Via The Left Anchor
This is a remarkably bad video. Overwritten, poorly executed. Bad, baffling choice of special effects. But mostly just very, very overwritten. I don't see this doing anything to capture voters not already supporting him, but I guess that's probably not the point. It's far too long to air on television, but at the same time, it also lacks the qualities necessary to send a video into viral distribution:
I'm not even sure what argument it's trying to make on McCain's behalf. Are we really to believe that he isn't pursuing his self interest by seeking the presidency? Other than George Washington, I don't think that's been true for any president in American history, and it isn't true for John McCain either.
More below the fold...
It's completely acceptable -- nay, expected -- to hold up one's military service as a positive attribute. But the length of the video and the melodrama it entails, and the unbelievable argument it makes (that McCain is somehow above politics or ambition because he's been to war) makes me feel more like McCain is cynically prostituting his service. Did he really have to become a soldier before he understood that loving your fellow countrymen is part of patriotism? I've never even been in the Jr. ROTC, and I understand that. It's why I fight for social justice, universal healthcare, and increased opportunity for America's working class.
The video also extends McCain's insulting attitude to everyone who's served in the military. I understand that combat creates strong bonds between soldiers, but to suggest that those who serve our country would not have otherwise grasped that basic concept of interdependence seems condescending to the soldiers and condescending to those who haven't served. Moreover, the values that come from the realization of our interconnectedness and need for each other are far better expressed through the progressive tradition than the conservative orthodoxy McCain represents. If conservatives wish to make these types of arguments, they need to be willing to demonstrate their commitment to their fellow countrymen with actions that address the fact that we're all in this together. As Barack Obama said in his address to the 2004 Democratic convention:
If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there is a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for their prescription drugs, and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandparent. If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.
It is that fundamental belief -- It is that fundamental belief: I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family.
I'd suggest the McCain campaign reign it in a notch before the general election. They need to retool their message here... and hire better writers.
P.S. On second thought, overwritten doesn't even describe McCain's video. It's like their talking about McCain as if he were some mythological or biblical figure.