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Obama On The Air In Wisconsin
Barack Obama is up on TV in Wisconsin, with this standard ad against plant closings that relocate jobs to other countries — a message that could potentially get some votes from the more blue-collar areas of the state, cutting into Hillary Clinton's usual base:
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is running her own ad attacking Obama for not debating her in Wisconsin.
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Not debating her in Wisconsin, while she is barricaded in Texas barely acknowledging that another other states exist aside from Texas and maybe Ohio.
Strong position Hill, just super.
February 13, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Funny, I thought she wanted this primary to be about issues. Yet she is using her limited advertising money to attack Obama about debates??? Here's a hint for you Hillary - I don't think this is one of the top issues for the voters this year.
I for one have seen plenty of debates this year.
February 13, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to agree with those who point out that if that Hillary "attack" ad is the worst the Dems have put out against one another this cycle, we're doing pretty well. It pales even in comparison to television ads the Republicans put out against one another this time (mostly Romney and McCain, if I recall).
Obama better have responses ready for the inevitable madrassa/muslim ads coming his way (if he's the nominee) and the inevitable scary-black-church Obama belongs to ads. And lots more I don't have the twisted mind to think of. It would also help for him to have some lines handy soon to answer the derision McCain is already putting out there about Obama and his message.
February 13, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
This isn't anywhere close to the worst attack ad coming from the Clintons, are you serious?? Her campaign has been lying about his positions left and right this entire campaign. TV spots aren't generally their favored media, they usually go for dropping fallacious mailers the day before an election, or having Bill or other surrogates running around spreading lies themselves, and then you have your robocalls, and then your dutiful surrogates and staff spreading Obama is a muslim rumors, and then there is the race baiting and that drug dealer talk...oh, there has been tons of negative attacks flying from the Clinton campaign, so what are you talking about this is the worst?
February 13, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
wwjb -- I'm not saying the Clintons haven't sent negative mail (with lies), deployed negative robocalls (with lies), and put WJC in front of the camera (with lies). I was particularly outraged at the mailing pieces they sent out in NH, and other states, about his pro-choice record -- to say nothing of the race-baiting. The Clintons have been quite slimy in this campaign. But even I know the difference between those mailing pieces and a hateful television ad. I worry about mailings and robocalls and emails. But I REALLY worry about television ads because I've seen many times how effective they can be.
February 13, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, I'll admit he too has developed a twang.
However, jobs are more attractive than healthcare mandates.
February 13, 2008 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its about time we had a real debate. The networks' fawning treatment of Sen. Obama has allowed him to get by without specific answers to hard questions. Just look at the debate that is occurring at HP; over 730 comments debating the thesis of Joe Wilson's article entitled "Battle Tested."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/battletested_b_86355.html
No one is asking Sen. Obama about his ill considered comments about Pakistan, his campaigning in Kenya (Presidential?), etc.
Why is it that Ambassador Wilson is the only one asking the hard questions -- questions that the Republican 527 machine is holding in abeyance until they can inflict maximum damage?
I know is more pleasant to talk about change, and movements, and our time has come, but the primary should be a crucible to test the candidates. That has not occurred.
February 13, 2008 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is funny how certain memes are taking hold among each campaign's followers. The "he's-totally-unvetted-FOR-GOD'S-SAKE-we-are-walking-into-a-republican-trap..." line that is all the rage among so many of Clinton's supporters reminds me of nothing so much as the Bill Clinton as a communist stooge or the Dan Quayle as an intellectual memes which Rush & al tried to feed us back in 1992. I wonder what lines we Obama folks are pushing that strike the Clinton readers as transparently bogus?
February 13, 2008 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, getting off topic here, but I think that Dan Quayle's stupidity was exaggerated by the media a bit. Not due to liberal bias, mind you, but because it was great fodder. This belief is predicated on the idea that no one could be as stupid as he was portrayed as being. I remember our college newspaper, The Technique, had a weekly column featuring stupid things Quayle had said that week. I was rather impressed how he could say enough stupid things every week to fill up the column. My favorite one was, "I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the
only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." I believe this one was misrepresented by the media, but I can't remember exactly how… Ah, here we go, Snopes to the rescue!
