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Barack Hits Back Ad Saying McCain on Low Road
Sam Stein, HuffPost
Responding to a harsh personal attack from John McCain, Barack Obama released a television ad late Wednesday evening accusing the Arizona Republican's campaign of dirty, superficial politics.
The spot, titled "The Low Road," witnesses the Illinois Democrat playing his trump card: tying McCain to George W. Bush, both in politics and in policy.
Comment on Stein Article
The Republicans have won two Presidential elections with hate, fear and lying as their tools. They succeeded in reducing the opposition to their level.
This thread is a good indication they are winning again.
The Downside of Negative Ads
"The problem is that 'advertising', i.e., anything that smells even faintly false, contradicts his persona," Castellanos said. "John McCain is the un-cola of politics, the anti-politician. And few things are more political than negative commercials that draw attention to themselves as 'advertising' designed to manipulate voters and not as 'information' designed to inform them. You can't be the un-cola and Coca Cola too."
Democratic media specialist Bill Carrick's analysis is very similar to Castellanos'. Carrick, who cut his political teeth in South Carolina, said:
"When your political persona and appeal are wrapped around the idea that you are not a typical politician, but an independent, above politics candidate, going negative can back-fire big time. John McCain's core message is he is a bipartisan leader who will bring the country together. As he becomes a more polarizing and partisan figure, the campaign is undermining his core message and persona."
Drew Westen of Emory University points to the way in which McCain's anti Obama ads could reflect back on McCain's integrity and character. Westen writes:
"See the ending to the latest McCain attack ads? 'John McCain: Country First.' I wonder who or what interests the other candidate could be putting first? Just like the ending to his first general election ad: 'John McCain: The American President Americans have been Waiting for.' Hmmm. What other kind of president could we have? Un-American? Anti-American? African-American?"
John Weaver, McCain's former top campaign strategist, was harshly critical in remarks he made to Marc Ambinder:
For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. For McCain's sake, this tomfoolery needs to stop.
Who said Anything about Fair Elections?
The Swift Boat campaign started about this time in 2004. The MSM didn't check the basis of their claims. The cable networks gave them 24/7 free publicity for weeks. Shock radio chimed in.
The Dems went on the defensive and the rigged voting machines stopped their clock.
