Obama Adviser: 'Celeb' Ads Hurt Him In Polls

John McCain's recent foray into pop culture commentary has drawn the mockery and scorn of everyone from Paris Hilton to his own mother. But did it work? Tom Daschle think so. He tells the Financial Times the attack ads are responsible for Barack Obama's dip in polls:

Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate majority leader, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the Mr Obama's Republican rival John McCain was seeing a "short-term blip" as a result of the advertising, including one that used the image of Charlton Heston as Moses to mock the supposedly messianic Mr Obama as being "The One".

"To a certain extent the ads are having some effect," Mr Daschle said. "But you can't be thrown off your game plan by a momentary dip in polls."

Meanwhile, the Washington Post finds Democratic strategists worried that Obama's response has been too soft:

Such attacks have raised worries among Democratic strategists -- haunted by John F. Kerry's 2004 run and Al Gore's razor-thin loss in 2000 -- that Obama has not responded in kind with a parallel assault on McCain's character. Interviews with nearly a dozen Democratic strategists found those concerns to be widespread, although few wished to be quoted by name while Obama's campaign is demanding unity.

"Democrats are worried," said Tad Devine, a top strategist for Kerry who thinks Obama must stay on the high road. "We've been through two very tough elections at the national level, and it's very easy to lose confidence." ...

"If somebody attacks you, you have to frame the attack: 'This is the same old politics, or better yet, the Bush-Rove politics,' " something Obama has done well, said one Democratic strategist. "At the same time you do that, you have to counterattack. You don't want to look like a whiner. You want to look tough."

The Obama campaign says outside complaints are no reason to change strategy, and one consultant admits that that could be a good thing: "One of the great strengths of the Obama campaign has been to not listen to the D.C. chattering class. They have a plan and they stick to it. But clearly, the D.C. chattering class are all wringing their hands."

Comments

[BuckarooBanzai]

Folks...

These tracking polls are bogus. It's the electoral college that gets you elected. Every poll and survey out there shows Obama with an electoral college lead of between 70 and 120 votes.

Now he could still blow it, but the idea that this is too close to call at this point is just a mainstream media lie.

(look at CNN...breathless stories of how close McCain is to Obama but their electoral map has Obama up by more than 100)

[jsinclair]

CNN is so in the tank for McCain its ridiculous (bless you, David Gergen and Jack Cafferty for not hewing the conservative talking points over there.)

On The Daily Show tonight one of the correspondents took a tv that showed Wolf Blitzer talking and threw it into the street where it smashed in bits. I actually cheered.

[dizmo4]

For the longest time i was absolutely perplexed by Obama's current strategy. It seemed that McCain was landing body blows that, while not a KO, certainly hurt him as evidenced in his declining poll numbers. While polls in July don't mean a whole lot, the overall trend since 7/4 had been downward for Obama nationally, and generally a tightening of the race in key states like Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado.

However, I'm beginning to see the strategy here -- run positive ads and response ads in the summer to keep the over all lead. Then, once the general election kicks in and McCain is limited to the $89 million in public financing, run attack ads against him in Florida ( extremely costly media market), Ohio ( costly), Pennsylvania ( again, costly --especially in Philly area), Indiana ( costly due to Chicago media market), Missouri, etc. and force McCain to let these attacks go unanswered or spend millions to respond to them. Meanwhile, Obama can run ads attacking McCain in media cheap states like Alaska, Montana, the Dakotas, Colorado, NM, etc.

To put it another way, force McCain to burn through his campaign funds in September, hit him hard in October. A bad week or two in october could mean a landslide for Obama.

[DXP]

These internet ads only cost for producing them. After that they are free and the MSN will have to comment on them and must play them - for free - in order to comment.

[mesut]

good point. Especially with McCain wasting money on silly ads

[PKSSK]

Excellent anaylisis of a brilliant plan.

[Philberto]

Polls are irelevant - they take the registration list and call 50% Republicans and 50% democrats. That doesn't take into account how many voters are registered. Mark my words, it's gonna be an Obama landslide.

[bogues]

Obama is doing better than he has been given credit for. Supporters need to stay focused and don't buy into the notion that he needs to change his strategy or anything else. He is conducting his campaign in an honorable way and he is showing the people everyday, what kind of President he would be. He is well ahead in the electoral college vote and that is the one that determines who the next president will be, he is also ahead in most of the other polls. We can't get tired now, we have to stay motivated and keep setting the record straight when McCain's campaign slings its mud.

[CaptainVideo]

Certainly McCain's attacks have to be agressively answered by that is not enough. That permits McCain to put Obama constantly on the defense.

The best defense is a strong offense. Obama must go agressively to define McCain as;

1. Another Bush.

2. An unprincipled double talker.

3. A dangerous ememy of social security and health insurance.

4. A dangerous war monger who believes in bomb, bomb, bombing first and acting questions later, and who wants to start a war with Iran.

[CaptainVideo]

"Obama is doing better than he has been given credit for."

Nonesense. In light of how unpopular Bush is and the Republicans are, Obama should have a double digit lead at this point, not a thin tenuous lead.

[DXP]

There is another rather horribly brilliant aspect to these ads - they are internet ads. Since the MSM is utterly corrupt this is the only way to get these negative messages out. This was so predictable.

[leftoflennon]

Win the battle, lose the war McSame.

[MeanGreenMachine]

Why don't we see Hill and Bill on like we see Romney?

[MeanGreenMachine]

Many in America are discovering for the first time what others have known for years:

Inside this great democracy hides a robust intolerant cristo/fascist core.

[evolution1223]

Can someone please tell me where the he11 are the dem surrogates? Other than John Kerry, why isn't anyone standing up for O? Where's McCaskill, Clyburn, Wexler, etc? And how about some of the former Clin ton surrogates?

Maybe I'm just missing it on the TV Op-Eds, but there was a lot more support from fellow dems going on during the primary. Now they all seem to be just sitting around hoping for the best.

When or when will dems stop being such pu$$ies and start fighting?

[DXP]

The BEST surrogates would have been the Clintons. But Obama has distanced himself from them and smearing them as racists and crying wolf over and over about negative campaigning. They have been supporting him as best they can but he continues to distance himself. By now they have a distant peace between them but surrogates and the obot style of supporters continue to believe lies about them and to attempt to rid the party of the Clintons and the Clinton wing of the party. This is stupid. Bill, in particular, could really get be of great use in this case. He at least is still popular and actually won two elections. Kerry is basically seen as a loser and he lost one he could have won so he is a terrible surrogate.

[JimR]

How about they start their own party, the Clinton Party? Then can we stop hearing about them?

And anyway, last we heard, Bill was still pouting about the primaries.

[bogues]

Did you not see Bill Clinton's interview this week where he delibrately made Obama look bad and started in once again about himself. This was never about him and he could not accept that. I supported him through both of his terms and stood up for him even after he betrayed his wife, the Dem. Party and the country. He should have counted his lucky stars that the party did stand by him and he should have thought more about the party than himself. Hillary lost the nomination because she was a flawed candidate, she ran an awful campaign and made the mistake of thinking the Presidency is something that one can inherit versus having to compete for it. It was Bill Clinton who made the controversial statements during the Primary and it hurt his wife. He is not in the habit of taking responsibility for his actions and frankly Hillary is not in the habit of admitting it either. He hurt her campaign and he is trying to hurt Obama's campaign.

[bogues]

Everyone that you mentioned, minus the Clinton's have been out there working and speaking on Obama's behalf, they are appearing with him on the campaign trail and speaking out on TV when ever they can. Also Romney has been quite for a few days, probably on vacation, as may be the case with some that you mentioned, it is that time of year.

[Bigman55]

Look at their leaders (Polosi and Reid). They are afraid of what the pundits and GOPers might say. They need to make Rachael Mcdow a surrogate. She takes no prisoners.

[evolution1223]

Craaaaaazy Rachel! LOVE her!

[genseric13]

They don't want to go down with the Obama ship.

[jollyelle]

And the Cindy for Miss Buffalo Chip comment did wonders for McCain's campaign, right????

This is truly bizarro world...

[CaptainVideo]

Since it didn't get down to the low information voters, it didn't hurt him.

