Damn those democrats and their good, progressive ideas! DRILL NOW!

I think the angle might be to echo the same criticisms to make them meaningless, and since they're not not going to talk the issues, folks will say "well, since they're both saying the same things, I might as well vote for the POW and the Super Mom"...

There's just no way this is a winner. It numbs the brain they would try and put this argument out there. It's a good idea to never underestimate the general stupidity of the American voter, but I'm gonna have to assume most have an inclining that Obama isn't an agent of the status quo.

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

and do the majority of americans even know who those menacingly floating heads in the ad are?

Was to be expected when you have the second convention: you take the first and flip it?

I see they continue with the "higher taxes" message. That is the message that is really hurting Obama. It is also the message everybody seems to look right pats.

Why is it all of you are posting and all I get is internal server error?

Is "higher taxes" really the problem Americans are most concerned about today?

I give it a "meh."

In conversing with friends and such back in the Motherland (Michigan), many of whom had Bush/Cheney signs in their yards in 2004, are not comfortable with John McCain's a war for all problems. And it does not suprise me a bit, coming from MI, that all of them find Sarah Palin "uppity."

But what did them in was looking at McCain, 72, and the unqualified twinky, and common sense takes over: terrible judgement that presents too great a risk to take.

If they start saying Obama voted with Bush 90% of the time, I'll fall off my chair.

Will Obama have any ads to capitalize on all the ripe material the Republicans gave him at their convention? There were platefuls.

For the last week, the Obama campaign has had one powerful argument against Palin after another drop into its lap, and to my knowledge neither it nor the DNC has gotten off its ass with any advertising designed to blow up the narrative that Palin (and by extension McCain) has any connection whatsoever to true reform. Meanwhile, the GOP has already run one ad featuring Palin on the attack, and now the RNC has produced this. The Obama campaign seems to live in a nice little fantasy world where high-minded press releases that nobody reads and off-the-cuff comments by Obama that nobody hears are sufficient to counter the crap that the GOP is spewing every day. Instead we get soft-focus ads on the economy with a lame cover of an old Sam Cooke song that nobody under 60 is familiar with. If Obama hangs on to win, it will be in spite of David Axelrod.

I don't think it is all that effective because they keep harping on taxes and liberalism.

Talk about a tired, wornout criticism that only appeals to GOP ideologues stuck in the 1980s. Seriously, if not for hating taxes, would the GOP even exist????

And putting up faces of other people misses the target. Obama and his allies??? Please.

Weak tea.

I agree that McCain is trying to muddle the CHANGE message Obama has crafted, banking on voters' inability to distinguish the two claims. But Obama's CHANGE branding has been so consistent and so polished and so disciplined, I seriously doubt anyone will confuse McCain's version of change with Obama's.

Obama = Change
Why?
B/c in addition to the branding efforts, he's also an African-American. Whether or not people are comfortable with that, a black man as president in America represents serious change.

Quote of the Day
Watch out Mr. Bush! With the exception of economic policy and energy policy and social issues and tax policy and foreign policy and Supreme Court appointments and Rove-style politics, we're coming in to shake things up!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/toles_main.html?name=Toles&date=09052008&type=c

This is too funny, but true!

I don't think the Republican "copycat" ads will have as much heft to them compared with Obama's ads, because Obama's ads have the images to go with the "more of the same" message. There is no picture of Obama hugging Bush. There is no video of Obama publicly saying any of the dumb confessions that McCain occasionally blurts out, such as "I don't know much about economics" (that isn't the exact quote I'm thinking of, but a paraphrase as best I can remember). McCain has given so much photo and video that can be used against him, they can't equal that against Obama.

The "I know you are, but what am I?" strategy. Devastating!

Since Obama has been running ads using "more of the same" for months, I doubt this will work.

I also think that the "celebrity" theme is all played out. >40 million people saw Obama's speech and how substantive it is, I doubt that will work this time. More and more people are getting to know Obama and they realize that he is incredibly intelligent.

What's even funnier about this ad is the boogeyman are these old white guys who the swing voters have no idea are.

Obama has the perfect boogeyman and that is President Bush.

MSNBC is reporting that McCain's statement "Sarah Palin sold the previous governor's business jet on E-Bay, and she even made a profit!"

Not true, and he's on video.

The jet was put up for sale, but was getting no buyers. After almost 2 years, it was sold to a GOP operative, a businessman, and it was sold on a loss.

The question linering on the MSNBC set: how well does John McCain know Sarah Palin?

About as well as the America she's hiding from. If she's not ready, it's for us to decide, not Sarah Palin.

WHERE IS SHE?

Well, this demonstrates yet again that the GOP really doesn't have any new idea, right?

The heated Democratic primaries for 19 months can be of great help here. Thanks to the huge, sustained attention to the long race, Obama's running his campaign on his "change" message (as opposed to Hillary's "experience" campaign) is widely recognized and established. As long as they hit back quickly I don't think "more than 90% of the time" McCain can easily steal it.

And yes, Obama should focus on McCain, but they shouldn't underestimate Palin. She's still not fully defined, but clearly she is to be used to create a image of reform for the McCain campaign. Obama should not let them define her to their advantage -- she's nothing but corrupt, and that should be made known.

Americans have some questions for Miss Sarah.

WHERE IS SARAH PALIN AND WHY CAN'T ANYONE TALK TO HER?

I know I am biased but this ad sucks. It ties Obama to Senators people barely know? Lmao

Somehow seeing a bunch of gray faces labeled "liberal" next to Obama is just not the same as the image of John McCain hugging George W. Bush again and again and again and again.

A fair number of Americans know which political party was in charge of the government over the past eight years.

