How low can McCain go?
In case there were any lingering doubts, we’ve officially made the transition from Silly Season to Stupid Season. Here’s the McCain campaign’s new TV ad, for example, that reinforces the obvious fact that anyone who still respects John McCain as a credible man of character simply isn’t paying attention.
I’m pretty comfortable, at this point, describing John McCain as the single most ridiculous major party presidential nominee of the modern political era. This ad is so spectacularly inane, it’s hard to watch it without feeling insulted.
For those who can’t watch clips online, the ad features images of Obama in Europe, intermixed with images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Over chants of “Obama, Obama,” a narrator says, “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But, is he ready to lead? With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling. And, says he’ll raise taxes on electricity. Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that’s the real Obama.”
Obama campaign spokesperson Tommy Vietor responded, “On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again.'”
That’s cute, I suppose, but let’s unpack the ad in a little more detail.
On coastal drilling, the McCain campaign has crossed the pathetic line and keeps on running. The ad makes it sound like coastal drilling will help consumers. It won’t. McCain has personally conceded that the effects of coastal drilling would be “mainly psychological.”
On raising taxes on electricity, the McCain campaign is pointing to Obama’s support for a cap-and-trade policy. That’s odd — hasn’t McCain said he supports a cap-and-trade policy, too? Does that mean McCain wants to “raise taxes on electricity”?
But the unfortunate reality is, fact-checking mind-numbingly stupid ads like this one is largely beside the point. Of course the ad is ridiculous. Of course it’s an example of cowardice from a campaign too afraid to engage in a substantive debate. Of course the McCain campaign is lying.
This ad isn’t about facts and reality; it’s about an emotional response. It’s about characterizing Obama as arrogant (read: “uppity”), and foreign.
But does the emotional punch work? Jason Linkins makes the compelling case that McCain is swinging in the wrong direction.
[E]ven beyond the numb-nutted concept behind this ad, look at all the things that are tactically wrong with it. First, it just reinforces Obama’s brand as one with worldwide appeal. Second, it’s, like, McCain’s FOURTH ad that announces that Obama supports a sensible stance against offshore drilling – which isn’t popular in states McCain needs to win, like Florida, and which McCain himself even admits would only have a “psychological” impact on the economy. Third, you don’t even know it’s a McCain ad until he shows up, approving it at the end!
And let’s get a count on how many McCain ideas and policies this ad advances! Uhm…zero. Actually, this might be the most honest feature of this advertisement!
I have no idea how voters will respond to stupidity like this ad. Maybe they’ll find it compelling. Who knows.
But it seems to me the ad tells us very little about Obama, and a whole lot about the shell of a man McCain has become.
If this ad is any indication, before the election, I will be forced to stop watching television totally. I’m sure I’ll be a better person for it.
it took you a while steve, but congratulations for finally seeing mccain for what he is….
McCain’s got N-O-T-H-I-N-G!
If present day politicians were characters on The Howdy Doody Show, McIceAge would be Mr. Bluster, Obama would be Howdy Doody, Bush would be Clarabell-the-Clown, Al Gore would be Buffalo Bob, and Hillary would be Princess SummerFallWinterSpring… We’ve come a long ways in the last fifty years, huh?
The MCCain adds are Karl Rovian thinking and expression at it’s best. Karl Rove was able to lie and decive Americans before without accountability so why not do same it at the expense of McCain’s integrity.
I hope Americans do turn off the TV for these ads.the Republican ads will pure political pornography television after the conventions.
What I find weird is that the McCain campaign is spending so much money to broadcast images of Obama that undercut their message and make him look good.
First, they ran an ad attacking him for not visiting the troops … which included footage of him visiting the troops. And now they’re running an ad trying to make him less popular … by showing how popular he is.
They’re paying to broadcast an image of him being cheered by 200,000 people waving American flags in support of our country. How is that a bad thing?
I think the desperation in the tone of the McCain campaign will ultimately cut the tracks from under the Bullshit Express, they’re getting sloppy with the punches to the point where Andrea Mitchell and the Washington Post call them liars, and topping that off the American people don’t like whining losers, which is the angle McCain is taking with this latest ad. “Feel sorry for me, I’m up against a guy who’s popular”.
How low can McCain go?
Ask his first wife.
McCain: I have no policies but I don’t like Obama.
Yes McCain can get more petty but not much more.
