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

[keepemhonest]

Mr. Davis III, should have advised McCain to use a toothbrush with floride toothpaste? Just a suggestion.

[zippy2112]

The election is over, get over it, Obama won!

[keepemhonest]

The GOP DID air Wright ads ... on November 1, 2008 Pennsylvania GOP ran those ads. GUESS WHAT? MCCAIN LOST PENNSYLVANIA.

[justobserve]

The McCain team thought voters were stupid! Palin's vicious attacks on Obama only resulted in some red(necked) states got redder (Appalachians) but 7 red states turned blue. McCain won MI (where Bush won) only by 3,632 votes so it may turn blue next time.

[keepemhonest]

justobserve: Bush lost MI (Michigan) ... he won Missouri (MO) by 3632 vote.

[mgcanfi]

Uuuuh...McCain did not win MI. Obama carried Michigan by over 820,000 votes. Perhaps you mean Missouri(MO).

[sansego2000]

This would only have worked with the people that were already voting for McCain. Just more of the same dirt. It does show character, the character of the people that put the ad together.

[MRb1000]

Would have could have should have. Maybe maybe not maybe maybe not. This getting sillier by the minute. They need another story! Yeah you know create or try to start a fight! Some just like the drama!

I want America to get the work!

[Elderlady]

The campaign is over.

McCain lost.

Can we give all this speculation on woulda, shoulda, coulda ---- a permanent rest?

[chickline]

I agree with you that the campaign is over and let's get on with what is happening to the country, its people and the world.
This is not the time to rehash things that have been stated numerous times before.
Let's try to get this country back on its feet: people in houses, in jobs and kids not worrying how they will pay for college while in or after they get out.
There are too many problems. Republicans, Democrats and whatever other party there might be should be more concerned about working together then all their wonderful ideologies.
We have a president - elect who is trying to be able to jump on the horse as soon as he takes office while the one there now seems to have become disengaged.

[justobserve]

Agree!

[Celtchief]

Can we say Obama won instead of McCain lost. Really.... Obama won is a positive statement focusing on the positives for the people who supported Obama.

McCain lost is just another way of kicking those of us who supported McCain while we are down. It's just rude... he is no longer running for president and he never will again.

[naeldwyck]

Of the people here who actually watched the whole sermon, who didn't think it was pretty good?

[Pleneras]

All POW's follow the Geneva Convention's Code of Conduct of not leaving their fellow POW's behind if offered release. All the POW'S were offered the same thing and none of them left, including those who were there longer than McCain!

The United States Military Code of Conduct, Articles III through V, are guidelines for United States service members who have been taken prisoner.

"Notably, the code prohibits surrender except when "all reasonable means of resistance [are] exhausted and...certain death the only alternative," enjoins captured Americans to 'resist by all means available" and "make every effort to escape and aid others," and bars the acceptance of parole or special favors from enemies. The code also outlines proper conduct for American prisoners of war, reaffirms that under the Geneva Conventions prisoners of war should give only "name, rank, service number, and date of birth" and requires that under interrogation captured military personnel should "evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability.' "

[Pleneras]

e. Such enemies have attempted to lure American POWs into accepting special favors or privileges in exchange for statements, acts or information. Unless it is essential to the life or welfare of that person or another prisoner of war or to the success of efforts to resist or escape, a POW must neither seek nor accept special favors or privileges.

f. One such privilege is called parole. Parole is a promise by a prisoner of war to a captor to fulfill certain conditions such as agreeing not to escape nor to fight again once released—in return for such favors as relief from physical bondage, improved food and living conditions or repatriation ahead of the sick, injured or longer–held prisoners. An American POW will never sign nor otherwise accept parole.

[cornagainstsorcery]

Flashbacks!! I'm having flashbacks!! Noooooo!!!

[Judyisacutie]

Let's not forget that McCain, American hero, etc., did sign those Viet Cong confession papers to get out of that camp. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. That doozer of an ad wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome anyway.

[naeldwyck]

It might have made a couple of people search for the full video of the sermon though, which is actually pretty good.

[sansego2000]

There maybe evidence that McCain did give confessions to the Vietnamese. Other POWs have said he did and the Vietnamese used it as propaganda. There are records, but McCain himself has fought to keep the records classified. http://www.nationinstitute.org/p/schanberg09182008pt1 is a good read.

[Gusto2]

Why this so called "war heroe" did not want to release his military records if it were so outstanding. The election is over and it was proven that in the states and campaigns where the Republicans used those ads the Republicans lost in awesome numbers. Just count the historic electoral college votes Obama received. Dirt and smear only work in the area of the Republicans "clueless and baseless" base.(Rednecks country). Educated Republicans did NOT listen to that nonsense.

[iswideopen]

John McCain and Sarah Palin did not need this ad; they "did it live" at their rallies of hate. I will never forget it. He can stop looking for a pass of "honor" here; he gets nothing.

[Pleneras]

'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.'

1. John McCain had to follow the Geneva Convention rule. One never ever leaves without the others. This is not an act John McCain invented. It was the same release offered to every prisoner knowing that one cannot leave without their fellow POW's unless they are dying. All of them refused release! So will someone stop this propaganda of McCain's refusal as if he had an option? Anyone who returned home without the other's would have been considered a coward and McCain could not afford that after his voice appeared on their local radio over and over again.

[Ted LPD]

And McCain lost! Game over! I don't care what McSane did of didn't do, period.

[postman606]

You would think someone this public, and this rich could do something about their teeth.

[goldiekins]

What is the purpose of showing it now? This ad would not have been any more effective than the robo calls they made. The election thankfully over and we are sick of these ads.

[DailyElitist]

McWeak. That wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference.