John McCain General Election Ad Targets Barack Obama

John McCain's new general election television commercial clearly targets Barack Obama, who apparently the McCain campaign expects to be the Democratic nominee. It's very likely that he will, so, over the next couple of months, the campaign will begin a "hard-sell" on McCain's qualifications, and, more importantly, his "patriotism", and, will ramp up doubts on Obama's qualifications and "patriotism." Expect this spot to get heavy rotation throughout the remainder of the primary roster. It's free advertising, too, because the news channels are playing the spot nonstop.

The ad should be quite effective. Oh, and it's totally expected. Something that we've said on this page for many months, is that by projecting Barack Obama as a blank slate, his campaign has allowed the opposition to smear the canvas with a thick, permanent marker. The Swamp:

For many voters, Obama is still an unknown quantity because of his relative newness to the national political scene. Despite all his speeches, many voters are still unsure what to make of him.

Add to this the backdrop of the whole Rev. Jeremiah Wright flap, and the questions "What does Obama think?" and "Where has he been?" probably raise more anxiety with more voters than would've been true a few weeks ago.

We know there've been questions, no matter how unfair, about Obama's patriotism, questions revived not just by Wright and his by now infamous imprecations against America but by Michelle Obama's foot-in-mouth statement about the success of her husband's campaign making her proud of her country as an adult for the first time.

There's so much more to this: The flag lapel bs, the Muslim and Pledge of Allegiance smear, nebulous connections to indicted Syrian and/or Iraqi financiers, the Rezko trial, black liberation theology, accusations of Iranian influence—first reported on Rod 2.0 in 2006—and of course the Kenyan name and "exotic heritage." Most of these issues have not been addressed on these pages, but, they have been well-cataloged elsewhere and will become ridiculously easy to adopt into the Republican narrative that Obama is "an alien, unsettling presence", in the words of New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who says the attack machine will attempt to "Dukakisize" the Illinois senator.

The spot also suggests our nation needs an "American president" which is outraging the lefty e-telligentsia. "Could the implication be that Barack Obama is not quite American and that he is not interested in protecting our country?" asks David Corn at Mother Jones. "In other words, the half-black dude with a funny name can't protect her. ... If the Republican campaign is this vulgar and creepy seven months ahead of the election, expect much worse in the fall."

Welcome to reality.

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Comments

[Richard S.]

I also saw a report explaining that the narrator of the McCain TV ad is actor Powers Boothe. He may be best known to TV audiences for his prominent role on the most recent season of "24" as the evil Cheney-like VP who is bent on doing away with the African-American President, Wayne Palmer!! Is that not simultaneously hilarious and depressingly appropriate?

[K.B.]

I think the tag line at the end of the commercial is really amusing: "The American President America has been waiting for."

Why couldn't they just say "The President America has been waiting for?"

Because saying "The American President" hopes to draw attention to Obama's "exotic" or "foreign" or "Muslim" "background."

At any rate, it should also remind Republicans and Democrats alike that they have had 7+ years of Dipshit-in-Chief prior to the one they have been "waiting for," and I hope that point resonates the most!

[Rod Mc]

KB, yes, you're absolutely right, that's exactly the plan, like any president wouldn't be "American." The Obama campaign (or supporters) will step into their trap by publicly criticizing the ad, which will make them seem "un-American" and criticizing McCain's patriotism.



Luther, we disagree on the Clinton angle. I've been talking about the Republican-led effort to brand Obama as "un-American" since late 2006, before he announced his candidacy. Only recently are Obama supporters realizing the problem, which was seriously complicated by Rev. Wright. It's an Obama problem imho.

[Andrew C]

Luther, I agree with you on the point about Obama's name and background. But something Rod has been saying since, oh, 2005 or early 2006 when he began talking about Obama, was that Obama would need to "fill in the blanks" in his biography. So far he hasn't, and it seems his campaign and many supporters continue to "blame the Clintons" for everything. If he gets the nomination, it seems like they're setting up Clinton as a "strawman" (or "strawwoman") to blame for his defeat. The Rev. Wright problem is decaded old and will haunt the Democrats in the fall.

[Andrew C]

And I agree, i's nice to see you in comments, Rod. :0

[Shabaka]

American Politics escape me in general...Well not really since Rod makes sure to post every detail,lol, but I gotta say that Rod is by far THE best blogger out there. When are you visiting Canada again, Rod?

[Bill]

I really think that the angle that the Obama campaign can play is the "100 Years war". If they juxtipose(sp) McCain's ad with the history of the historical 100 Year War, they can manipulate America's fear of war and a war that lasts for maybe 100 years. The by-line could be "McCain's 100 Years War. Haven't we already been through this?" Then show photos from the carnage of the orginal 100 Year War. I think Anerica's fear of a war that lasts for 100 years is stronger than the fear of a man who is biracial with a foreign name. This country is becoming more and more racially mixed and Obama can utilize that in his ads visually, as well as 'America the melting pot', and put an ad forward that utilizes all the American inventors and politicians and entertainers, ect that have foreign last names. This is the direction to go.

[IsleZeus]

The Wright issue will be something to bring the Dems down, but those clips shown of Wirght on Fox News and Cnn and Nbc Cbs ad ABC were take out of context, because those weren't HIS words, he was quoting someone who had appeared on FoxNews or Cnn saying such andI think it was VERY irresponsible of the media to carry-on with this... true his message may have been inline with that quote but he WAS quoting someone and those weren't HIS words.

[Andy Niable]

Expecting critical-thinking intelligence in an electorate growing up in a constantly deterioriating educational system, in a country that has historically distrusted intellect, is, yes, unrealistic.

When the economic troubles currently smoldering finally reach critical mass and go China Syndrome, when the "green zone" in Iraq becomes nearly uninhabitable and we possibly see Saigon-like helicopter evacuations--when all these "chickens come home to roost," the level of hysteric-based decision-making (in government as well as the voting booths) then will make the current irrational discourse look like PBS-on-a-good-day in comparison.

Meanwhile, let's get these deck-
chairs rearranged...

[Derrick from Philly]

Do any of y'all believe the Obama Campaign "think tank" always knew these issues would come up. Somehow the believe he can still win the presidency. We've made the commitment now, can't back off now. Also, I never realized what a terrible speaker/communicator McCain is. He's nauseating.

"One Hundred Years in Iraq" there aint nothin' REverend Wright said that should scare anybody worse than that statement.

[andrew c]

Derrick, you're absolutely right. The Obama "did" know that Rev. Wright would be a huge problem but they gambled that it would stay in the background for a long time. Now it looks like Obama will the nominee, so, Wright will become the problem of the entire Democratic Party. Rod was probably right, it certainly wouldn't sink Obama's primary but only raise doubts. Unfortunately, Democrats defending Rev. Wright and many blacks saying this was an attack on "all black preachers" will surely haunt the party in the summer and fall.

[Andy Niable]

If only all of the Democrats (who support either candidate) who piss and moan and bitch bitch bitch actually get off their damned ass in November and vote against Grampa Walnuts. There are so many whiners, the Democrats would win.