Or will it go to the highest bidder as usual, China, Japan or India? I saw a bumper sticker this morning on an SUV that said,
"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"
Cant we slap the McCain crowd with this lie? I know quite a few morons here in the beutiful south that believe that McCain is going to lower gas proces so they can keep thier Tahoes and F-150s.
"They ... often make Obama come across as just another politician playing the same old game ..."
But that's what he is! If Obama doesn't become at least visible soon he will lose this election. Then we will have gone through all this BS for the same-old,same-old ... and we may get that even if he wins. What a disappointment.
Obama's team can create a 60-second spot. Start by showing a McCain commercial in its entirety (like the brand new Sex Ed for Kindergartners ad), and immediately follow it with Obama talking directly to the camera and forcefully debunking each lie and misrepresentation of the ad. He can do this with each McCain ad that comes out, thus creating a real-time rapid response. It's not funny, but it can show Obama as a guy who fights back. And it would be easy to produce.
It is not the ad, it is the message.
If we don't start playing by the same rules as the GOP does, we will lose.
It is time to stop trying to be "above it all". If the GOP wants a street fight, then give them one.
When they whine, play by the same school yard rules, and point out that they started it.
Hit them where it hurts. Point out REPEATEDLY...who has balanced the budget, who raised the minimum wage, etc etc.
Pick THREE talking points for a week and STICK TO THEM. Do not let them change the conversation.
They need the race to be close, so they can steal it.
Hey, the man is black and running for American president. How much of "the same old politics" is that?
Taking the high road will lose Dems the election. Haven't they learned anything from how they lamely contested the 2000 recount?
Americans want to see that Dems will fight as much to win an election as they would fight to lower taxes or cut pork.
Dem ads need to show that they are willing to fight Reps fist for fist.
An effective ad would use the single word "ENOUGH" repeated over and over in connection to every McCain/Palin lie and attack.
Everyone is bitching that McCain and Palin spew the same shit each week. That IS the strategy.
By repeating and repeating, their message into the thick skulls of Americans, and everything else gets drowned out.
This isn't hard.
I would like to see more "outrage". Let's get back to the "Enough!!!" call of the convention. Enough with the lies.
Alice @ 83:
It'll go on the world market. - And it doesn't make one whit of difference if they sell it in the USA or not because it's a completely global commodity. You're not going to get it cheaper just because it's "made in the USA".
Same goes everywhere else. Heck, Norway, for instance, is the #10 oil producer in the world (more than Kuwait, less than Venezuela) and only has a population of 4.6 million.
They pay USD $8.80 a gallon at the moment at their pumps.
I absolutely agree. I think that if Obama has any chance to, he needs to confront the two issues that are hampering him--his race and his middle name--with humor and intelligence. I'm pretty sure most of the racists out there aren't that hardcore, they're more casual or passive, and they just need a little bit of prodding to make them able to shrug their shoulders and say, eh, I guess I could vote for a black dude....
I think it might be effective to have some sort of townhall meeting type ad where he's fielding questions from the audience, and on the left side of the audience he gets legitimate questions, and the right side of the audience he keeps getting questions like, "But your middle name is Hussein, right?"
As I said on another thread on this site[which I love} make a hard hitting,brutal ad of video of Caribou Barbie shooting and slaughtering innocent defensless animals
and run it all day,every day, everywhere. Heartless bitch.
America is, overwhelmingly,animal lovers.They would recoil in disgust,and be
sickened, and INFORMED about the character of this "woman".They wouldn't have the stomach for it.How you treat and respect animals is a window into a persons soul and character. SICKENING.
Dnurse
One reason: Same old DLC consultants running the media stuff. They lose every election, but through the old boys network, still keep getting the job.
i think the keys to effective advertising and mass persuasion are repetition and association. pick just a few themes that underlie mccain/palin and repeat them, e.g., hypocrisy, extremism, lack of temperament. Use their own words and actions against them. repeat it over and over. stick to the issues and facts, but do it with persistence and unrelenting fervor. associate mccain/palin with other politicians/events that are known to be historical failures, e.g., goldwater's radical militarism, gwbush, nixon's lies, republican corruption, etc. there's a wealth of historical record out there that the dems can use.
