McCain Ad Rips "Big Government" Even As He Supports Bailouts

After days of positioning himself as a newfound champion of more efficient market regulation, John McCain is out today with a commercial denouncing the intrusions of "big government."

Titled "Dome," the spot accuses Obama and "his liberal Congressional allies" of wanting "a massive government, billions in spending increases, wasteful pork."

"And, we would pay -- painful income taxes, skyrocketing taxes on life savings, electricity and home heating oil."

The message is conservative boilerplate and a position that, in normal cases, would appear to be close to McCain's heart. But it comes just days after the Senator begrudgingly supported a government bailout of the insurance giant AIG and, earlier, a similar rescue for the lending giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. As such, there is a schizophrenic aspect to the spot -- even if McCain is focusing on taxes and government programs, not home loans.

The ad will be televised nationally.

Comments

[IKnowYouAre]

The real message of the "Dome" ad is:
"We can't let a black man take over the country."

Consider the large, black phallic symbol spreading through (penetrating) the cities. Then the final image: The black shadow creeping over the innocent white baby. They (The other, the Black One, the Bad One) will come for your children, is the final gut-level message here.

The Republicans also know that they can get away with it, because most people don't consider themselves to have internal racism. And they don't like being told that they do. Plus they can point to the words of the ad and claim that is what it's about. And anyone who says anything else is making things up.

Republicans also know their swing voters are not savvy enough to do (or perhaps understand and/or believe) a racial analysis of this ad. So it doesn't matter what others say.

What Republicans know most is that the unspoken images in this ad will speak to many of their potential voters at a gut level. It is at that gut level where their/our own unexamined, modern racism lies. And it is to this deep place that this sinister ad truly speaks.

[EuroRant1]

Wow ... John McCain is a Democrat now? I'm confused ... Did I miss something? Did he change parties?

“The things that will destroy America are prosperity­-at-any-pr­ice, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.” - Theodore Roosevelt

[jahsh]

McCain the "war hero" claims to support the troops but here is the truth; Iraq and Afganistan Veterans of America gave McCain a grade of D for his voting record Obama got a B+, Disabled Veterans of America noted McCains dismal 20% voting record on veterans issues, Obama got an 80%, Vietnam Veterans of America notes McCain voted against us 15 times and with us only 8, Obama voted for VVA 12 times against only once..FACTS MATTER...GET INFORMED..IT'S THE PATRIOTIC THING TO DO! GOD BLESS THE TROOPS!

[brokenSoldier]

Honestly, can our families afford the type of policy record - beleaguered by scandals such as the Keating Five - and lavish lifestyle that John McCain possesses?

I wouldn't begrudge anyone their success, much less someone who has endured what he has, but the minute they begin to portray themselves as both empathetic to the struggles of regular Americans and having a true understanding of such hardships, they immediately create an inconsistency in their message.

If John McCain wanted to be honest, he'd admit that he lives in a completely different econmic strata than that of the typical American. He does not do that, instead opting to try to convey to the voters the idea that he personally understands what they are going through. He does not - due to his situation, he could not possibly understand such a thing - and any insinuation of the opposite is an obvious and blatant deception.

[eden4barack08]

Notice in the beginning, the image of Capitol colored in red? Hinting communism ?
They're shameless.

[LeawoodKansas]

Is McCain trying to look like the second coming in the last shot? Am I the only one that thinks this?

It's been a long day.

[Diogenis]

ANNOUNCEMENT:

REPENTANT REPUBLICANS ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

obam/biden 08

[IForgotMyName]

"a massive government, billions in spending increases, wasteful pork"
Congratulations Senator McCain, you just gave the perfect summary of the last eight years. You should have added that you managed to double the debt, turned huge surpluses in even huger deficits, strained the military, lied the country into a disastrous war, created the biggest housing and financial crisis since the Great Depression, cronyism, Katrina and FEMA, torture, Gitmo, but I guess that to mention all the failures of the Bush/McCain policies would have taken longer than 30 seconds.

[Whinger]

What no one, Democrat or Republican can afford is another four years of incompetence and lies!

[kcnativnla]

Not the smartest marketing strategy to have McCain's stern, wrinkled face, gazing out into the abyss, with the phrase "Change is coming." next to it. It's a contrasting image, especially since nobody - not even Republicans, believe that McCain represents change. This looks like a message to McCain and his cronies than a statement from McCain to "Washington".

How much did they pay for this slogan? Wasted cash, "my friends"!

[alicante]

All through was a shadow of a plane. Was that supposed to evoke 911? More fear.

[Diogenis]

More......­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­.......fea­r.

[pcplz]

I am offended when McCain said that he meant that the fundamentals were the American workers......if that were so...why are the jobs being sent over seas? There are less American workers than ever before because of the Republican need for cheap labor. Or was he referring to the Illegal Aliens? Or the ones brought in to take our jobs from India and Pakistan, not to mention Japan and China........?????

American small business cannot compete with Wal Mart or the big box stores.......What the he!! is he talking about??

[Diogenis]

We ALL should be offended.

[ricitizen]

Who is John McCain?

I recommend that you all read the full article. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13541.html It is very revealing take from a woman who has studied the man for a long time. And here's a quote that I have read before but bears repeating from jMc 2002 Memoir:

(In his 2002 memoir, "Worth the Fighting For," he wrote, revealingly, "I didn"t decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president. . . . In truth, I"d had the ambition for a long time.")

[Liberoservative]

McCain is trying to wrap himself up in the Democratic platform when he talks and then be a Repuke when he walks.... It doesn't matter one whit how much he wants to be Obama in GOP clothing... The GOP Platform is what he has to run on and that isn't one whit different that GWB.

C'mon GOP, can't you get some original ideas of your own?

[Amishguy]

This should be an obama ad that ends with "they are right these, are horrible things and they have done them all!"

McSame talks about making gov bigger... Bush/McCain have brought us the biggest increase in the size of gov ever.

Slams pork.. Like the bridge to nowhere that Palin continues to lie about

Spending ... Biggest wasteful corrupt spending in history to the tune of TRILLIONS of dollars!

This really is all a big joke. God help us all.

[emory]

McSavings and loan just said that he learned how to fix the countries economy after the savings and loan scandal of the 90s.

He is the savings and loan scandal of the 90's

MR KEATING 5