February 13, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
With all due respect to Joe Wilson, he in no way attempts to conceal his endorsement of Hillary, thus it shouldn't be surprising that his article is one long Hillary talking point. He has about as much credibility to me as Paul Krugman does (hint: none). He makes excuses for her horrible vote on Iraq (what about her years of support for that war until it because unpopular?). Obama stated once that if there was good intelligence that bin Laden was near the Pakistan border, and Musharraf the dictator refused to do anything about it, he would go after bin Laden himself. I guess if catching bin Laden is a bad thing, then okay, I guess that is bad, but what I call bad is not having the courage to stand up to a dictator who isn't supported by 75% of his own country just because we have a political arrangement setup by the Bush clan. And while Wilson attacks Obama for this, there is no mention of Hillary stating, I believe at that very same debate, that she wouldn't take using NUCLEAR WEAPONS against terrorist targets off the table! That is the kind of crazy shit I'd expect from Bush! Of course Wilson conveniently overlooks that. There is also Hillary's opposition to the International Criminal Court, and hostility toward the UN for condemning human rights violations by Israel. Way to show leadership Hillary! (No mention of this from Wilson) Then there is Hillary's opposition to arms control agreements that would ban the US selling weapons to governments who abuse human rights, which isn't surprising given that she receives more money from US arms manufacturers than any other candidate. (Again, no mention of this from Wilson, how odd) Oh, and then there was the similar opposition from Hillary to a landmine ban. (Again, where's Wilson?) Oh, and then there was the flag burning amendment put forth by the Republicans in a transparent attempt to exploit this non-issue as a patriotic rallying call against free speech, and Hillary not only voted for it, she co-sponsored that monstrosity! Great leadership Hillary! Way to be a sheep! Oh, what was that Wilson? Nothing? Imagine that. All he has is some crap story about the Kenyan government blah blah blah, well excuse me if the Kenyan government has a little bit bigger fish to fry at the moment, and I'm pretty sure no one gives a damn one way or another, true or not. Wilson is a lapdog to the Clintons just like Krugman, and it is pretty pathetic that you would try to cite that piece of biased crap as evidence of anything. Give me a break, Hillary is no leader, and she is no progressive on foreign policy, and she has more skeletons in her closet to exploit than any other presidential nominee in recent history.
February 13, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
This ad feels slightly forced to me for some reason. I think Obama has to be careful. If he comes across as trying too hard to be folksie, people are going to see through it. John Kerry used to do this a lot. He would force a country-fied accent and speak down to people and they looked at him like he was completely out of touch. For some reason, Hillary scores higher on authenticity when speaking to people who are struggling with more then paying their yacht bills.
greenpieceblog.com
February 13, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does he really have to dress like Edwards to get his supporters or is that the uniform for "blue collar" states?
February 13, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Have you seen the new Hillary Music Video?!
http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/no-comment.html
February 13, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
A "standard ad"?
At least Obama has had a position on the issues in Wisconsin even before he announced his candidacy. It's not the first time he has approached GM about it's policies regarding auto workers. He's been in that territory repeatedly for years. Hillary is about to be surprised.
The only reason Hillary wants to have debates and not meet the blue collar workers in Wisconsin is because they know where she stands on trade. SHE is the one that is dodging debate with the American voter.
She wants her nice programmed debates to package her divisive politics into a "pick me! pick me!" platform.
Hillary ignoring all these states is absolutely unbelievable. Why would she not only ingore people this way? Doesn't she know that nationally people are watching her? She needs to get out of her fish bowl mentality. She needs to get out of the studio sometimes.
February 13, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, you make a good point, Obama has been working on these issues since before he decided to run for president. Also, as you mention, Hillary has all but said f*ck you to Wisconsin, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont. I hope they take notice of this. If I was a voter in one of those states I'd be pissed that she was nailing us with bullshit attack ads while she is camped out over a thousand miles away trying to fortify support in a state that according to her "represents America more".
