For those who have been worrying (hoping, praying, predicting) that the Democratic nominee is not tough enough on McCain, I submit his latest ad, "Embrace", my new favorite.
Parental advisory: This ad is rated PG-13 for some romantic scenes of kissing and light petting.
http://my.barackobama.com/...
http://link.brightcove.com/...
(It finally showed up on Youtube so I can embed now.)
I think this ad really works because it highlights McCain's hypocrisy on the 'celebrity' charge, hits him where it hurts on key issues and manages to to seem light-hearted while doing it.
I especially like the jazzy, upbeat music, that somehow seems to make the message hit you that much harder. It seems much more effective than the scary, doomsday soundtrack and monotonous readers that the McCain campaign favors. And, of course, I never tire of seeing Bush and McCain cuddling.
As an aside on strategy, this comment from reader CN at Talking Points Memo:
link
Watching an endless stream of dirty McCain attacks, countered by tepid replies from the Obama campaign, I have to conclude that Obama is deliberately employing the rope-a-dope strategy. He's laying back, letting McCain unleash everything he has -- and counting on the fact McCain's stuff isn't strong enough. Obama won't be knocked out, McCain will be left with no more punches to throw, and then Obama will have his way. I don't know if the rope-a-dope will work for Obama, but it's a good explanation for what his campaign is doing. And it's kind of what he did with Hillary, right? He got so far ahead on points that he couldn't lose except by knockout, then he laid back, punching just enough to avoid getting sent to the mat.
Now Obama is not enjoying the big lead in the national polls as compared to the delegate lead he had in the primaries. But, despite a flurry of volleys from McCain and some rough PR weeks (celebrity ad, 'flip-flopping' charges, etc.), his lead does remain statistically unchanged.
Get 'em, Obama!
UPDATE: Hat tip to Teach53 for observing:
The ad takes on four issues at once, the hypocrisy of McCain's "celebrity charge, McCain's lobbyist connections, "Maverick" as politics of convenience and same old Washington games.
I thought it was fascinating that they could get this many points into a single ad.
UPDATE 2: Thanks to Deoliver47 for linking to the text
"As Washington embraced him, John McCain hugged right back," the spot says before showing footage of McCain with lobbyists, aides and Bush and on "Saturday Night Live." "The lobbyists - running his low road campaign. The money - billions in tax breaks for oil and drug companies, but almost nothing for families like yours. Lurching to the right, then the left, the old Washington dance, whatever it takes. John McCain. A Washington celebrity playing the same old Washington games."
"Embrace" ad text
UPDATE 3: Made the rec list :) Thanks for all the great commentary and the contributions to the diary!
UPDATE 4: Found this great quote in the comments of Ta-Nehisi Coates' blog about the ad. Hat tip to reader AFT who said:
And I don't care if he is your president, you should never let a much younger man kiss you on the head like that in public. That was a Tony Soprano/Uncle Junior moment if ever there was one.