Clinton Superpac Attacks Trump, Using His Own Words

It's a little odd, but fairly effective. Tip of the iceberg too.

Hershey's Targeted for Child Labor in Super Bowl Ad

Somehow now not as sweet. Image from source, Raw Story.

Remember when Hershey's chocolate was made in America? I'm pretty sure there was a whole town in America named after it and everything.

[Excerpt]


Hershey’s targeted in Super Bowl ad for alleged African child-slave labor

The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) plans to use the Super Bowl in Indianapolis this year to pressure Hershey’s into taking action over forced labor practices that continue to plague the West African cocoa industry.
The ad, titled “Hershey’s Chocolate: Kissed by Child Labor,” will appear on a jumbotron screen immediately outside Lucas Oil Stadium during the Super Bowl. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Mitt Vs. Newt! Republicans Who Voted Against Newt

The latest ad from Mitt Romney. I'm still having trouble believing this is a race between guys named "Mitt" and "Newt." Unbelievable.

Tying Bush to McCain is an Easy Task

While I'm on the topic of re-edited John McCain ads, here's another one tying John McCain to George W. Bush like a deer on a fender.

Great (and Scary) Twist on McCain Negative Ad

The funny thing about John McCain's negative ads, is that some of them can be quickly and easily turned into an ad critical of McCain-Palin! Check this out from The Jed Report and Daily Kos, and found at AmericaBlog (that's quite a team, by the way).

ENOUGH! Latest McCain Ad More of the Same

I have often thought that Democrats try too hard to dance around peoples' feelings, try not to talk down to them, and make too great an effort to be inoffensive to everybody. It's called political correctness (PC), and Republicans have been lambasting Democrats for it for many years.

Republicans, on the other hand, don't give a whit about feelings or speaking down to people. They are hoping that people aren't paying too close attention, hoping that "truthiness" sells. They can have absolutely no respect for the electorate, whether newcomers to their party or their base. How could they, when they outright lie to them, pander to them, and do absolutely anything they can to snow them?

John McCain and Sarah Palin's latest ad follows a long string of ads, painting Barack Obama as some sort of vague villain. It also paints Sarah Palin as a victim; "poor little Sarah's getting picked on by the big black man" is literally the theme of this ad. There are other things going on here as well. McCain's past efforts to cast Obama as a celebrity are hearkened back to with "but now his star is fading." Implicit there, but never said is that Obama's star has been replaced by Palin's.

McCain is counting on voters to be too stupid to put 2 and 2 together and come up with, "Well, if Obama being a celebrity was a bad thing, shouldn't Palin being a celebrity be a bad thing too?" Nearly every ad McCain has released in the last couple of months has been wishin' and hopin' that the populace is fairly dim, and easily swayed. Why should we vote for a man that has absolutely no respect for us?

[Excerpt]

McCain Paints Obama as Disrespectful



Analysis: This John McCain commercial, which contains two significant distortions, is part of a larger effort to rule criticism of his running mate out of bounds and paint her as the victim of unfair attacks from both Democrats and the media. . .

Read more at: Washington Post

Another Awesome Anti-McCain Ad

Now this is the type of ad either Barack Obama or the DNC ought to be putting out. It's a full-frontal attack on John McCain's McSame-ness with George W. Bush, and what's even better--it's all true.



Once again, found at: AmericaBlog

McCain's Negative Ads Not Playing Well in the Press

Image from Wall Street Journal

Good. The press has long been considered--by John McCain himself--his "base." A whole lot of gaffes that would have sunk Barack Obama have been brushed off as "McCain being McCain." But now, it would seem, some of the press is wondering, "Where did John McCain go?"

[Excerpt]

McCain negative ad strategy not playing well with key national and state media
Spring Hope (NC) Enterprise: “McCain ads petty and false” – August 6

“It is sad but telling that the presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain has already slipped into the gutter before the nominating convention has even been held. It would be even sadder, considering the nation’s desperate desire and need for a change in political leadership and policy, if American voters fall for the inane, irrelevant, mean-spirited, and flatly false commercials now attacking Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama. . .”

Lots more at: AmericaBlog

McCain's "The One" Targeting Left Behind Readers?

As noted here in several posts, John McCain has had a series of back-to-back attack ads, all attempting to portray Barack Obama in a negative light. In large part, they are all based on Obama's perceived image (or at least that which the right wishes to portray). Like the PUMA Hillary Clinton supporters, they are projecting the way that Obama is talked about in the press, and the behavior of some of his more ardent supporters onto Obama himself.

They are doing so with a lot of distortions, out-of-context quotes, and sometimes outright lies. But that isn't the point of this post. I'm more interested in what McCain hopes to illicit from these ads. In the recent Paris Hilton/Britney spears ad (seriously), bloggers and cable news speculated that the intent was to portray Obama as an empty, airy celebrity. Famous for being famous and nothing more. And a hint of race-baiting with two hot white chicks and a black man.

But what about the new ad, "The One?" This ad--stealing Rush Limbaugh's current theme--casts Obama as a self-proclaimed messiah. His supporters are his adoring flock, and Obama will deliver us. Is the ad trying to paint Obama as conceited and self-important now? Or is there a more insidious aim, as with the race-baiting?

Then I got to thinking about the fabled Republican base. Family values. God, guns and (no) gays. The Heartland. Left Behind readers! In that apocolyptic Christian fiction series of books, a charismatic, self-proclaimed messiah captures world adulation. On his charisma (and help from the Devil), he changes the world--and ushers in the rapture and the tribulation! Is this what McCain is getting at? Is he trying to portray Barack Obama as the Anti-Christ?

Just wonderin'! Here's the ad again. Make up your own mind.




Turns out, I wasn't the only one wondering. From Daily Kos: McCain's Left Behind Attack

John McCain "Proud" of Britney Spears/Paris Hilton Ad

Yesterday, I posted a couple of pieces on the ludicrous (heh) John McCain attack ad, featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears alongside Barack Obama. The ad is nonsense, and could even be seen as subliminally racist, without having to pull your tinfoil hat down very hard.

Surprisingly, when asked about it, John McCain says he's proud of it. Really?



[Excerpt]

McCain: 'We're Proud of That Commercial'

ABC News' David Wright reports: Who knew Paris and Britney would ever be a campaign issue???

The McCain campaign's decision to feature the women in a 30-second spot accusing rival Sen. Barack Obama of being a shallow celebrity has consumed the campaign debate today. . .

Read more (with video) at: ABC News

Worst Anti-Obama Ad Yet: Both Ways Barack

Negative ads are here to stay, we all know that. But what do you do when the message you're trying to get across--in this case that Barack Obama has often changed his positions--is a weakness your own candidate possesses? John McCain has famously changed his positions on nearly everything since his 2000 run.

Let's face it, all politicians change positions, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, changing your mind is a good thing. Sometimes holding fast--staying the course, if you will--is a bad idea. Even the conservatives' prime example of flip-floppage--John Kerry voting for the war before he voted against it--had a reasonable explanation. The reasoning behind it just couldn't break through the buzz. The conservative media succeeded in branding Kerry as a flip-flopper.

Will it work this time? Will the very loud conservative media drown out all rational discussion again? Will John McCain continue to get a pass on his own, numerous flip flops? Hard to say. But the following ad, in my opinion, is so transparently stupid, it isn't going to change a lot of minds. It barely rises to the level of a local political ad, let alone a national one. My two cents.

[Excerpt]



Conservative Group to Air Anti-Obama Ads

An independent conservative group that worked on behalf of President Bush in 2004 is planning to begin broadcasting nationally next week a commercial that attacks Senator Barack Obama as a flip-flopper.

Read more at: New York Times

More on McCain and the Negative NC Ad

Photo from source, AZ Central

In my previous post, I put up the video in question in this story. Here, you can read a little background, and John McCain's response to it. I still think this is a classic "I'll take the high road, and let my surrogates get down in the mud for me" story. See what you think.

[Excerpt]

McCain to NC GOP: Don't run anti-Obama ad

Republican John McCain asked the North Carolina GOP not to run a television ad that brings up the controversial former pastor of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
North Carolina Republican party officials insisted the ad will run as planned despite McCain's request.

The ad opens with a photo of Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright together and a clip of Wright, whose incendiary comments about race have bedeviled Obama. . .

Read more at: AZ Central

John McCain Urges NC GOP to Stop Negative Ad

Having his cake and eating it too, isn't he? Anyway, here it is, if you're curious. I find it really rather pointless, but whatevah.