The NASCAR voters love McCain. Putting McCain in the White House lets them replace Junior Samples with Grandpa Jones.
Actually, regarding domestic-drilling, I think I can do better. An analogy perhaps.
Imagine you're sharing a bowl of soup with a friend. That soup is the world's oil supply.
Thinking that you'll get oil cheaper because it's domestic, is like thinking that you'll get more soup if you pour it in at your end of the bowl. It doesn't make a difference where you add it. The only thing that matters is how much you add.
And by all accounts, the amount of oil to be had from increased drilling in the United States is far too small to have any significant impact on the global price of oil.
The bowl's that big, and the amount we're adding is that small.
When you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they've giving up on you.
My proposedAD: [to a theme music suitable for kindergarten]
An elephant walnks into a room wearing nothing.
People with "mcCain/Palin" T-shirts come in with large paintbrushes and apply 'lipstick'.
Split screen to 'before'|'after' images.
[voiceover:]"You can put lipstick on it, but it's still a republican"
Libertina @ 20:
he lost
i;m more insulted by articles like this assuming im too stupid to know bs so i need more bs instead of truth.
EXCELLENT POINT!
you can't get the change you want until you make the changes you need.
he lost
"KILL BABY KILL" followed by these videos:
If you want some hard hitting ads, all we need to do is go for the aerial wolf and bear hunting. EVERY SINGLE PERSON who saw these videos recoiled in horror. Of course we stay on the economy, but folks, nothing will stain the brain as much as saying what they mean is "kill baby kill" in response to drill baby drill.
Let's make them viral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JVnPcrXr28
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYAQBZ0W0o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e5PxXtc9VM
She wanted a $150 bounty for the foreleg of a dead wolf.
http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2008/09/08/sarah_palin_wolves/
Sept. 8, 2008 | Wildlife activists thought they had seen the worst in 2003 when Frank Murkowski, then the Republican governor of Alaska, signed a bill ramping up state programs to gun down wild wolves from airplanes, inviting average citizens to participate. Wolves, Murkowski believed, were clearly better than humans at killing elk and moose, and humans needed to even the playing field.
But that was before Sarah Palin took Murkowski's job at the end of 2006. She went one step, or paw, further. Palin didn't think Alaskans should be allowed to chase wolves from aircraft and shoot them -- they should be encouraged to do so. Palin's administration put a bounty on wolves' heads, or to be more precise, on their mitts.
In early 2007, Palin's administration approved an initiative to pay a $150 bounty to hunters who killed a wolf from an airplane in certain areas, hacked off the left foreleg, and brought in the appendage. Ruling that the Palin administration didn't have the authority to offer payments, a state judge quickly put a halt to them but not to the shooting of wolves from aircraft.
The "ePlane" was sold to millionaire trophy hunters to hustle them into AK and Russia (see, she knows foreign hunting policy-AK is close to Russia)
http://www.huntingreport.com/worldupdate.cfm?articleid=349
“The problems associated with firearms transport are discouraging many hunters,” says Don Causey, President/Publisher of The Hunting Report. “Add to that the wildlife inspection problem hunters face when they try to bring trophies home with them and you have a witches brew of discouraging factors. This service is urgently needed right now by US hunters contemplating trips to Petropavlovsk, Magadan and other hunting centers in Eastern Russia. It will be warmly welcomed, I’m sure, by hunters headed elsewhere in the world if momentum can be built behind this effort and costs can be contained.”
