Democrats Launch Ad Targeting McCain

The announcement got buried in the avalanche of news coverage ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. But on the same day that Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton finished another lap in their slog for the nomination, the national Democratic Party launched its first television ad against the man one of them will face in November.

The 30-second spot, which will air for three weeks on CNN and MSNBC and targets John McCain's economic views, reflects a growing sense among Democratic leaders that the prolonged nomination fight is giving Senator McCain a free pass for too long.

Watch it:

Read the entire article on the John McCain ad.

Comments

[Nyla785]

What I'm wondering is, can McCain win the presidency honestly, without all the right wing smears??
He's touting himself as such a 'man of honor' and straight talk...a REAL hero....but the GOP is already smearing Obama in new ads. McCain is telling them not to but they're doing it anyway. Doesn't that really smear McCain's good name as well?? It allows him a kind of 'good cop/bad cop' deniability but it STILL reflects on him if he's depending on the right wing smear machine to help get him in.

I challenge you, Senator McCain, to win this office WITHOUT the right wing smearing the opposition for you.

[CrzyRussell]

Obama has said the same, including public financing but we all have seen that he is no different than any other politician. How can we hold the GOP to a standard that we all know that our party can't meet?

Our party wants tto raise everybody's taxes while Americans are hurting for money. Are we going to win like this?

[2008andbeyond]

Get teh facts straight. Obama did not agree to public finance. He said if he won the nomination (have you nitced it is not yet complete?) he would sit down with the GOP nominee and work out a fair agreement. Seeing as how we're not yet to that point, what has he done wrong?

[TinaFreeman]

I got news for you, Obama has a huge base of grass-roots support, and we do not WANT him to take public financing. If he does, he will be powerless against Republican 527 swift-boating in the fall.

The latest smear ad in NC is proof that even if McCain were to come up with a proposal to try to limit 527 activity, he himself has admitted he has no control over what others outside his campaign might do.

Nope, skip the public financing Obama...me an 1.5 million other Americans will keep sending all the $25 donations you need...we ARE his public financing.

[BuyRubles]

Get ready for a Gulf of Tonkin incident with Iran.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSWAT00939920080425

[speakingtruth2power]

"They" have spent too much of our money and their political credibility,

such as it is, to turn back now. Darth has promised both the Likudists

and the Saudi Royals to destroy Iran's energy capabilities, wiping out

their nuclear program & diminishing their influence in the Middle East.

[Saitia]

. . . And in the process, pissing off the Iranians for another few hundred years against the US.
More moronic "foreign" policy. . . aka stupid shit. Do we really need to make several more million enemies every time we "act out" in the world?

What will the next president have to do besides build back a thousand and one bridges burnt to ashes by Darth and his butt puppet?

[OlderBudWeiser]

Here is anothr interesting link on the cost of the war.

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

[actionadventure]

Bush, Kennedy, Hillary and Penn: Some historical perspective ...

http://origin.observer.com/2008/kennedy-bush-and-pennsylvania-lifeline

[mirza]

better late than never?

[Steverino]

I saw that the night it aired. Good ad.

What they really need to do is use footage of that fantasyland trip to Baghdad he took last year. Show footage of him walking around with hundreds of guards, declaring how peaceful it is, add facts about the reality, give update that you can't walk through that market any more. That to me is the money shot for the Democrats, and it's a story could be truly troubling for mainstream America.

They should play this footage every day until the election.

[sandiegoconservative]

On this site, when an ad shows a Democrat in a negative light, it is a smear campaign and "swiftboating". When an ad shows a Republican in a negative light, it is a good ad and "about time!". Your hypocrisy is amazing.

[TheNuff]

Swiftboating touts lies. Was anything said untruthful?

[Chiang]

From NRO:
****

Comparing Labor Market Data in 1996 and 2008

Democrats on the Economy in 1996:
“Our economy is the healthiest it has been in three decades.” (President Bill Clinton, State of the Union Address, January 23, 1996)

Democrats on the Economy in 2008:
“The bottom line is that this administration is the owner of the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover." (Senator Charles Schumer, Press Release, March 7, 2008)

