Negative Obama Ad Mimics Outside Group's Effort

A new Obama campaign ad hammering John McCain on the economy bears a striking resemblance to an ad produced several months ago by an outside Democratic organization. The similarities, whether coincidental or not, have stoked the debate about whether the Obama campaign was wise to discourage donors from supporting outside 527s, PACs, and other groups that could have bolstered key message points about McCain.

The Obama spot, as the New York Times notes today, comes as the campaign reacted to a tightening race by quietly rolling out several "contrast" ads in local markets attacking McCain on a variety of issues.

What is remarkable about the Obama strategy is not its surreptitious nature, but rather the fact that the campaign didn't necessarily have to resort to this type of effort, or be the primary organ pushing the attack lines. Indeed, the ad that is highlighted by the Times, titled "Economy," is notably similar to a six-month-old spot from a group then known as the Campaign to Defend America.

Both feature clips of McCain talking positively about the economy interspersed by testimonies of the economy's struggling status (the Obama camp uses voter interviews, the outside group has a narrator). Both ads start with a clip of McCain claiming, "I don't think we are heading into a recession," and both end with almost identical tag lines: "How can John McCain fix the economy when he doesn't think it's broken?" asks the Obama ad. "If John McCain doesn't understand the problem, how can he fix it?" goes the other spot.

The Obama ad:

The outside group's ad:

"Recession" from CDA on Vimeo

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But while Obama's ad was released August 15, the alternate version never saw the light of day. And Campaign to Defend America sputtered from a lack of resources, the byproduct of an Obama directive to funnel contributions through the campaign rather than 527s or independent organizations. According to an individual familiar with its work, the group put together roughly a dozen spots attacking McCain, none of which, save one, made it on air.

To be sure, the idea of running an ad accusing McCain as out-of-touch on the economy is hardly novel politics. And for the majority of Democrats, it is reassuring to see that Obama's advisers are willing, even eager, to draw blood on the issue. But several operatives from the party remain concerned over the decision to, ostensibly, shut down outside groups that could have been making this case long ago.

"It was a bad idea," one Democratic strategist told the Huffington Post. "They wanted to control the message but now the campaign is fighting with a hand behind its back. The truth is, these negative contrast ads work. They have to be ethical but they work. And the outside groups could have played a big role in this."

At the time, the Obama campaign insisted the best campaign could be waged if the message was coordinated and centralized. As such, donors were encouraged to give to the Senator rather than outside groups. But the similarities between the ad that Obama is now running and the one Campaign to Defend America put together undercuts the notion that outside groups would muddy rather than amplify the candidate's message.

Of course, this is just one sample. Had a 527 group, theoretically, put together a spot that was more of a distraction than a benefit, the Obama campaign would have been legally prohibited from dissuading their efforts. On the other hand, unleashing outside groups to run ads such as these could have helped Obama stay above the political fray. Obama's recent contrast ad prompted torrents of criticism from GOP officials who accused the Illinois Democrat of trying to have it both ways: positioning himself as clean of campaign muck while quietly engaging in bare-knuckle tactics.

Last week, the Huffington Post reported that a source with deep knowledge of the Obama campaign said the presumptive Democratic nominee would start looking the other way when it came to the role of 527s and other independent groups. A spokesman for the Senator vigorously denied a change in policy.

"Whoever is saying that has no idea what is going on inside our campaign," said press secretary Bill Burton. "Senator Obama has said consistently that if folks want to help this effort, they should do so through our campaign."