[jsinclair]

Surrogates: How about spinning this--that his NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING hurts McCAIN more than it hurts Obama?

We know Americans say they hate negative campaigning. A good talking point is to keep pointing out it's McCAIN who is going negative!!! Not Obama!!!

And it's hurting HIM!!!!

Arhhh. Can we send these people to "Spin School" somewhere? They're terrible, even when they've got the potential PR ADVANTAGE!!!!!

[PumaAnn]

I think negative campaigning only hurts when there's no "seed of truth" embedded.

[zippywpinhead]

you would be wrong- as usual...

[cdub1991]

The same applies to lies.

[DXP]

Of course it is hurting McCain. But it hurts Obama more. What, did you think this would be a fluff campaign? This was painfully predictable. And now Obama going around whining about how negative his opponent is is not going to work and he put himself in this position by crying wolf against Clinton too often (and most of you all fell for it). Republicans don't care. So, yes, this is going to be an ugly election. Wait till after the conventions for it to really start. This is just the entertaining summer part. They have so much dirt on him it will make the dummycrats look like silly-heads for nominating him. Don't worry I will vote for him but it pisses me off.

[JimR]

Have you helped Hillary retire her debt?

[bogues]

If you plan to vote for him, then please stop painting him in such a negative light. He is not whining, he never did, that was a Clinton claim during the primary. I can only assume that you believe that the Democratic Party needs to win this election. If that is the case, then do you not think that will be better accomplished by getting behind the candidate. Elections always produce a winner and a loser. The loser naturally needs time to accept the fact but at some point they come around and it is time to come around. I hope Hillary supporters will move forward for the good of the country. We have a great candidate in Obama.

[Housewife]

I really hope Americans are smarter than this. If not, we're doomed.

[DXP]

Sweetie, where have YOUR smarts been? Nominating an unvetted freshman senator? A guy who gives theatrical speeches but is almost worse than Bush without a teleprompter. I don't think the obots have the luxury to get all superior and 'woe is me' that those "OTHER" americans are not as elevated as the obots.

[cbates]

My opinion of John McCain was affected by the ads. I was hoping he was an ethical man and he is not nor is the media an ethical entity. Again they go out and pick up internet ads andor just ads and replay over and over to make there time quoto and then expect Obama to respond with spending his contribution to rebutt. The media should have pointed out that McCain was trying to call Mr. Obama a black "boy" who is interested in white women.

The media is yet to take Mr. McCain to task over the Buffalo Chip invovlement that has all kinds of "ism" implied and or explicit. Where is the outrage from the main media outlets. Katie Couric, Robin (ABC), The women off of NBC morning show, Fox Women, Gerry Fiaro, Tyra Banks, Oprah Winfrey, the women of the View, and on and on. Barack will be blessed by God to make it into the White House with all the junk that is going on in this campaign. We old folks can be discouraged my our system.

[mesmerize]

Polls. Smolls. I don't trust polls at all. Everyone keeps making a big deal about Senator Obama going from 9% to 1%. At the end of the day it really doesn't matter. Republicans should stop asking why Senator Obama is not doing better and start worrying even if Senator Obama is only 1% ahead. This election is like a foot race. The lead runner can cross the finish line 1 second ahead of the person that crosses a second behind and that one late second will still cause the second runner to lose.

[DXP]

These internet ads are targeting the younger voter and they are effective because they are ENTERTAINING. Young voters are fickle and can get over an infatuation and not vote. The dumbocrats will nominate a terrible candidate and they the obots are trying to insult everyone into voting for the sermonizer in chief. I'll vote for the guy, but he will have a VERY hard time getting elected. Gads this was so predictable.

[Antacid]

Paris Hilton's response to Mc'Cain's ad, as well as the multiple spoofs of it, have many more views on YouTube than the ad itself.

[DXP]

Loads of absolutely free air time for McCain. It may not help him but it will hurt Obama, which of course is what it was intended to do.. The Moses one was brilliant, I'm sorry to say, entertaining, with a real submerged message to the rapture folks who Obama is spending his time wooing instead of uniting his own party. The youth will just see "The One" as Matrix and will not get the real damage of the ad. These ads are Trojan Horses.