The new service will be available between Anchorage, Alaska, and Eastern Russia starting April 1. The start-up strategy involves the use of a Westwind II private jet Larry Reynolds bought from the State of Alaska last August. The craft has a capacity of eight – or five hunters with all their gear – and a cruising speed of 450 miles an hour. It can fly between Anchorage and Petropavlovsk in just over four hours and deliver hunters directly to a VIP Center with no waiting lines. On the return trip, hunters will be able to bring their trophies with them at no additional charge. Arrangements have been made for US Customs and US Fish and Wildlife inspectors to meet the plane on arrival and process hunters and their trophies into the country without delay.
It's September. I'm not even sweating it until next month.
Alex @ 97:
It's not that we're sharing the same 'soup bowl' - we're talking the difference between a large kettle at the restaurant down the street, and a smaller, closer restaurant that only has a 2 qt. pot - with the same amount of people standing in line with empty soup bowls.
Sure, a few people might get their soup bowls filled faster if they go to the closer restaurant, but that 2 qt. pot is going to run dry awfully fast.
Al franken is running against coleman in Minnesota. that's why that's a good ad. Al knows humor and he's also a pretty cool guy.
I agree that much better ads are needed but I would especially emphasize funny. The one thing that really works and sticks in people's minds is ridicule delivered through humor. It is pretty apparent that this election will be largely issue free so it's time to laugh McCain/Palin into a historical footnote.
If I hear one more person or read one more blog about "...what Obama should do." "...what Obama should do." I'm going to impalin myself. Obama is doing exactly what he needs to be doing. Listen -- He is taken a beating in the press: every editorial and columnists is repeating Repub talking points about the O campaign being "rattled," "flummoxed," "off their game" etc. Fairness and balance has crept in to straight news stories in that a negative McCain story has to include something negative about Obama. The Republicans have had almost two weeks of positive press now; and Palin has stolen everyone's spotlight. McCain shold be way, way ahead in the polls. Yet -- the race is still exactly where it was before the Dem convention -- tied. Nothing has moved. Dems had their bounce, Repugs had their bounce and now it's back to where it was. Oh -- and did I mention that Obama is black -- he was never going to be up by double digits on anyone. That's why the ground game and registration is so important and the real focus of his campaign. God how I love that man. He is by any measure one of the best politicians to ever play the game. He should be out of it by now with the mugging he's taking from the media and everywhere else. Despair suppresses turnout. Republicans know this. They have somehow tighten their already vice grip on the media narrative, and have every major newspaper and outlet talking about how Obama is "on the ropes." Really? Show me. People in my office are walking around with their heads down, saying McCain is gonna win and crying in their coffee. This is how you weaken turnout! Don't listen, people. Keep the enthusiasm up. Stop telling the best player in the game what he should be doing, and repeating Republican talking points. This will only suppress turnout -- which is Obama's ace in the hole.
Someone needs to set up a 527 and use the web to raise money for it and also to solicit ad ideas. There are so many great ideas out there that ought to hit the TVs. A contest would help Obama supporters feel energized and empowered to DO SOMETHING, which we all are eager to do. We want to do our part to win!
Obama camp use the beautiful onliners being handed to you by the other side == "Thanks but no thanks to McSame"
YES!!! This is so true. Obama is going to lose this election if he continues the way he is going. He needs to break the mold and speak to the people in his ads. Instead of platitudes and generalities, he needs to talk specifics, his plans, and also specifically answering Republican lies. Otherwise the elections are going to be decided on the public's perception of the candidates based on the ads that the parties are putting out there, and the Republicans are pushing the image that Obama will increase taxes, that he is inexperienced, that he is arrogant, that he wants to lose in Iraq, etc.
Obama needs to forget the Fox News Republicans and focus on the middle independent group that will listen to the facts and make decisions on that basis. If he does that he will grab the independent voters. If he continues to make general, banal ads, he will let the Republcans frame his image, and he will lose. It is also important that he expose the hypocrisies of his opponents, including those in the media. This is the only way he can neutralize the messenger that is working for the opponent. For example, if he exposes the lies of Fox News, he can neutralize Fox News. If he stays quiet and aloof, he will suffer the same defeat that Dukakis, Gore and Kerry suffered, when they deemed themselves above that sort of tactic.