While Palin’s speech appealed to the right-wing base, McCain’s speech appealed to the Republican leaning Independents and Hillary Democrats who were frustrated with their respective parties. Whether we like her or not, she helped him in several ways which no other recent VP pick has helped any presidential candidate in the last 30 years.

1. Palin helped to energize the right-wing base
2. Palin helped to reinforce the ‘maverick’ image of McCain thus helped to separate him from unpopular GOP
3. Palin helped to attract some (not all) gender leaning Hillary Democrats
4. McCain & Palin are not country-club elitist republicans either

Along with these Palin’s positive help, the Democratic Party/Obama’s failure to do one of the following might have sealed the election in favor of McCain:

1. Not electing Hillary as Presidential nominee
2. Not selecting Hillary as VP nominee
3. Obama not embracing the Bill Clinton’s Presidency and his fiscal policies

As a former BC, AG and JK voter, I would have stuck with Obama if he has done atleast one of the above. While McCain speech may not be eloquent, he was sincere and apologetic for the current GOP administration. This would have gone very well with the Independents and Moderates like me from both the parties. Therefore, I am expecting a bigger bounce for McCain than even Palin. Judged from the viewership demographics of Palin & McCain’s speech, I think McCain-Palin will be leading by 7-8 points by Sept 11 and CALIFORNIA will be in PLAY at that time. A McCain/Palin blow-out is not out of the question

TalkSense,

Your analysis is completely bogus and fails to make its point, whatever that point maybe?

Are you a troll?

TalkSense is either on glue or a comedic genius. 'California in play.' '7-8 point lead.' 'Blow-out.' That's gold! But I say glue.

In other news, up has become down.

If someone is stupid enough to give McSTUPID the change matle when he's been in washington for 26 yrs, then they are IDIOTS! This ad is not change... Obama is.

If someone is stupid enough to give McSTUPID the change matle when he's been in washington for 26 yrs, then they are IDIOTS! This ad is not change... Obama is.

Is that REALLY the road they want to take? LMAO when you don't have your own ideas...

I just have to say that I do love that particular picture of Miss Sarah that TPM has on the front page - the one with that damn fox collared coat. That coat was fashionable for one January in 1963 and that was the last time it was. That was the last time it should have been seen, too.

If McCain wants to promote himself as an agent of change, I think we're entitled to ask why he's running as a Republican, since that's the party that has created the state of affairs he claims to want to change.

up is down. facts don't matter anymore.

thats why republicans will win.

i'm feeling more cynical about this campaign that at any time in the last 18 months...

McCain did say he is the change candidate; change to everything Obama has been running on just with a maverick streak.

The problem is Obama's is a bit to well known; Palin will appeal to a narrow group, primarily folks who would not vote for Obama; and the character issue is the subtext that McCain will try to sell to moderates and independent voters. The central problem is most folks do not rate McCain's POW experience as he and supporters, as this fades and Palin's voice becomes more shallow so will his campaign.

A secondary aim is to get Obama & Co. to overreact or be distracted. I suspect McCain & Co. with the Rove folks will try all kinds of nonsense to confuse and limit the turnout; given 2004 and 2006 this is not likely to have much impact.

All of this will not stop or slow down the roll out of Obama field offices nationwide and the push by local candidates and associated groups nationwide.

Elements of the MSM are talking in generalities about these issues but will soon shift as the effect of the convention disappears. Those favorable or are GOP MSM folks are now suggesting that Palin is the ultimate game changer with a touch of the cultural wars; Palin's biggest problem is herself, her show is now stale. In short folks are tired of this kind of stuff and Palin will not change much of anything; their whole approach is based on various and disjointed long shots, McCain is a crap shooter. It is not worth the effort to figure out as it is not intended to make sense.

Obama ad:

"Take away the lies, the unpatriotic attempts to divide Americans and the schoolyard taunts and insults, and what do you have?"

(Picture of McCain & Palin with crickets chirping in the backround.)

"Haven't we seen this show already? Didn't we wish we could have turned it off halfway through? Since when have re-runs been about change or new ideas?"

McCain did say he is the change candidate; change to everything Obama has been running on just with a maverick streak.

The problem is Obama's is a bit to well known; Palin will appeal to a narrow group, primarily folks who would not vote for Obama; and the character issue is the subtext that McCain will try to sell to moderates and independent voters. The central problem is most folks do not rate McCain's POW experience as he and supporters, as this fades and Palin's voice becomes more shallow so will his campaign.

A secondary aim is to get Obama & Co. to overreact or be distracted. I suspect McCain & Co. with the Rove folks will try all kinds of nonsense to confuse and limit the turnout; given 2004 and 2006 this is not likely to have much impact.

All of this will not stop or slow down the roll out of Obama field offices nationwide and the push by local candidates and associated groups nationwide.

Elements of the MSM are talking in generalities about these issues but will soon shift as the effect of the convention disappears. Those favorable or are GOP MSM folks are now suggesting that Palin is the ultimate game changer with a touch of the cultural wars; Palin's biggest problem is herself, her show is now stale. In short folks are tired of this kind of stuff and Palin will not change much of anything; their whole approach is based on various and disjointed long shots, McCain is a crap shooter. It is not worth the effort to figure out as it is not intended to make sense.

I'm really getting the sense that there are a ton of McCain ads out there and few (in number or variance) Obama ads. What the hell am I giving $ to if they're not going to get out there and advertise and play some offense?

How can they complain about the Dems raising taxes when they are spending $12 billion a month on a needless war? Isn't it the taxpayers who will pick up the tab for their reckless spending? Even McCain acknowledges he doesn't recognize their fiscal irresponsibility.

Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal.

This ad is the perfect example of both principles in action.

Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal. Republicans lie. Republicans steal.

This ad is the perfect example of both principles in action.