Drilling like dentist only produces pain and root canals and requires of shot of stupid to numb your sense of reality
McCain really shoots himself in the foot when he tries to say Obama is for “more foreign oil”. The American people know which party is the party of oil, they know that the oil giants have been making billions from foreign oil, and they know which party started the Iraq war… for oil.
McCain wants to guard the oil in Iraq until its gone, but he’s against foreign oil?
Even the dumbest American will scoff at that, and when that starts happening McCain will become what he should have been awhile back… a laughing stock.
How very odd. The obvious intent is to trivialize Obama by comparing him to Brittany and Hilton. But does it even get close, or does it present a possible future where Paris and Brittany aren’t the first things people think of when they think of the good ol USA? How anyone could consider that a bad thing is beyond me.
Or maybe McSame is defending ‘traditional American values’ by defending the cultural status of Spears and Hilton? You got me.
Either way, it strikes me as very peculiar.
The complete lack of focus or logic in this campaign does lead me to believe more in the theory that, ultimately, McCain won’t be the nominee. I’m not normally one for conspiracy theories, but damn.
Hell, I could have come up with a better ad than that, and I’m a whiskey swilling pot head.
Hey McCain, you got any marketing director openings?
I’m stunned, quite frankly, by the silence coming fom the major figures in the Democratic party. Obama has rightfully stayed above the fray himself, but high profile Democrats should have bee evicerating John McCain relentlessly. He’s been given a free ride. I just don’t get it.
Josh Marshall got this ad exactly right over at TPM.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/206241.php
Here is the deal: this is Reagan II, it is all about the debates. If there is no pereceived stature gap (and there won’t be) the race is over, period. Even better, I suspect Mccain will get desparate and be extra churlish at Debate number two. In fact, because he will have to run cross-current with his normally nasty character, i suspect he may be too “fake” and mellow.
“He’s the biggest celebrity in the world.”
Angelina Jolie’s not gonna be happy to hear this! Neither is her daddy
14: Good point. It seemed that Biden a while back was Obama’s debunking attack dog, but since then, nothing. I’m all for trying to stay above the fray, but the silence emanating from the established Washington Democrats is deafening.
Where’s Hillary or Bill using their notoriety to get some free air time and call out this nonsense? Where’s Biden? It seems that the democrats have had their butts kicked so badly by republicans the past 30 years, they have developed some sort of Stockholm Syndrome.
John McCain is too old to be running for anything except the toilet these days. I don’t like the man’s attitude toward his wife, Cindy, and women in general. He’s a bushite, and he knows it. McCain is terririfed that a black man may win this election and actually set things right here in the U.S., I do wish Obama the best of luck, he’s going to need it.
I read some of the comments following Dan Balz’s WaPo article today. There were some that were scary, that projected all sorts of evil things on to Obama. I don’t know the cause of their passionate belief system, but it’s not based on reality. To them, reality is a conspiracy. I’m guessing there’s some of this irrational belief system at work in the McCain campaign and that’s why these slurs feel like obvious facts to them.
I know it’s July and, supposedly the electorate isn’t listening but face facts: the McCain campaign is defining (and defiling) Obama. Obama has to take the offensive; he has to start showing that McCain is a liar.
I’m starting to smell 2004 and the Kerry campaign. I’m NOT happy about that.
Even more shocking is how well McCain is doing in the polls. It doesn’t matter how hard we hammer McCain for his historic ineptitude. The public isn’t getting it.
That’s the point. What do we do about it?
It’s like the drilling thing. Latest CNN poll I just heard: 69% want to drill, 51% say it will lower gas prices within the next year.
We’re not winning the (mis) information war. The Republicans are slaughtering us. Talk about wanting to win a campaign more than doing the right thing – what a bunch of hypocritical sleazebags these guys are. But they’re winning, as usual.
Hillary and Bill wouldn’t be around anyway, but I suspect the Obama campaign is letting McCain work himself in to a lather. I think they are wrong to do this, but think it’s a deliberate approach to it. Otherwise I think Biden, Dodd, Leahy, Durbin, etc. would be there.
This though is why I think Biden (despite lots of negatives and a really bad position on the bankruptcy bill) needs to be the VP choice. He’s a funny, articulate attack dog that will get enough attention when he speaks that he work to blunt this crap. But Kaine — no way, he doesn’t have enough stature nationally and Bayh is yellow and probably wouldn’t do it. I’m hoping all the Kaine talk is a feint and that soon Biden will be introduced as the VP nominee.
Ironically, if there were a candidate I could imagine forgetting to put on underwear, it’s McCain.