Marianne @ 110:
I 2nd that emotion. Doing research on it now. Furious with MoveOn for disbanding. It's up to us.
http://www.wisegeek.com/in-american-politics-what-is-a-527-group.htm
I say we start with the shockingly poor environmental records of both. Add the aerial wolf and bear hunting and we've got a hit. AndersonCooper showed part of a wolf kill video & there were tons of horrified responses.
KILL BABY KILL vs Drill baby drill.
PeterG @ 108:
It may seem a bit concern-trollish to say this, but the problem with humor is that it really has to be on-target. The joke has to be told through McCain/Palin's own words and actions - they have to be shown as contradictory, embarassing, forgetful, etc. without bashing the audience over the head with it.
Let's not forget that the conservative talk radio crowd loves to throw out racist comments and then hide behind 'It's humore,' 'I'm a comedian,' 'It was a joke,' or 'It was taken out of context.'
If jokes were that easy, we'd all be standup comedians.
One of the most compelling moments of the DNC was the "personal stories" presented by non professional speakers.
It seems to me that this angle should be used.
It could be very effective.
I like the idea of Obama and Biden talking directly into the camera and setting the record straight about a lie and then presenting their proposal. I also think all the high price professional ad guys often miss the target. I bet some 20 year olds with off beat ideas working off their PCs could come up with some ads that would get the entire country talking and the media paying attention.
The obama camp needs to hire Crispen Porter + Bogusky!
I totally agree that if stronger ads aren't made by the Obama camp we will lose this election. And I don't think we'll be in a good place in 4 years with McCain at the helm, or worse, Palin. It scares the hell out of me. Which is why I've been emailing the Obama camp at his website asking them for stronger ads and giving ideas similar to some posted here. Some of the ideas here are really good and would definitely make a point if done right, like the Daily Show-esque side by side speeches of McCain/Bush. I urge all of you here to email Obama's people as well. If enough people do, maybe they'll listen. It's sometimes hard to criticize yourself while you're still in the fight and I'm afraid they may not be noticing what we're noticing. EMAIL THEM! SEND THEM YOUR IDEAS! LETS WIN THIS!
How about ....."Under a McCain/ Palin administration your 15 year old daughter will have to carry the baby of her rapist to term - probalby at your expense."
IndridCold @ 62:
Agreed. It's not how we'd like to see it done but we cannot afford to lose this election.
Hold the GOP's feet to the fire for demanding abstinence for teens yet totally excusing Palin's unwed pregnant daughter.
Crucify them for demanding family values, only to put up a confessed adulterer as their presidential candidate.
Vilify them for destroying America's reputation throughout the world.
Being bastards is necessary. But, here's the important thing, we aren't telling a single lie in pointing out all of these things.
Attack, attack, attack (with the truth always). This is war.
Dnurse,Pbd @ 93:
I agree with you. It's disgusting and shows just what a soulless bitch she really is.
Jon Stewart's recent video of FOX NEWS pundits' hypocrisies is great. Obama should use this over, and over, and over.
If Obama does not convey his message well, we'll be seeing McCain in the Oval Office in January.
I live out in middle America, and I can tell you that the Republicans are better at getting their message out in imaging Obama, in all the media outlets, than Obama imaging Obama. Obama is just not countering this effectively.
Although I sincerely hope Al Franken wins I can't help but wish some of that talent could DO SOMETHING for the Obama commercials.
Also we need for our LIBERAL RADIO STATIONS to RELAY OBAMA from his website so that Obama can be heard across the land. The MAINSTREAM CORPORATE MEDIA YOU ALL KEEP PAYING EVERY MONTH WHEN YOU BUY YOUR PAY TV is blacking out our side. Notice NO OBAMA since the Convention?
