Obama Releases Second General Election TV Ad, "Dignity" (VIDEO)

The Obama campaign today announced the release of its second television advertisement for the general election. From the campaign's press release:

The thirty second ad, entitled "Dignity," will begin airing in eighteen states across the country today underscoring Senator Obama's commitment to being an advocate for workers and children.

The spot highlights Senator Obama's decision to bypass big money jobs and help lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. The ad illustrates Senator Obama's record of working hard to move people from welfare to work, passing tax cuts for workers and providing healthcare for children.

The ad will air in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

SCRIPT - "Dignity"

OBAMA: I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message.

Announcer: He worked his way through college and Harvard Law.

Turned down big money offers, and helped lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. Fought for workers' rights.

He passed a law to move people from welfare to work, slashed the rolls by eighty percent. Passed tax cuts for workers; health care for kids.

As president, he'll end tax breaks for companies that export jobs, reward those that create jobs in America.

And never forget the dignity that comes from work.

Comments

[darthdarcy]

I'm waiting for Obama's, " We must endeavor to persevere ads...!"

[obamanation31]

Graet ad.

[bongogirl]

Nice ad.

OBAMA '08



bongogirl hussein p.

[westreal]

All of this means nothing when you counter your primary stance to support FISA, Faith Based funding, public financing, gun laws and a host of other issues I bet he will flip-flop on between now and November.

[djohn78]

I hate the voice in all of his commercials. I heard that same voice/announcer on the US bank commercial or something and i was annoyed!

[evgolightly]

Same voice all the time...

Wouldn't it be funny if he tailored the voice to the demographic audience?

Think about it: Rosie Perez, James Earl Jones, Fran Drescher, Fareed Zacharia, ... Arianna Huffington (for Astoria, Queens) ...

Nonetheless, the commercial's good.

[olivia]

Second that on the voice. It's pure pablum.

The ad would be better with a different announcer.

[djelimon]

Should be Samuel L Jackson

Seriously, the voice is non-threatening. Not entertaining, but non-threatening. To me, this says that O's intel indicates fear as the key barrier.

That tax thing is a good idea. Strip away the fear and you get a simple message that goes straight to your wallet.

[robXdion]

He needs to get Dennis Haysbert. That's the actor that played the fictional 1st black president on "24". Now he's the face for all the Allsate Insurance commercials. Or Keith David. That's another black actor from such gems as "The Thing" and "They Live". Now he's the voice actor for many US Navy and car commercials. Paging Morgan Freeman? But that's alot of baritone from too many black guys. Bound to scare off the "he's too exotic" crowd. I dunno. But the tinny white dude voice is NOT working at all. They'll do much better with a Waylon Jennings or a Lee Iococca type.

[GuyFawkes]

"moving people from welfare to work"

is a phrase that will go over well with the Reagan Dems and independents who don't like the "welfare state". Nice point.

[humactdoc]

I'M DEFINITELY A DEMOCRAT, HATED REAGAN, HELP THOSE IN NEED AND WAS AND STILL AM STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF MOVING PEOPLE FROM WELFARE TO WORK.

[Heavenhelpusall]

People who move from welfare to work are in favor of it too if they can still eat.

I agree the voice is non-threatening. They must overcome "different and dangerous."

[BEHM777]

Another good job. Keeps things nice and simple.

BEHusseinM777

[lennix]

thanks obama

[TroubleNYC]

I dunno if them white folk are gonna appreciate him grabbing on to that white woman at the end of the commercial.

[SMP]

oh PLEASE give it a rest!!!

[robXdion]

Yeah, they can spin that into one of those Harold Ford type ads. Only this time with the older school lunch lady type. Adam Sandler would be jealous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_-KbstEG4E

[Zhonni]

The two ads released by the Obama camp are brilliant!!!

[happypup]

I agree. I live in NC where the one has been playing and the second should start soon. My 80 year old mother and most of her friends really like the ads - those who didn't like him before are starting to because they see him as basically one of them.

[unity08]

Thats really great to hear happypup!

[mossy1]

Lucky! Here in Oregon, we get nothin' but McCain ads, and California's smoke!

[sssteverrr]

Great ad. Great candidate. Great man. He will be a great President. He is not an idealogue so he may not always please anyone, but he has the leadership qualities to unite us all in pursuit of the common good.

[ritz]

i work in the commercial business. This is a very good ad, all of the subliminal messages are in place, and work well with the excellent copy on top.

[StevieRae]

It's all about "framing" and repeat, repeat and repeat.

[Chumleysmom]

Next on the agenda, an ad showing multi-tasking: how to veer the bus to the right while throwing progressives to the curb

[KBAR]

'Tha wheels on the BUS go 'round and 'round', 'round and 'round'

How many 'speed bumps' before the Messiah Barry bus hits the wall?

[happypup]

'Messiah Barry'??????????????

What is with the name calling, KBAR. Do you like looking like a childish fool?

[CEPHALUS]

Mclame has ran out of ideas,he and the repugnants are crooks they are now trying to steal Jim Webb GI BILL.GUESS THEY HAVE HIT THE WALL.

[sciabattoni]

progressive means going forward... which sometimes means tacking towards the center.
Too many left turns means you go in circles.
I consider myself a progressive... even "liberal" but I also know that not everybody thinks like me about social issues or security issues... or gas (i take the F train). So, democracy means fairness for all... not always balance.

[Chumleysmom]

Arianna agrees it's the wrong move; see today's column: Memo to Obama: Moving to the Middle is for Losers

[SEQUOIABISON]

Mediocre, not emotional enough, first general election ad much better.

[eden4barack08]

2nd that. While good, it's not as powerful as the first one.

[dknsn]

Another day, another depressing turn by Barack Obama. It's painful to see a man of his intelligence and background stoop to "welfare" race-baiting. This is, apparently, his national ad campaign, appealing to racists that he's not like those other black folk, you know the ones on welfare who lack "dignity."
Every day, my November vote trends closer to a vote against McCain rather than a vote for Barack Obama. That's not change you can believe in.

[MsDoc]

Maybe the next ad will feature Obama leaping out of a giant cake with, you know, balloons and streamers and patriotic music playing in the background and couple of baton twirlers leading a HS marching band and lots and lots of waving flags.

These are dark and perilous times, dknsn, and require truth, and the truth is that all of us are losing every single day to those who have money and power and no ethics to speak of. To vote for them is, at least in my mind, committing both societal suicide and being complicit in the deaths of our young military men and women in the quest to exorcise someone else's demon.

Of course, I oversimplify everything...but that is my way.

[happypup]

If you are considering voting for McCain you must be in favor of an endless war, right?

You must want an end to a woman's right to choose and less than the best benefits for our returning service men and and women, huh? I

f you are considering voting for McCain I guess you really like paying $4 per gallon for gas, more each week for groceries, right?

If you are considering voting for McCain, I guess you just don't want the very best for yourself and our country.

[ebethgay]

So you think there's dignity in getting welfare? I went on food stamps once while I was working my way through college and after one week decided I would rather work a third job cleaning houses than go down the welfare path. Work brings a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of worthiness. You know, dignity. I understand that some folks need help to make ends meet, especially if they have dependants to care for, but there is no dignity in habitual welfare - regardless of race.