February 13, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The focus of the two campaigns is different. Obama wanted volunteers getting some training on grass roots organizing and then leaving them alone to sign up volunteers at different events, talk to neighbors in a personal way about the volunteer's reasons for supporting Obama. There are still rallies, ads, signs, etc. But the emphasis has always been on face-to-face contact and organizing locally.
The Clinton campaign seems to be focused more on mailers and ads with a reliance on her local supporters to be already organized and ready to man the phones. It just seems more distant.
Heck, if Obama volunteers have been out and about in Texas since last fall, how exactly is Hillary going to make up that much ground? Will a few ads make up for this lack?
February 13, 2008 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Have you seen the new Hillary Music Video?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FvyGydc8no
February 13, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was speechless.
February 13, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
That video looked like the old "UP for People" show.....horrible!
February 13, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Greg: The concern about vetting is not "bogus" as you call it. Joe Wilson's article was a real eye-opener. Maybe I missed it, but I was stunned to hear that, according to published reports, Sen. Obama campaigned for a "distant" cousin in Kenya in August 2006. Can you imagine if Hillary did anything like that in a foreign country? Spend 10 minutes on google, and here is a line of questioning (fair or unfair) that is both troubling and unavoidable:
Senator Obama, there have been reports that you are a distant cousin of the Kenyan leader Raila Odinga and that you campaigned for him in August 2006.
http://www.nysun.com/article/69273
There also appears to be a photograph of you campaigning for Mr. Odinga.
http://www.jaluo.com/wangwach/0806/obama/obama4.jpg
But according to published report, Mr. Odinga has entered into an agreement with political opponents to Islamize Kenya in return for Muslim votes.
http://eakenya.org/newsevents/article.htm?id=8
Were you aware of Mr. Odinga’s extreme views when you campaigned for him? Who paid for your trip to Kenya and do you have any regrets about supporting Mr. Odinga?
See my point about vetting. 10 minutes on google shows that the concern is not "bogus."
February 13, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think Obama's twang is not as prominent as Hillary's "I'm in NO WAYS Tied (Tired)!" and "Don't we gurls get tied (tired) of cleaning up after people?" to a group of black women constituents.
February 13, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dean and crumbrye: I'd be inclined to agree about this ad ... except that this is how Barack looked and dressed and talked all through the early days in Iowa. The open-necked white shirt, in particular, became something of a trademark. I can't remember seeing the guy wearing a tie, giving a formal speech, until pretty late in the game.
Thejoshuablog: I'm not sure "thank you" is an adequate response for that video link. Can an Osmond family endorsement be far behind?
February 13, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even the premise of the ad is odd. Is she suggesting there should be one debate for every state? How deprived Wisconsin is not to have their own!
And I thought 18 was becoming insufferable.
February 13, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
thejosh,
I actually put my hand to my mouth in horror.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FvyGydc8no
February 13, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
That was really bad. I couldn't figure out if it was a spoof or not. Then toward the end I realized that it wasn't a spoof. Awful.
February 13, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't that Hillary video scary?!
Eric, You've got too post the video. I saw it at originally AmericaBlog:
http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/no-comment.html
February 13, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he will win in Wisconsin.
February 13, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Hillary really believes that debates are so important. That's why she agreed to hold all of those with her Senate opponent in the last election.
Oh, wait, that's right. HE'S the one who was asking for them. She was the one who refused.
Seriously, does anyone honestly think this debate gambit is about anything other than taking Obama off the campaign trail and giving Hillary free air time? If you do, then I've got a cache of WMD hidden in Iraq that I'd like to sell you.
February 13, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Funny, I thought she wanted this primary to be about issues. Yet she is using her limited advertising money to attack Obama about debates???"
this is worthy repeating.after she lost 8 states straight, this is what she came up with? this is why she'll loose some more. no one wants to be on loosing side, meaning she'll have hard time collecting money.
February 13, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it just empty rhetoric? You decide.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-galesburg_obama_webfeb01,0,4286527.story
February 13, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-galesburg_obama
_webfeb01,0,4286527.story
Sorry about that.
P.S. I'm a disappointed Obama voter.
February 13, 2008 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink