Reading The Pictures: Fudge Haus

Sein republikanischer Kontrahent John McCain und Senator Lindsey Graham
hatte die Worte Obamas in "Schmidt's Fudge Haus" in Columbus (Ohio) verfolgt.

(caption courtesy the Berliner Morgenpost with the 66 photo Obama slide show.
Don't miss the private pool at the Ritz-Carlton fitness studio.)

1.  "Death wish" campaign repeats visual self-immolation trick first unveiled the night of Obama's nomination clinch.  Even more devastating than the compulsive smiling against the sickly green background, Schmidts photo op points up the bizarre compulsion to frame McCain in the worst possible comparative light.  If the strategy of the day was to emphasize McCain's ability, evoking a German setting, to successfully engage 199,990 fewer people than Obama captivated in Berlin, the event, topped off by the photo, was a rousing success.

Given all that -- and RNC's decision to run anti-Obama advertisements in Berlin, N.H.; Berlin, Wis.; and Berlin, Pa. -- the "Unique Impressions" is spot on.

2.  You gotta love Lindsey's expression (not to mention the red, white and blue fashion statement).  How do you spell "T - I - T - A - N - I - C ?"

3.  Gaffe-ridden campaign makes the "fudge Haus" fit too.

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Carolyn Kaster/AP.  Columbus, Ohio, July 24, 2008)

Comments

[lennix]

its time for a change

[ObserverinVancouver]

For seven and a half years, the rest of the world has been watching the US slide closer and closer to moral and financial ruin. If you guys elect Sen. McCain, you will all deserve to complete that slide.

[Gemma08]

Agreed.

South Africa will take him if the stupid half of America remains stupid.

[johnie2xs]

FudgeHaus --- In Front Of A Cheese Display --- Holding a Motorola "Brick" cell phone.
You can't script this stuff... OOPS!!!!!!, they did LOL LOL LOL LOL

[ObserverinVancouver]

You forgot the tumbling applesauce.

[screaminmeme]

And, the video of McCain delivering comments about how the price of milk has climbed to over $4.00/gallon (a figure he had to recall by looking down at his notes) while standing in front of shelves stocked with DOLE products. Clearly, the Obama camp has a mole in McCain's and he/she has risen to the top of the McCain PR team.

[johnie2xs]

I didn't forget. I just hit the highlights. Comedy is all about timing.
McCain goes back and forth, on issues, faster than a tuning fork!

[quest44]

I watched one of McCains town hall meetings the other day and it was plain to se that the people in that room were planted at least most of them were.The young man behind him started shaking his head in an I agree with what you said manner before McCain even started to say anything one could agree with in fact it was not even his speach yet it was his greeting.The majority of people on camera looked bored and disinterested as if they were there only because they were paid to and wanted to be somewhere else.
If McCain even comes close to winning this election I will know for sure that our election system is a total fraud and that the American peoples votes don't count because it is so obvious that McCain does not draw voters .Just watch for yourself his town hall meetings ! I never saw such disinterested and bored people in one place at one time as in those meetings !

[sweetieheartsobama]

Lindsey Graham and his beard. How funny!!!

[libdemannie]

He and the scene are not eye candy to me but don't misunderestimate the voting public. Obama's extravaganza can be seen as overreach, and McCain may get sympathy votes for the underdog. I'm for Obama but he has a long way to go before he can count on an electoral vote majority There are differenct perceptions of every action, event, and visual.

[TheLar]

QUOTE: If the strategy of the day was to emphasize McCain's ability, evoking a German setting, to successfully engage 199,990 fewer people than Obama captivated in Berlin, the event, topped off by the photo, was a rousing success.

Thanks mate. I was laughing my butt off at that!

[Levittown]

If ever two guys showed a lack of spunk was when they waltzed the streets of Bagdad with a heavily armed company of soldiers and choppers overhead and proclaimed how safe it was for shoppers. Bush shills they were but not there the next day when insurgents killed and wounded many vendors and shoppers on the same streets. The surge worked for us but the Iraqis are still getting blown up on almost daily basis. General Clarke was correct when he said McCain is not qualified for prime time.

[patrickmurfin]

The sad thing is that this ludicrous attempt at "counter message" by the McCain campaign may not have been entirely as unsuccessful as this commentary would leave you to believe. I only caught Brian Williams" NBC evening newscast. Although they led with great footage of Obama"s Berlin rally, the piece that followed on McCain was just about as long and allowed more of McClain"s own words to come through instead of color and commentary from reporters. Then it was followed up by a puff piece interview. Obama had some interview footage to, but most of that was taken up by his defense of McCain camp accusations. A classically "balanced" news cast with the news sacrificed for the "balance."

[JanSP1971]

Sen. Obama needs to stop defending what he says or where he goes. Sen. Obama needs to act like McCain is no longer in the picture. No matter what Sen. Obama does or where he goes McCain and his boys are going to say it's wrong so why react. Sen. Obama needs to stop letting McCain and Graham influnce any thing he has to say. We as voters don't care what these two crazy old men say, we care what Sen. Obama has to say concerning what he is going to do to correct the damage GWB, McCain, Graham and the rest of these old men have done.

[jbs902]

Do the math Johnny...200,000 vs 10? How can anyone possibly consider this postivive? The best late night comedic writers would have salivated to create this story. It is true...truth is stranger than fiction.

[DS1Roger]

Do the math. 200,000 non voters vs 10 voters. Which is more important for getting in office?
Obama does a great speech even though he says nothing of substance.

The only true answer for the electorate this time is to throw all of the BUMS out of office. Regardless of party. We need better representation for all of us. Right now neither party seems to have the common citizen in mind.

"Politicians and babies should be changed often and for the same reason" Will Rogers

[S1m0n]

I think we can safely conclude that there were many more than 10 US citizens in the Berlin crowd.

[realiybased2]

Now this the REPUBLICAN machine is now making a feature film showing everything negative they possibly can about Obama including the Rev. Wright thing, Michelle Obama's Remark , bitter comment by Obama, etc etc and selling them for $25 and will air the film all evening before the convention and after the DNC convention.

So why is someone outside group on the Democratic side making a gaffe feature film on McCain with all the statements he has been making plus his comment as well where, "he did love America until he was without company" , this phrased different but same concept....Are the Dems afraid of the Republicans or just refuse to play their nasty,, self-serving antics?

[Astroboy]

McCain said he DIDN'T love America until he was without it's company.

Fox News interview with John McCain on March 13, 2008, in which McCain said, "I didn't really love America until I was deprived of her company."

[winsmith]

"Packing 'em In At The Fudge Haus"

Wow - a whole 10 people?

[elevando]

I'm sorry, but I saw this video on the Colbert show, and it cracked me up. Freakin hilarious. It looked like Lindsay was rolling his tongue around his grill, trying to clear out the food stuck between his teeth. I wish he just came out with a tooth pick.

This video was priceless.

Anyway, though some people on the left wing want to think this type of coverage hurts McCain, they are dead wrong. It helps McCain look more like an average American, as it earns him credibility for being a "normal guy." I am not certain why society wants to vote for a normal guy and not the "philosopher king" that Plato wrote about, but they do. The more McCain looks like a "normal guy," the more Obama looks like a liberal "elitist."

[glitz]

People should be reminded that of the two, only one campaign has been beautifully managed from the beginning. Could it be that we are finally looking at a candidate that has that skill?? Oh my God!!!

[Adjective]

McCain would be winning if this was 1888.

Bring back the Whistle Stop! (And with a spirited Pony Express blitz for those places the Iron Horse can not reach, who needs the MSM?)

Here is the correct link:

http://www.friedwire.org/friedspam.html#hear_ye_hear_ye

[sisterdebmac]

I'm beginning to wonder if he's not just a big wind-up toy that they point in whatever direction they want him to go and program in what he's supposed to say. You're right, if he only had a brain, he'd know how ridiculous he looks.

[Viper]

And yet nationally McBush is within 2% of Obama... due in large part for the non offshore drilling stance of DEMs, while 77% of Americans favor such drilling... its the economy stupid and oil is the economy in the end.

Regards

[BBackSoon]

It"s all in how you frame the question.


Simplify, More oil = Cheaper gas. This is false but it plays to the masses.

[Mr Grey]

We need to get this straight. First it is going to take YEARS to get any benefit from new drilling sites. By then the price of gas might be $7 or $10 a gallon. Second, the oil is owned by multi-national companies and will go to the highest bidder, not necessarily the USA. Third, there is not enough refinery capacity to refine the oil we have now. Every time a major storm hits the Texas coast, refineries are damaged or shut down, creating shortages. Fourth, all this oil and it's resultant pollution is killing us. We need alternatives to all that oil. There are no quick or simple answers to this problem. Shouting drill more, drill here is political pandering and not a solution to our problems.

[MajorKong]

That's because they've managed to convince a lot of people that there's another Saudi Arabia sitting right off our coast and if only those stubborn Democrats would let us tap it the price of gas would go back to $1.24 and we'd never have to import another drop of oil.

The reality, on the other hand, is that we have roughly 2% of the world's oil reserves and use 25% of the world's oil production. We could drill everybody's backyard in the country and still not put much of a dent in it.

The largest oil reserves are under Detroit (figuratively). The cheapest barrel of oil is the one you don't use in the first place.