Not because he’s old mind you, just that he’ll have forgotten he was against wearing underwear BEFORE he was for it.
Gee John, why not work with Minnesota’s own rethug whore on offshore drilling. She has done absolutely nothing for this state but embarass us and then tries this useless gesture to make a name for herself.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/congress/26081114.html?location_refer=Politically%20Connected
There is much more to promoting more drilling. It generates income to the McCain campaign coffers from oil interests. Why? Of course this does nothing in the near term. But it ties in quite nicely with the theme of Naomi’s book Shock Doctrine. Take advantage of natural or manufactured (or perceived) shock to promote what you can not sell under normal circumstances – allowing Big Oil to obtain leases to drill in places we don’t want them at the time the electorate is most likely to demand what is against our own best interests. To constantly focus on the fact that opening up drilling opportunities doesn’t solve our short term need is missing the point.
Exactly! Where is the Obama response? What is he saving his money for? Dems need to learn to fight fire with fire.
I’m feeling a little better after leaving the blogosphere for a couple of hours and having brunch with my family. They’re pretty middle of the road and not obsessed with the campaign like I am. They kept talking about all the positive press Obama was getting, noting his appearance on magazine covers and pretty much everywhere they looked.
They were focusing on the images, and not the words. Also, they’ve named one of their fish “Obama,” I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a sign of the apocalypse.
It seems to me it would be easy to rebut this ad with a few pictures of birds covered with oil from the 1972 Santa Barbara oil spill (which led to the offshore drilling moratorium, as I recall) or the collapsed derricks in the Gulf of Mexico after Katrina, which caused big spills, with a voice over, “economists are unanimous in telling us that drilling offshore will have no appreciable effect on the price of oil. There’s only one reason John McCain completely changed his position recently; it’s the millions in donations he recieves from Big Oil. He certainly doesn’t seem to care about the effects on the environment. Do you?”
I must say again, take a pill, put on your aroma-therapy eye pillow, take a bong-hit or have a nice vodka martini. It’s clear that the McCain campaign is in meltdown mode, just like Ted Steven’s career and several other career repugnicans in Congress. I don’t think voters are buying the BS except for the repug base, and half of them are wary at best. Obama will kick McCain’s senile ass in the first debate and McCain will no doubt display his anger which means bonus points for Obama. Just wait and see, these commercials are punitive fluff and more beneficial to Obama than to Grandpa. Relax people; it’s still pretty early in the “battle”. Veeps will be the next “big” thing.
The irony here is that both Spears and Hilton, as far as I know (and as far as they think at all), are both Republicans. Spears has made statements supportive of Bush many times, going back to about 2003-4, and what would you expect a hotel heiress with Hilton’s track record to be? When I first saw CNN’s headline, I thought they’d appeared in a McCain ad willingly, putting Obama down as reverse Obamagirls. Would have been entertaining, in a ghoulish way. At this rate, next up will be a McCain ad comparing Obama to Karl Rove.
There is also a subliminal phallic image in the background (perhaps the Victory Column in Tiergarten Park, Berlin). Juxtaposed with a black candidate and two young white celebrities, is this more racist dog whistling? Or is my tinfoil hat getting too tight again?
RacerX @ 10:
But to McCain and the neocons, oil in Iraq is American oil. That was the whole point of the war, after all.
This ad is geared towards its base.
If I were Britney or Paris, I would sue for defamation.
Is it even legal to use someone’s personal image in an ad? They have nothing to do with the Obama campaign, or the Democratic party. Seems like a cheap shot for the campaign to attack them.
Is Senator McCain getting desperate? Why all the negative ads? Wouldn’t he serve his cause better by focussing on what he’ll bring to the people, apart from keeping the troops endlessly in Iraq to die needlessly in unwinnable wars?
Winning the disinformation wars? Not even close. This ad is so bad because it does little but reinforce the notion that Obama is the front runner rather show how “great” the McCain Mutiny is supposed to be. Just a 30 second temper tantrum really.
It’s not even Aug and this crap is coming out.
Negative ads this early—smells like desperation to me. Or, a backhanded way to
get face time on all the news.
The eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”
I refer, of course, to Spears and Hilton. Hilton in particular is connected to some pretty big family money and using her to attack Obama probably wasn’t the brightest idea. A gratuitous attack on Spears might be equally bad, since her family background is southern white working class.
The overall message is that McCain is willing to sell out any and all Republicans in order to claw his way past Obama. Who’s he going to attack next? Mormons?
If these are the speakers for youth, the youth of our nation is far smart enough to “know” these 2 idiots for what they are. Does McCain think this is what todays youth is into? How embarrassing for the old man to show he is such a fool and thinks our young aren’t smart enought to know what he stands for
You raise some good points Steve, and I hesitate to even mention this, but my entire campaign is premised on the fact that I was a POW in Vietnam, so, this doesn’t seem like the sort of thing I’d do.
“Even the dumbest American will scoff at that, and when that starts happening McCain will become what he should have been awhile back… a laughing stock.”
Don’t hold your breath. Didn’t someone say that you would never go broke underestimating the public’s intelligence? The polls are still basically 50 / 50 – and McCain’s base (the press) is still holding up their end.
It must me Karma of some sort (?) – I guess we will see in November.
At one point in this campaign I thought McCain was the man for the job. However, his recent campaign tactics have lost focus on the issues America faces, and are frankly an embarassment. I believe it is a taste of things to come, and it’s a rather bitter taste at that. As a previous McCain supporter who will now vote for Obama, I can only believe that this latest ad campaign will push the swing voters towards Obama, as well.
I think I could see Paris’s nipple.
I’m Jacko, and I approve this ad.
you would think McCain would know what Paris Hilton,Britney Spears and senator obama have in common…….Let me remind McCain that all three are American citizens and as such some entertain and some serve their country
How can McCain be a president for all when he is busy degrading american citizens in this way?
Obama is more like Neo in the Matrix. He’s the ONE.
McCain is like Gollum.
He just loves blonde bimbos, he left his wife for one.
Hey Hark,
Can’t figure out why we are winning huh? Why the “messiah” isn’t farther ahead in the polls? It’s because most Americans are actually proud of their country and they aren’t buying the “big, bad, greedy, violent, money-hungry, rape the environment, America horseshit” that you and your ilk are trying to sell.
McCain is a pompous, mediocre ass. We conservatives frankly can’t stand the man. But we’ll win with him anyway … just like in 2000, and 2004. And you Liberals will be whining and scratching your heads … just like before, and wondering why the American electorate rejected you. One simple very fundamental reason … the perception is that you and yours don’t love your country. And until you stop acting like we are simply too stupid to see all of America’s faults, you will continue to loose. Oh, here is an idea for you … nominate someone with a resume’. It might help you, but I doubt it.
But you Liberals will continue to advance the same old unpopular ideology you always have. Let’s all feel sorry for the homeless (drugs and alcohal), Lets let homosexuals get married and adopt children, lets ban guns, lets get rid of God. You never learn. America doesn’t want you. The only reason you won the House and Senate last time was because of the so-called “blue dogs” mascarading as conservatives. Keep selling your leftist, socialist, America is bad crap, and we will keep on winning. You have a good day now … you hear?
@50
1/2 a McCain point. That’s only for the spelling errors.
Get better material.
And we are supposed to elect a man (McCain) who runs these kinds of ads to be our president????? What is sad here is that McCain thinks Americans are stupid and uneducated enough to buy into these ads. Well…who knows?, it worked the past two elections.
49.On July 30th, 2008 at 5:34 pm, John Hanchey said:
One simple very fundamental reason … the perception is that you and yours don’t love your country.
Sad, isn’t it? You and all the other lying Republican stormtroopers put party above country every single time, yet you are successful in portraying liberals as the ones who are anti-American. If your gang of assholes cared about anything other than winning elections and not paying taxes, then our country wouldn’t be in such horrible shape after 8 years of Republican leadership.
[…] the so-called “blue dogs” mascarading as conservatives — John Hanchey
Are you saying all those DINOs are transsexual or something? I thought blue mascara was more Paris Hilton’s “thing”…
James Sayre @3:
I like it, and have a few more, but please not Hillary as Princess SummerFall WinterSpring (my first crush). She was truly beautiful. (I was saddened to know she — that is, Joan Tyler — died in a car accident at age 27, and that because she was in JAILHOUSE ROCK, Elvis supposedly could never watch it and be reminded of her loss.)
But shouldn’t Jeb be “Don Jolla Bluster” Phineas T.’s brother — pronounced Don Holla, as in “Don Jolla, don’ holler.’ (Okay, he only appeared in one sequence of shows, when Phineas T. was trying to steal all the Christmas presents.)
The media HAS to be the Flub-a-Dub.
