Obama Ad Goes After McCain For Being Old, Incompetent

There has been talk in recent days that Barack Obama would get tougher in his campaigning following the September 11th détente between he and McCain. Sure enough, Friday morning the Senator released his most personalized attack ad yet.

Making overt references to McCain's age, the spot, titled "Still," calls the Republican nominee out-of-touch, showing footage of him from 1982 alongside screen shots of disco balls, a (Zach Morris-like) old school cell phone, a record player and a rubix cube. It even calls McCain out for his unfamiliarity with the Internet. And, as a parting jab, the ad uses footage of the Arizona Republican riding with George H.W. Bush in a golf cart.

"1982," reads the campaign. "John McCain goes to Washington. Things have changed in the last 26 years. But McCain hasn't. He admits he still doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an email."

In addition to the "Still" spot, the Obama campaign released another ad Friday morning, this one more positive in nature, with the Senator speaking directly into the camera, defining change.

It could very well be that the latter spot, titled "Real Change" will be the one that airs in most places, while the more inflammatory "Still" is designed to grab the media's attention. Already, the McCain campaign is out with a response.

"What is becoming clear to the American people is the fact that Barack Obama has no record of bipartisan legislative accomplishment, no history of bucking his party and no chance of bringing change," wrote Tucker Bounds, spokesman McCain-Palin 2008. "The truth is, Barack Obama voted for $2.8 billion in corporate welfare for big oil companies, broke his pledge to voters on campaign finance and has personally requested nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel spending for his home state - making his message of 'change' nothing more than an empty campaign slogan."

Comments

[SailFree]

The interesting thing to me is how totally hysterical and terrified the Democrats get in a race which is more or less even! Do they know something that the pollsters aren't letting out yet?

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c2f69ce-8031-11dd-99a9-000077b07658.html

Is there more grassroots support for McCain-Palin and more disdain for Obama in the internal polls, in the e-mails from constitutents, than is showing up in Gallup? Enquiring minds want to know.

[milo h minderbinder]

The polls have had McCain up since the convention but that lead has gotten narrower day by day.

I'd agree there was a bit of hysteria for a day or two from the democrats but that has visibly shifted to the other side. Obama and his people have been pretty stable and unshakable while McCain has put out increasingly dishonest and desperate ads, along with increasingly inept and flustered performances. He looks like he's ready to come unglued and she's not doing much better.

[Chillinout]

Part of it is that Democrats are listening to the pundits too much when they say that Obama should be a lot farther ahead than he is.

Democrats also like wringing their hands and getting panicked. We have seen too many elections "stolen" and don't want it to happen again.

Personally, I don't get like that. I look at the electoral maps and the state by state polling. Also when they take these polls, they are usually polling "likely voters" which are those voters that voted in 2004. That alone is discounting millions of voters that are voting for the first time this year or are voting for the first time in years. And of course, there is the cell phone generation as well.

[Shadow08]

It's a mistake to speak for all democrats in such a sweeping statement. I'm a democrat, I'm not panicked. I know Barack Obama is going to be the next president. The republicans have nothing to offer, so, this will be a democratic administration with a democratic house and senate.

There is nothing to panic about. I see a lot of republicans accusing democrats of being
in a panic, but like everything else a republican has to say, it's nothing but a pack of li es.

In reality, its a classic case of transference. It;s the repubublcans who are panic stricken, they see it all slipping away, and changes in leadership that they thought would never happen.

They are panicked, not I or any of the democrats I know personaly. Quite the contrary, we're pumped up, ready to get our country back from the evil rep*blicans

[sef2121]

The first one is ageist...m­any indies are over 65 and unlike my generation of young egomaniancs, they vote. Second ad makes Obama sound angry that McCain is using the word change. Better step it up Obama.

[WolfLarsen]

Here's and ad for you.....

Show a tin cup being held by a dirty hand and a voice over saying "When John McCain talks of change he is talking about spare change".

Then cut to a dog urinating on a fire hydrant...­.."John McCain loves the trickle down approach to economics"

The next shot should be of McCain as a POW....."R­emember when honesty and integrity mattered to John McCain...t­hat was a long time ago"

Fade out with Karl Rove......­"I guess it is better to be a tarnished winner then an honorable loser"

End with a herd of sheep grazing...­.."McCain is depending on your vote"

"I am Barrack Obama and someone needed to say it"

[AnotherMcIntosh]

The ad is appropriate, in part, because the McCain camp wants to influence the voting public by giving the impression that he is an experienced fighter pilot.

An experienced fighter pilot and he can't even figure out how to send email?

What did he fly? Jennys? Or did he once have the technical skill to fly something more modern and sophisticated, but he simply no longer has a mind that is young enough to figure out something like sending email?


"Uh, what's this red button for?"

[Paralogos]

I just sent the following message to the Obama campaign via their web site. Not that I have any illusions about it getting through to anyone who matters, but if one gives a sh*t, one has to try.

"I've just seen the "Still" ad. Have you folks lost your minds? Do you really think, or more to the point, do you really think that American's believe - that computer illiteracy is a major disqualification for the presidency? Many people would consider it basic humilty to concede that they don't understand the economy, including a lot of economists. Your ad is weak against McCain and insulting to a large minority of voters who happen to care deeply about this country but who happen to be techno-illiterates. It feeds the "eletist" stereotype. You should pull it ASAP and sack the fool who produced it. Sorry to have to say this, but someone has to."

[EarthToZoey]

This ad is TERRIBLE. Please do not tell me that my hard-earned donation money is going to this being put on the air. KEEP THIS AD ON THE WEB ONLY. The only two groups this ad will appeal to are the 18 - 30 year olds (who historically have low turn out or who will be voting for Obama regardless) and the college educated tech savvy demographic. Even then, the ad is weak. Sure, I understand how we would rather have a President who "gets" the technology of today, but this ad doesn't delineate that point nor is it the most pressing concern on voters minds. Obama needs to hit the gut. He needs to speak firm and loud about THE ECONOMY and how his vision will expand the bridge Clinton made to the 21st century and allow us to compete in the global economy.

Also, wouldn't you find an ad that uses the candidate's voice instead of a cheesy voice-over to be much, much more effective? Let McCain hide behind the melodramatic actor's voice as he endorses lies. Let Barack Obama shine a light on the truth in his own words.

I want tough, but I don't want petty. That's the Republican turf and it's a turn off to independents.

[EarthToZoey]

(Oh, and I forgot to say that I like the second ad much better! )

[johnthomascook]

He lets Palin be racist. I guess this will be ok since no one knows it in the US.

[SailFree]

Vous avez raison, mon ami!

[DasBoot]

I see your point, but it could be that the first ad is mainly meant to rally his own troops and to catch the attention of the press. The headlines then will be: Obama fights tough all of a sudden. It all depends on where, in which markets, exactly an ad is shown.

[Greg27]

pretty sad if 55 days from election he has to spend money on ads to rally his troops and catch the attention of the press, whose been sleeping in his living room for the bast 8-9 months... (remember Berlin?)

[HBeachbum]

McCain should come out with his own 1982 ad ... showing BHO snorting cocaine. While John McCain was working for his copuntry, Barack Obama was doing blow.

[wendyleigh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0xzsogzAk

[jacqmac]

NOW? He HAS TO DO IT NOW! Heck! IF anyone listens to the NEWS, the NEWS should be doing that FOR HIM! THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS SURVIVING ON BORROWED MONEY! That's RIGHT-A 'blue chip charity' is BORROWING MONEY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS LEVEL OF SERVICE. YES--
I said SERVICE! NOTE that this does NOT say DONATED-IT SAYS BORROWED! THIS IS FROM A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE RED CROSS-NOT an OBAMA OPERATIVE! The REASON This has NOT come OUT SOONER is that THE RED CROSS DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE TO PANIC! GET IT? RED CROSS-BORROWING MONEY-VOLU­NTEERISM-C­OMPASSIONA­TE CONSERVATISM! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! P.S. According to the latest polls in 'battleground states' Where the ads are playing? OBAMA is LEADING!! GET IT? GOT IT? GOOD!

[macracan]

We all should attack the republican brand in its entirety. I mean: I respect good ideas that once upon a time were claimed by republicans; like reducing wasteful spending, fiscal responsibility, national security, non intervention in foreign conflicts, but it seems that these ideas are more represented today by the democratic party. It is the democrats that balance budgets, democrats improve the economy, democrats will lower taxes, the democrats understand national security by focusing the fight against terrorists to where terrorists that attacked us actually exist. The republican party has derailed so much that even McCain, their own nominee, decided to run against it, calling himself no less then an agent of change out to reform Washington; that is if you can still believe lies coming out of the republican party... Afterall he did vote with Bush 90% of the time and he does want to continue all the same policies..­.

[Bilbot]

We still haven't heard a lot about the city she was mayor of CHARGING RAPE VICTIMS FOR THE TEST KITS! WTF?

[RhinoCrossing]

In many ways, Americans are all victims of a republican raping that has occurred over the last 8 years (and will continue with McCain/Palin). We are learning helplessness. Hence, it is no surprise that McCain/Palin once charged rape victims for their own forensic kits. We are currently paying for the costs of the rape of our country for the last 8 years. Our kids have to pay for the sins of the Bush/Chene­y/McCain/P­alin ticket.

[partyofone]

It is unfortunate that the GOP has nominated someone who lives in the 1980s to be president in 2008 and lead the nation and world. McCain gets very confused about facts on issues about which he claims expertise. And I can't imagine anyone being taken seriously who says he is for change and the future who cannot use a computer. Get real.

And then there is the huge issue of McCain's legendary temper. Is it a consequence of being a POW and post traumatic stress disoder? Is McCain medicated for it? When he has these periodic flashes of white hot rage, is he rational? Who makes the judgment about if and when a president is not competet to make decsions?

It is not senstive and deferential for the these matters to be brought up. But were are talking about the president, the commander in chief of the entire military and nuclear arsenal, the leader of the world. Does the nation really want McCain to be president because he served in Vietnam and was a war prisoner? If he has not been thank properly for that with 35 years of awards, accolades, and a Senate seat, can't we come up with a more fitting reward than giving him the presidency and putting the nation at risk?

[bigD22]

Obama campaign is lame. This is a joke of a response to MacCain's attack ads.

[RhinoCrossing]

And what would you suggest?

[WolfLarsen]

Yeah McCain is for change alright...­..spare change. Have your tin cups ready.

[DCCommuter]

LOL. And have your draft card ready.

[Bluejay00234]

Just heard they subpoena Plains husband.