McCain Unaired Wright Attack Ad Released (VIDEO)

Recently, Time published an interview with John McCain's ad man, detailing the nasty campaign that never was:

What if the McCain campaign had run ads using footage of Barack Obama dancing with Ellen DeGeneres to show his coziness with celebrity? Or followed up on its Paris Hilton ad with others featuring Donald Trump and Jessica Simpson? All of that was on the drawing board of Fred Davis III, the advertising whiz that John McCain has used for almost all of his campaign media and one of the most talented conservative political operatives in America. Oh yes, he also had an Internet ad up his sleeve that would attack Obama's celebrity by associating him with Oprah. But in the end, he scotched that one. "We decided you don't really fight Santa Claus or Oprah," he says, "so we removed her."

In an extended interview with TIME, Davis detailed what might have been in the campaign ad war -- and what self-censorship the McCain staff imposed on themselves regarding the issue of race. ...

"My favorite ad of the campaign was as simple as it could be," Davis said. "And it started out something like, 'Long before the world knew of John McCain or Barack Obama, one of them spent five years in a hellhole because he refused early release to honor his fellow prisoners, while the other one wouldn't walk out of a church after 20 years of the guy spewing hatred towards America.' And the last line was, 'Character matters, especially when no one is listening.' " The ad never ran, however, because McCain ruled the topic of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the preacher of Obama's Chicago church, out of bounds shortly after he locked up the Republican nomination.

Now ABC has gotten hold of this ad, which went through the final editing and production process before being nixed. A former campaign staffer gave the spot to the network. Watch:

Comments

[clsmithj]

Big whoop. The GOP still ran Rev. Wright ads here in the battle grounds states and it had absolutely no affect.

Serves them right for picking through HRC campaign trash.

[NetProphet]

Mc Cain wouldn't have won.....even if this ad was played. Sarah Palin was the last nail in the coffin.

[Irksome]

Exactly. I know an astonishing number of people who only voted for Obama because Sarah Palin scared the hell out of them.

[Rosey]

I cannot even watch it after seeing and listening to McCain's trashing of Obama. His gutter tactics only proved what a low life he is....which surprised a lot of us, me included. For McCain to say "well that's just politics folks" is disingenious, a load of hooey.....wait wait....maybe he has early onset of Alzeheimer's and should be forgiven his stoopidity?

[AZ4thatone]

I'm wondering why this is of any relevance since the election ended 5 weeks ago? Are we going to rehash this stuff continually over the next 4 to 8 years or what?

[Grace0727]

Character does matter, That is why Obama is our next President.

[dspencer3491]

First off, the election is over and Obama WON, and McCain LOST.

But going back in history, this ad would have backfired as Obama was definitely prepared to handle this since McCain considered it for a long time. But it didn't matter, the RNC launched a similar ad before the election.

[Ty90]

McCain looks absolutely hideous in that picture!

[dspencer3491]

and every other one lol

[Celtchief]

HAHAHAHA
Good one! OMG, let's make fun of 70 year old men for not looking good. Especially ones who's been tortured and had cancer. This is HILARIOUS.

Yes, this is the healing Obama was talking about....

[LeRoyRogers]

My presumption that this would be a nasty ad was trumped by the irony in its last line. "Character matters, especially when no one is listening." It was not a bad ad, just dumb. Yet what often works. The Wright principle was at least one flip-flop not made by the Maverick, but since Palin was a mavercick apparently it did not matter. The irony that McCain would walk out of a prison while Obama was imprisoned in a church that he may have not been in is just silly. Not silly was the retraint that Obama used in not bringing up character while it was really rather bandaged, (mummed if you will) despite it being in McCain's book. So there was a glimmer of sense in McCain at least in not running this ad.

[LeRoyRogers]

My presumption that this would be a nasty ad was trumped by the irony in its last line. "Character matters, especially when no one is listening." It was not a bad ad, just dumb. Yet what often works. The Wright principle was at least one flip-flop not made by the Maverick, but since Palin was a maverick apparently it did not matter. The irony that McCain would walk out of a prison while Obama was imprisoned in a church that he may have not been in is just silly. Not silly was the restraint that Obama used in not bringing up character while it was really rather bandaged, (mummed if you will) despite it being in McCain's book. So there was a glimmer of sense in McCain at least in this ad. (OK, maybe I don't know what card game I'm in, as in mixed metaphor or bluff. And I won't touch the TV series.)

[LeRoyRogers]

My presumption that this would be a nasty ad was trumped by the irony in its last line. "Character matters, especially when no one is listening." It was not a bad ad, just dumb. Yet what often works. The Wright principle was at least one flip-flop not made by the Maverick, but since Palin was a maverick apparently it did not matter. The irony that McCain would walk out of a prison while Obama was imprisoned in a church that he may have not been in is just silly. Not silly was the restraint that Obama used in not bringing up character while it was really rather bandaged, (mummed if you will) despite it being in McCain's book. So there was a glimmer of sense in McCain at least in this ad.

[LeRoyRogers]

My presumption that this would be a nasty ad was trumped by the irony. "Character matters, especially when no one is listening." It also depends on who's talking. The irony that McCain should walk out of a prison while Obama is imprisoned in a church that he may not have been in, may have been noticed under the cover of principles. At least the Wright principle is still in question, while character was a bit wrapped up. Meaning other information avenues (like Palin) brought out the former while the latter was left to the diffusion (on the Internet) of the people not the opponent.

[Gusto2]

The Republicans still cannot come up with a solution to their disastrous eight years in the White House and twelve years of control in the Congress and Senate, so they are still spewing trash in the media and ABC and Fox News are their favorite conduit for that nonsense. They placed this country in the current mess and now they are trying to get sympathy. They will continue to loose ground with the american public if they don't shape up. Why ABC is NOT telling us how GW Bush messed up this country, instead of giving interviews with him trying to clean up his image and get some legavy thing going? Charles Gibson and company are products of the past.

[IslandGyal]

Why is saying god dam America in the context in which Rev. Wright cited hatred? Americans have done some atrocious things to its own citizens, and that's what Rev. Wright was talking about. Folks like to selectively remember America is America because the folks living here before the revolution spoke out and over threw the English because of their mistreatment. The only difference is that when White folks do it, it right, but when Black folks do it, it's hatred.

[greenriverkate]

I must agree with you. Living in this country my whole life, I knew exactly what the Rev. meant. I have seen the hatred toward minorities and it seems this country MUST find someone to hate or blame for whatever they think. Rev. Wright is a tough old marine and has been around for a long time and seen it all. He was just making people aware of his feelings which I am sure he deserves to have. I have heard hatred toward all people and even been on the recieving end of this hate because I am white. It didn't make me mad but it let me know how it must make others feel and it didn't feel good. The people that hated me had good reason not to trust whites and I couldn't argue with the facts. We need to learn to understand anothers feelings. Hatred begets hatred and that destroys all involved

[MarkBoston]

you sound like an old soul there greenriverkate... It would be wonderful to be able to surround myself with folks like yourself. Peace be with you and yours.

[Suane]

I'm a Black Man and I Amen you my Brother!!!!!!!!!

[Ted LPD]

This Wright Ad would have backfired. No matter how you feel about Rev Wright, he is a Vet and he saved the life of a US president. He is more a hero in military sense than McCain, period. There would have been a counter Ad that would have destroyed McCain"s future forever. McCain did a CBA and concluded that the backlash would be enormous. McCain would have done anything to win, but this was not a winner for McCain.

Obama was ready to hit back harder if McCain endorsed any of the Ad with Wright. Where Senators used the Ad, they lost. McCain took a cue from those guys.

The problem with short sighted American journalists (Fox News) is that this story had no legs. Associatively law does not work like being the one who did X, Y or push an old lady off her wheel chair.

[ljc]

OMG, Yuk! Will someone please give McCain some dental floss.