Key Labor Market Statistics in March 1996 and March 2008

1. U.S. Unemployment Rate:
Mar 1996 -- 5.5%
Mar 2008 --5.1%

2. Number of Long-Term Unemployed
Mar 1996 -- 1.33 million
Mar 2008 -- 1.28 million

3. Average Weeks Unemployed
Mar 1996-- 17.3 weeks
Mar 2008 -- 16.2 weeks

4. Median Weeks Unemployed
Mar 1996 -- 8.3 weeks
Mar 2008 -- 8.1 weeks

5. Not in Labor Force because discouraged over job prospects
Mar 1996-- 451,000
Mar 2008 --401,000

6. Democrats calling for Extended Unemployment Benefits?
Mar 1996 --No
Mar 2008 -- Yes

7. President’s Party Affiliation
Mar 1996 -- Democrat
Mar 2008 -- Republican

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDY5MzFmNTllNjlkM2U0YmQ3ODlhOGJkNDQ4M2U4ZjM=

[speakingtruth2power]

Any untruthfulness is in the mind of the deluded.

[papasalas]

This is an ad about the ECONOMY. How is this "swiftboating"?

[Mover]

How is it "swiftboating"*?

It is misleading because the comments are used out of context.

Of course, some people don't mind this sort of thing as long as it's not about their candidate.

Besides, the current skyrocketing gas prices didn't shoot through the roof until after Democrats took control of congress. It had to happen. Democrats and cowardly Republicans have been systematically preventing us (US) from tapping into our own oil and coal reserves, while preventing the building of nuclear power plants.

What do you think is going to happen when the largest country in the world starts buying up all the oil they can get?

Then you have congress giving our dollars to BIG ETHANOL, driving up the cost of food around the world.

We wanted change in 2006 and we certainly got it.

*Swiftboating, V., def. Derogatory term used to convey displeasure with a stated fact by a political opponent. Usually used by the deliberately uninformed as a defensive mechanism to stave off unreasoning terror.

[frantaylor]

Isn't 'hypocrisy' the inability to distinguish good from bad? Look in the mirror.

[dinomak]

No more alibis' . Aren't we all hypocrytes. I am and I'm proud of it.

[TinaFreeman]

Oh puh-lease! John McCain is throwing the "elitist" label at Obama for his out-of-context comments in SF every chance he gets? So the Dems can't use his own words?

And by the way, the only missing context on his words were, yes, some people are worse off...but the comments he made have NO basis in fact and show a complete and TOTAL misunderstanding of the reality of what is going on in the US economy.

Did I mention that the ECONOMY is the number one issue for America this season? Can't pay the bills with flag pins...

[sn]

"Swiftboating" implies ad hominem attacks on the person rather than his/her views/ policies. This ad is far from that. This ad reflects McCain's opinion/view on the U.S. economy and shows that he is out of touch with the facts. In contrast, using Wright's sound bites to paint Obama as hateful, racist person is swiftboating. Wright's views are his own and Wright is a pastor, not a politician. Obama has never discussed politics with Wright. So how does what Wright say relevant to Obama's policies? Putting Obama down for his own views/policies is very relevant.

[Chiang]

Swiftboating implies using a candidate's own words to illustrate his thinking, as in the swiftboat ads of John Kerry speaking to Congress.

But who cares? It's a decent ad, and a fair hit on McCain. Who I plan to vote for, btw.

[helonias]

8 house and a private jet, yep he's one of us and feels our pain

Lets talk about his 0 environmental rating, then look at your kids and grand kids.

[Irons]

I consider this a weak ad because anybody can put a film clip together with a candidate saying one thing and the facts showing another if you don't state WHEN these things were said. Justput a date in the clip about WHEN McCain said this and from WHEN and WHERE the stats are drawn. Otherwise it's just propoganda.

[abby4ever]

That's true, but millions won't even think about that. It is a bit disingenuous, but then most political ads are.

[Irons]

The ad is a loser. It reminds me of how the Kerry campaign did stuff.

[TinaFreeman]

I wish I knew the date of the interview too, because I believe it was actually a fairly recent interview. Anybody know?

[JohnIII]

The other problem with the ad is that there are at least two answers to the question.
Not everyone will answer "no".

Like me for instance. That doesn't mean I have a rosy picture of the world or anything.
I'm just saying relatively speaking I'm doing OK.

I've been an art director in an ad agency for about 14 years. In the past, when there was an economic slow down we saw it first in marketing. It's an easy expense for a company to cut. I haven't seen a cut lately. If anything, it's the opposite. We're cranking.

[topandcenter]

Do you think in the general debates they will allow Joe Lieberman there to help McCain get on and off the stage and safely to the podium and to whisper the answers should McCain have another senior moment? Who knows by the end of the campaign, Obama, being the gentleman he is might do that - you know OK John here's where you say Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran!

[countingcrows]

Ohmygod! There is so much about McCain that is negative it's not funny. Where does one begin? The Iraq war? The economy? Civil rights? He just voted against an equal pay for women bill. It would be a total, total, total disaster for this country to elect another republican. I'm an Obama supporter but you'll see me at the polls voting for Clinton if that's the end result, (although not likely).

[BeyondGoodAndEvil2]

Obviously, any real Democrat will vote for whomever becomes the nominee. The likelihood of Clinton becoming the nominee is still below 10%.

[abby4ever]

I'd say it is more like 50%. We will know after Indiana---or even before. Who knows what Hillary will pull out of her hat? (And feed it to the media.)

[Mover]

Fortunately, there are are more than a few un-real Democrats. Polls show many are saying they won't vote for Oboma if he's the nominee.

"If McCain vs. Obama, 28% of Clinton Backers Go for McCain
If McCain vs. Clinton, 19% of Obama backers go for McCain"
From:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/105691/McCain-vs-Obama-28-Clinton-Backers-McCain.aspx

Can you say, "28% of Democrats appear racist?"

[alaintex]

Actually, he didn't vote against the equal pay for women bill.

[nevergiveup]

Actually, he DID vote against equal pay. And McCain supports torture (he voted against the ani-torture bill) AND he's been a no show for every energy bill promising investment in alternative energy that has come before the Senate. Every damn bill.

McCain is Bush with more anger. McCain is a committed war-monger. Another rich white guy who could care less about YOU.

[HumeSkeptic]

Too bad that DNC won't be able to show an ad with McCain singing "Bomb, bomb bomb Iran....".

One of their own has raised that to "Nuke Iran" and "Obliterate Iran".

[topandcenter]

If Hillary gets the nomination, McCain becomes the 'peace' candidate. Wow!

[pinkyboo]

Not really Hillary said she wants to withdraw the troops - McCain talks about another 100 years in Iraq.

[Mover]

Actually, Hilary said she is willing to "obliterate" Iran. Exact words.

Maybe she'll be sceeching "bombs away"?

[Monkeytime]

Finally.

[findingavoice]

It might also help as time goes on to point out the McCain inconsistencies or, as some would call them, "flip flops" or his really strange answer to questions like the one Stephanopolos posed on his Sunday show about whether soliciting Preacher Hagee (of the Catholic Church is a whore and Katrina was God's punishment for New Orleans' plan to hold a gay parade remarks) was a mistake and McCain responded "probably, but I'm delighted to have his support." He doesn't seem terribly sharp about anything really whether it's the economy, the war or taxes and absolutely nothing like the "maverick" some people have dubbed him - - lots and lots of senior moments perhaps.

[kay]

I'm so glad. I thought it was just me.

Why can't he talk? His answers to questions are like a series of unrelated statements. It's as if he isn't hearing the question.

He probably says "delighted" when he hears "support".

He also looks shocked and appalled when viewing the economic devastation in his travels. I think he's been in DC waaaay too long. He's seeing our country for the very first time! He's wondering what the hell happened!

"Who DID this ?" he wonders.....then wanders away.

[HumeSkeptic]

How about an ad showing what a warmonger McCain is?

Oops! Never mind. That would work against Hillary as well.

[justobserve]

For whatever the difference between the two parties, McCain crticized his party's ads in NC linking the local candidates to Wright. At least he has more presidential quality than the Clintons or their attack dogs who keep using the race card to frame Obama as a black candidate. There is nothing worst than beating your fellow Dem candidate about race, especially when your husband has been seen as the black president . In fact Bill didn't follow his words supporting black causes by actions since he had been mired in the Jones-Lewinsky scandal during his entire second term.
Some compared elections with contact sports, but even in sports, there is a limit to what players could do so their supporters could be be proud of their win. The mentality of "Screw them, and win at all costs" is not good sportmanship.
Americans are fortunate this time to have two presidential candidates from two parties, McCain and Obama, who pledged to a honorable campaign.

[dugan45]

McCain will continue doing that so he comes out smelling clean while such ads play on tv. McCain is as dirty a campaigner as Hillary, with Rove behind him.

[TheNuff]

ITA. His protest of the ad was all a show for the press and the public.

[helonias]

At least he has more presidential quality than the Clintons?

Bomb bomb bomb Iran?

Saying f*ck you to other pols?

Fisticuffs?

Or it must be calling his wife a c*nt