This is our last chance guys. WE HAVE TO WIN OR (we will be forced to) GO TO PLAN B.
May I put in my vote for who should do Obama's ads?
www.northwoodsadvertising.com
Bill Hillsman has done some pretty amazing ads for Alan Grayson, Primary winner of the 8th CD in FL. He's going against 4th term Ric Keller.
Hillsman even did the amazing ads for the late great Paul Wellstone. Go to the site and check them all out. North Woods is the perfect choice. They do off the cusp, great ads, exactly what this post is asking for.
At best, Obama's ads are only marginally more honest than McCain's. For the best fact check information on the ads, I suggest www.factcheck.org and www.politifact.com. Both sites are credible, non-partisan sources.
As a self-identified liberal, I can say I tend to agree more with Obama on the issues. And there is no doubt that the Washington conservative cabal has done much to hurt this country in the last couple of decades. Clearly, McCain is a bad choice for the presidency.
As a newspaper columnist who has spent a great deal of time analyzing the presidential campaign ads, however, Obama's advertising failure is not just in the lack of creativity. They must be more creative, and they must be more honest. For example, a Georgia ad released by the Obama campaign ties Ralph Reed to McCain – and the connection is not only dubious but stupid (see www.factcheck.org article, "Reed Reality").
The campaign, in traditional good old American politics fashion, doesn't even care to find real dirt on McCain. It's quicker and easier to just play on voter cynicism than it is to tell and imply the truth in their advertisements.
To anticipate a criticism, it doesn't matter that McCain has lied more in his ads than Obama. It's the lies that multiply American cynicism, and cynicism is the last thing we need right now. There is plenty of real dirt and moronic policy coming from the McCain campaign to make truthful attack ads. Obama's ads need to be an acting out of his promise of new politics. He can't call McCain "McSame" if Obama himself is just doing more of the same.
I just posted this morning about selling oil (Drill baby Drill POst #83) on this thread and TADA! DailyKos has the scoop already that Aalska is planning to sell "our" oil to Japan! You know the oil companies run this petition. I saw an idiot in my neighborhood this morning with one of their bumper stickers on their SUV. IDIOTS!
http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncenter/petitions/?Guid=54ec6e43-7...
Show me the money!
Harry @ 119:
"But cheer up - after it's born, your baby can die in a gutter for all McCain/Palin care."
How does some one get to the Obama people with what may be a good ad idea????
How about this: McCain and Palin side by side, dressed up like cowboy and cowgirl, guns a'blazin, shooting from the hip. Voice over:(something like this??) "In the early days of our country, shooting from the hip, making snap judgments and paying for them later maybe was a necessity. We've had eight years of "shooting for the hip" and all it's gotten us is two wars and disrespect from the world. We don't need four more years of "The Maverick" and "Anny Oakley" shoot from the hip and pay for it later policies. We need a thoughtful, disciplined Barack Obama to make the right judgments..... and etc, etc....
Just the image of those two, McCain with that snarly bug-eyed look and Palin, with her hair in a bun on the top of her head.... Sweet......
Danny 35:
"A great ad would mirror the side-by-side McCain 2008/Bush 2000 convention speeches just like the Daily Show did after McCain’s speech. Hilarious. It was exactly the same! (written by the same people, probably) At the end, you could just throw up a the word “Change?” against a black backdrop. Done."
I agree. Obama ad team should watch more Daily Show. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAQDGnwBNa8
Memo to Obama Camp:
HIRE NED LAMONT'S GUY! Please, pretty please? With lipstick on top???
Hi,
I'm making some better ads.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BillORights1776
To democratic ad designers, I say this: NEEDS MORE METAL!!!
Bill O'Rights @ 131:
Nice. My friend and I were going to make bumper stickers that said Abstain from McCain 2008, but we didn't because we're lazy and poor. But now with all this "abstinence only" talk from Palin, it might be a good idea for Obama's people to make a clever ad linking those two.
This should be Obama's rebuttal to McCain's "Sex Ed" ad:
Obama looking into the camera, addressing McCain directly.
"Senator McCain, I take it from your latest attack ad that you support the protection of child molesters....that is, adults who prey sexually on children. I mean, how else could you come out in opposition of an education bill designed to teach children about the dangers posed by sexual predators? That's what this bill was about, teaching children...kids of all ages...teaching kids not to get into cars with strangers, teaching them to tell a parent or police officer immediately if any adult says or does anything inappropriate. That's what the bill was written to do, and that's what it does. Protecting children from sexual predators may not be part of your platform, but as a father of two school-aged daughters, it sure as hell is part of mine.
Didn't you have children once too, Senator McCain?"
Obama needs to turn the tables. Use righteous anger - a father, angry that the safeguards that might protect his two daughters from pedophiles is being taken away by the GOP.
All Obama's Ads should be simple and effective. Show real people (Injured GI's, GI families, people who have lost their homes, jobs, struggling with healthcare bills) who have struggled the past 8 years. AND END EVERY AD WITH A BUSH HUGGING MCCAIN........EVERY AD!!!!
How about this for an ad idea? Miss Piggy, wearing lots o' lipstick, tells viewers she's outraged at the Republicans and deeply insulted they would compare her to Sarah Palin. No self-respecting pig wants to be vilified so.
Seeing that McCain has hired Tucker Eskew -- the guy who actually devised the smear campaign against McCain in South Carolina in the 2000 election, with the push-polling about McCain's "black baby" -- makes me wonder if the Dems should hire some of these smear merchants who have previously done successful work for the Republicans, and then try to beat the Rs at their own game.
They just need to replay the "Thyyanks but no Thyyanks" whine (like fingernails on a blackboard to me) over and over again while showing images of Wasilla's Washington Lobbyist (an Abramoff associate) and his $27 million in earmarks, half a billion in state earmarks as governor, snooping into closed personnel files to get her ex brother in law fired and then firing his boss, firing the agriculture commissioners - ruining the state dairy and selling the pieces to a political friend at fire sale prices, putting a big new tax on Alaskan oil and thereby raising the price of gas and fuel oil for all Americans, etc.
The ads are the same because the guy is the same. Four More War Years.
Obama needs to stop explaining himself about this "lipstick on a pig" business. Sarah Palin set herself up for this -- hell, it was the first thing I thought of when she made that crack about pit bulls, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Obama's line was funny, it got people's attention, and it clearly got their goats. And that's exactly what he needs to do more of: hurt these bastards. Start by selling the premise that PALIN REALLY IS A PIG. The pork issue clearly resonates with voters, so clobber her with it: the voters should be hearing about all of those ridiculous earmarks and special deals for Alaskans while a soundtrack of pigs squeals away in the background. Make sure that Sarah Palin & pigs are indelibly linked in the minds of voters. And start attacking John McCain where it hurts -- dare this so-called tough guy to stop hiding behind Palin's skirts and discuss the issues. And don't mince words: he's run a gutless, no-issue campaign, so point out his cowardice. This so-called tough guy/maverick has knuckled under on everything he supposedly believes in, and now that the POW card has been played to death, he's now using Palin and phony charges of sexism to deflect all criticism. Don't let him get away with it! Attack your opponent's perceived strengths -- it's right out of the Karl Rove playbook. Yes, it's disgusting.
But it works.
We Democrats need to put aside our high-minded pretentions and admit once and for all that this is a street fight. For all their protestations about negative campaigning, the truth is that the voters eat it up. Going negative WORKS and nobody knows better than Republicans how to fight dirty. We need to get down there in the mud with them, or we're finished. There will be plenty of time to make nice after we've won this thing, but for now, Democrats are in a war for
the future of this country. If we don't have the stomach to fight it -- and that means doing whatever it takes to win -- then we don't deserve to win it.
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