And Bill would make a great Chief Thunderthud.
Pelosi and Reid could share the role of Dilly Dally.
And Bush as Clarabelle? No! Clarabelle never spoke until the last line of the last episode. We should be so lucky with Bush.
in the midst of john hanchey’s imbecilic ramblings, i was especially impressed to discover the advice that democrats nominate someone with a resume.
you mean like bush 43?
PS. let’s note again, for the record: bush 43 did not win in 2000. he was installed.
49. Guess what you hate spewing so called “sons of god” hypocrites, all the skeletons in the closets that have been revealed in the past year, have been that of gay republican senators, congressmen and clergymen. Let’s not get rid of god, but lets get rid of the ignorant, fear mongering, money laundering, sons of b—-s who have run this country into the ground over the past 8 years. Watch your asses get whalloped this fall and whine your way over the next 12 years when the democrats call the shots.
For new citizens and first time voters who have been following international politics, this form of attack is not new to us. Anyone with the correct logical reasoning will know that the next president can be anyone other than McCain. He keeps living in his past glories and so myopic in his policies and plans. This is reflected in his inability to know anything about technology after being in the public eye for almost 30yrs. Ofcourse he can surround himself with intellectuals and they’ll make decisions for him but his reasoning is too low (http://www.obama-mccain.info/index-obama-mccain.php) to make any wise final decision. The whole world now speaks one language, bits and bytes and McCain doesn’t have a clue what this is. How is he going to lead us against countries like China, India or South Africa? As a veteran myself I know choosing McCain for the next president will be a great disaster for this country. It will be worse mistake America has ever made.
“He that is down needs fear no fall.” McCain is alread low in all aspects of life so what does he care? He’ll keep going lower and lower!
McCain’s recent TV ads. How can he hold his head up? It all boils down to his assertion that Obama is arrogant, an elitist, uppity, no better than a fluffy, hollywood celeb. McCain has suggested Obama doesn’t know his place! He has over stepped his position in life! Gees, the only word he hasn’t used toward Obama is the “N” word as in “Uppity N…er”….All this from a man who promised a clean campaign and sticking to the issues. The only issue McCain seems to have is Iraq and I still don’t know exactly what that is. He claims to have done a lot of good for Veterans.
When McCain says he’s done a lot for veterans, he’s refering to having done a lot for himself, nobody else, just veteran McCain. If he’s done so much for veterans, why are there so many of them, even of Vietnam, who are awaiting checks and assistance? What’s the word on some of the Vietnam soldiers whose bodies have never been recovered? Are they still alive and captive, as some have speculated? If he’s done so much for veterans, there should be no speculation. McCain is oldhat, arrogant, ignorant, and useless. Also, will his ticker hold out for a 4 year term?
McCain’s recent TV ads. How can he hold his head up? It all boils down to his assertion that Obama is arrogant, an elitist, uppity, no better than a fluffy, Hollywood celeb. McCain has suggested Obama doesn’t know his place! He has over stepped his position in life! Gees, the only word he hasn’t used toward Obama is the “N” word as in “Uppity N…er”….All this from a man who promised a clean campaign and sticking to the issues. The only issue McCain seems to have is Iraq and I still don’t know exactly what that is. He claims to have done a lot of good for Veterans. Being one myself I can’t think of one vote where he stood on our side. Maybe the newsies should talk to the average person and not the higher-ups. It would be an eye opening. They need to get down to the average small town groups – they would be amazed how those people feel.
There is a paradigm shift at hand….So all of you that escaped when Regan turned the rock over….put your head between your legs and kiss your asses goodbye because the pendulum is swinging back…and it will be another 40 years before you can even come out of the dark again……
Lets talk about Celebrity in Politics.
Al Frankin: Running for Sentor ( SNL Cast Member)
Jessie Ventura: Former Governor of Minnesota (Former WWF/WWE Wrestler)
Fred Grandy: Former US House Rep, Iowa (Gopher on Love Boat)
Arnold – Gov of California
Ronald Regan – President of the United States.
SO.. The McCain campaign better becareful because Americans LOVE their celebrities.
And really aren’t all politicians treated like celebrities anyway with the amount of security these guys have. You can walk up to almost any celebrity on the street and say hello, shake their hand, not get frisked or damn near beaten up. But you can’t walk up to Obama or Vietnam John can you now.
Thank you. After reading these posts I’m more convinced than ever that the Obamanistas and the general public are more clueless and stupid than I thought.