Well, not terrible! I mean, they didn't do the whole smiling family and crackling fireplace and all, and he did talk about more important things... but still.

A fine ad. Well said, senator.

Notice that Edwards is the only one talking about serious issues. The rest are just doing cheesy family ads. That's because Edwards is the only one who really cares. You can see the sincerity dripping off of him. He's not afraid to confront Americans on their greed and lack of concern for the poor. The rest only want the power. They'll say whatever gets them votes.

Me -
I will be pulling out some of my subprime loan hedge fund investments from offshore accounts and trying to stuff it all in that little bucket by the guy ringing the bell - all while I look in the mirror to see if any snow has fallen on my coif which I will immediately flick off as it makes little tiny curls which I just hate.

loki knows all about talking about "more important things"

priceless

The sweater is looks lovely

Hi Mike,

No, no... you're right. I could be wrong. I thought Obama's Christmas ad was a tad fatuous. I thought Edwards had a little more substance. But, you know, I'm probably way off the mark. ;^}

eh, While I really liked Edward's original Two America's theme, he's wearing it a bit thin. Of course it's a hugely important issue, but he's just repeating himself and not building out the rest of his Presidential campaign.

He's actually trying and secure a position in the next Dem administration on poverty.

I think Obama and Edwards both had perfectly viable approaches to their holiday ads.

Politically, Obama's ad was about his core message of uniting the American people around their common values and interests, and his traditional, family-oriented images fit with that theme. Similarly, politically Edwards's ad was about his core message of being an advocate for the poor, and that is one of the few issue-oriented political messages which I think people will see as consistent with the holiday season. Of course, his being alone in the ad fit with that theme.

But if you want to see a holiday ad that doesn't work, check out Giuliani's ad: that is a total trainwreck. He mentions a whole laundry list of his policy positions, and characterizes them as gifts he is planning to give to the American people. Not only is jamming all those policy positions into a holiday ad tone-deaf for a season which already has strong pre-existing themes of its own, but the whole notion of Giuliani being in the position to give out policy items as gifts reinforces the idea that Giuliani views himself in dictatorial terms.

And he ends with a truly bizarre exchange involving a fruitcake, which I think was supposed to show he has a sense of humor. But in conjunction with the political hackery that is already in the ad, I think those lame and forced attempts at humor just made him look even more of a hack.

So Giuliani's holiday ad was terrible, and I think the contrast helps show how Obama and Edwards did a much better job, albeit each in their own ways.