AFL-CIO Hits Airwaves With New Ad Slamming McCain
Barack Obama may have closed down outside expenditures by 527 groups, but he still has Big Labor cranking out the ad spending on his behalf. Check out this ad that the AFL-CIO will air beginning tomorrow in select communities across the country...
At the outset of the ad a veteran actually praises McCain's war record before going on to attack his Senate record -- an effort to defuse the power of McCain's bio and suggest that you can admire his service while voting based on, you know, his record and policies.
According to the AFL-CIO's release, the ad "will run in targeted communities across the country hit the hardest by the bad economy and the Bush economic policies." More details of the buy when we get them.
Late Update: The AFL-CIO has informed us that the initial targeted states for the ad are Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Great ad.
July 9, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Every vet respects John McCain's war record ..."
Every vet knows that not every vet is fit to be president of the US.
Good to start with McCain's perceived strength then hit him on his weakness -- his record in the US Senate and his support of failed Bush policies.
Nice work.
July 9, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope it's running in Missouri...and I hope Obama is buying up air time there as well. Looks like TPM readers in MO were correct - McCain's ad blitz in that state is earning him supporters. The SurveyUSA poll a few weeks back put him ahead and now Rasmussen's latest has McCain ahead 50-45 (with leaners..it's 47-42 w/o leaners). In June, it was Obama 43, McCain, 42.
That said, it would be nice if stuff like this actually swayed voters. Kerry has triple amputee Max Cleland in his corner, along with a bunch of Swift Boat vets, and it didn't help much against AWOL Bush. Here's hoping things have changed since 2004. I think they have.
July 9, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is running ads in the St. Louis media market, at least during prime time. I saw several last night.
July 9, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ouch! Well done, AFL-CIO.
Yesterday I criticized Obama's energy ad as short on substance and someone responded by asking how much substance one might really hope to fit into a 30 second spot. I would direct the reader to this ad in response to that question. This was a marvelously focused, tight, substantive ad. I am really impressed. This should definitely cost McCain some support (especially in the rust belt).
July 9, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Question: Are campaign laws different for unions than 527s? Why work to shut down the 527s but not unions? Or is this just an example of the AFL-CIO respectfully disagreeing with Obama's attempt to control campaign messaging?
Thanks.
July 9, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice ad, by the way.
July 9, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great ad. I am glad it is running here in Virginia. There is something else up and running also by a group called, "Vets for Freedom". They are obviously pro-war and their ad takes a "Lets finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan" approach.
July 9, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is an article that just went up in the Pilot(local paper) about the ads.
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/prowar-vets-freedom-ads-roll-out-hampton-roads
July 9, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tweety had the lead guy (not surprisingly, he is a very photogenic young vet) from Vets for Freedom on last night. He was almost as brutal to Young Vet as he was to that "appeasement" guy a couple months ago.
He also had another Young, Handsome Vet on from an opposing 527 that supports ending the war. I forget the name of the group.
July 9, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
He also had another Young, Handsome Vet on from an opposing 527 that supports ending the war. I forget the name of the group.
I think that group is called The US Army.
July 9, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Preaching to the choir.
Republicans despise unions and distrust anything they say.
Unintended consequence...reminding all, once again, that McCain is a war hero.
July 9, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
False. Raegan Republicans despise unions and distrust everything they say.
Conservatives don't necessarily despise unions, and on the roots of the GOP, there are alot of people who may well be swayed by the loss of vision in the GOP.
We remind that McCain is a war hero, but here's a little story:
I have spoken to 15 year old teens living in Australia (where news coverage on the US election is fairly brief) and they say "John McCain, he's the nam vet, right?"
I say, "Yes", and they say "yeah, well, that doesn't mean anything in terms of being president" (or something along those lines)
I think even the least informed voter will understand that the characteristics of a potentially-scarred non-commanding vietnam veteran who spent a long time in a POW camp gives absolutely no qualification for presidential positions and would not influence their voting position in the slightest, so it can't hurt us to be nice and acknowledge mcCain's service. Makes it seem like a bit of a nicer breed of politics.
July 10, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah! Beautiful approach - very savvy. Well done.
July 9, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink