Yup, I'm not kidding. The latest John McCain ad blames Barack Obama for the high prices at the pump:
Transcript below:
Script For "Pump" (TV :30)
ANNCR: Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America.
No to independence from foreign oil.
Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?
CHANT: Obama, Obama
ANNCR: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets.
Don't hope for more energy, vote for it. McCain.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
That this ad is patently and outrageously false isn't besides the point, it IS the point. This is part of John McCain's long-term strategy to turn black-into-white and up-into-down. Remember their attack on Obama for being too much like Bush? This fits in perfectly.
What they're trying to do is minimize the difference between them on who is to blame for the past-8-years. Now, before you laugh and say that will never work, without a vigorous response from the Obama camp, you never know.
So I hope they respond immediately and forcefully with an ad of their own. Here's an idea for one, as suggested by Slinkerwink with some minor edits. NOTE, just so there is no confusion, this isn't an actual transcript, but a suggested one from the minds of us bloggers:
The Obama response should be a picture of gas prices BEFORE the Iraq war invasion, people from the Bush administration talking about how invasion of Iraq would help lower gas prices (preferably McCain if he says it, I wouldn't be surprised), then a graph showing showing the line growing every year.
Then a voiceover from Barack Obama saying, "The Republicans are lying to the American people again. Their plan to lower gas prices won't bring a single drop of gas for ten years. That means Americans will suffer at the gas pump for ten more years.
My plan immediately addresses the pain that Americans feel at the gas pump by investing in renewable energies, and alternative fuels. This brings real relief to Americans, not just the mental relief that McCain talks about."
Cut to John McCain saying it will have a "psychological" impact, then fade into John McCain hugging Bush.
What are your suggestions?
CROSS-POSTED AT STRATEGY '08