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New Positive Obama Ad: "Education Made Everything Possible"
Barack Obama has worked hard to convey to voters that issues like health care and the economy have a personal dimension to him, and he goes up with a new, positive spot in Pennsylvania that casts education as a personal issue, too:
"For me the American dream began in a room like this," Obama says, directly addressing the camera from a classroom. "Our family didn't have much money. But education made everything possible."
The spot tempers the message a bit by stressing parental responsibility: "But the truth is, government can't do it all. As parents, we need to turn off the TV. Read to our kids. Give them that thirst to learn."
(Via Politico)
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I can comment?
October 15, 2008 7:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure. Dump it in.
October 15, 2008 7:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
And I finally have an avatar!
October 15, 2008 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
They've been running this in New Mexico for at least a week - it's an awesome ad. I really love this ad.
It keeps getting scheduled after the McLame Who Is Barack Obama scare ad, too, and this is a perfect antidote.
October 15, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone else think it's not a coincidence that GOP attacks on education funding since the Reagan years dovetail very nicely with their reliance on low-information voters as a big part of their base?
October 15, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a friend who used to live in Alabama and was convinced they were keeping educational standards low so as to propagandize more easily.
October 15, 2008 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
In my more cynical moments I've suspected education was of the beast to be starved in order to perpetuate Republican hold on power.
However, in the ad, Obama addresses two other important factors that contribute to the epidemic lack of critical thinking skills among Americans: television and lack of parental involvement.
Some parents do spend time conversing, exploring, playing, and reading with their kids. Many don't, though, and it's woefully apparent at school.
Further, in my humble opinion, television has been one of the most stultifying and destructive elements ever to permeate our culture. Bravo, for asking Americans to turn the idiot box off.
Obama effectively uses this ad to address education in a down to earth, authentic manner that doesn't put people off -- very important when you're asking people to share in the responsibility.
October 15, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
O hai - you know the other thing I've noticed the Obama Camp has done over the course of this thing? Change the ads they are running - frequently. I think that's smart - people don't go totally insane from hearing the same thing over and over.
October 15, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
This man's brand of leadership is going to do so much for our nation.
Thank you, Barack.
October 15, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
i got zogby'd tonight.
the guy was sooo nice. it was cool. when the questions were over i was asked if i had any questions and i said "are you going to sing to me?" and he laughed and said he didn't think so right then, and i laughed and said "you will."
i know, it's a pollster but he seemed to be so happy...what? another! obama voter?! alright!!
so we happily ended the call with a pledge to sing, soon.
October 15, 2008 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Me, too! I was so excited - finally someone asked *me*!! I was so happy to get the call that I think I surprised the woman asking the questions. Lots of pride when I got to say I would be voting for Obama (and that I was definitely voting, already have my absentee ballot, because I was traveling to a swing state to work for him).
October 15, 2008 7:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somewhere, I hear BKindaHouse muttering "But he was a legacy!!!!"
Have fun during the debate, people.
October 15, 2008 7:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I put my TV back on line last week...I'll watch and drink beer on the beach for u!
October 15, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
"on the beach"....that's right. You're in Hawaii, somewhere...
Had to mention it, didn't you? Had to bring up that you're living in some idyllic tropical paradise, while we here in the northeast are going to get to enjoy one more nice day and then "fall" turns into that weird in-between stage where it's cold and dark and rainy, but hey, at least it's not snowing, eh? and the heating bills start to pile up, and then there's the whole snow tire issue and where did I put that scraper anyway and why is snow plow snow so heavy...and...wait. What did you say?
October 15, 2008 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to the repugs it is EXOTIC!
October 15, 2008 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where are you going to be?
October 15, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Without any internet access, sadly.
October 15, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
O darn! I'll miss ya.
What about election night? I'm going to have celebrate online, I guess - unless something changes.
October 15, 2008 7:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I see ads like this it just makes my heart sing! You don't go from campaigning like this to governing badly...I can hardly wait to see him govern...Do we HAVE to wait until Jan 20th...Bush has left the building. Can't Obama just take over on the 5th?
October 15, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
despite what Bush has done, I still believe in this country. Great ad--makes me proud to be a democrat.
October 15, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is running in NoVa/MD/DC, too. Just caught it after the evening news on CBS.
October 15, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Once again, nailed it!
October 15, 2008 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want this terrorist teaching my kids about, like, being a terrorist or whatever.
Seriously though, this is a great ad.
October 15, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
So I'd just like to say that I love this ad. What stands out to me is that this guy just comes across as serious. Serious answers. Serious demeanor. Serious campaign.
When I think about what will be the best thing about his administration, it's that he won't look at being President as a birthright, like Dumbya did, nor as an earned reward for his prior service, as McCain seems to.
This guy will be thinking about one thing, and that's how to do the job right.
Loving every minute of this.
October 15, 2008 7:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sen. Obama's best ads have been when he was talking directly to the camera - this one is no exception. All his ads should be handled this way for the final three weeks, or at least all of the positive/policy orientated ones.
October 15, 2008 7:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
As an Obama true believer, I can't believe it. I played it several times, and had it not been for the transcript I would not have then understood, "read to our kids."
I'm a native English speaker of American upbringing, and I hear "redo our kids."
October 15, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't suppose you've a fan of da Bears.
October 15, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
If that pic on the front page is the set-up for tonight it could be really interesting as the two candidates are positioned to face each other with a small table separating them - they look to be no more than 3-4 feet apart.
October 15, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just caught the results of a poll on MSNBC - don't know whose poll it was, but they were asked if tonight's debate really mattered and they voted 94% NO, already made up my mind, to 6% undecided.
LMAO!
October 15, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena: I wanted you to read this as you were mentioning earlier about the Secret Service and your reply Re: Alberto.
This is amazing crap they are doing on the right.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-friedkin/right-wing-intimidation-h_b_135015.html
October 15, 2008 7:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the thing to do is confront these folks at every turn. Not to fear. Not to run. But to stand up and yell bloody murder!
Thanks for that link.
October 15, 2008 8:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know it's an MSNBC poll, but isn't it kind of funny to imagine McCain's "Last Ten Days" strategy in this context? "I'll pull out all the stops, save the best for last, do whatever it takes to grab 3/4 of that 6 percent!"
October 15, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
tonight is going to be a good test for TPM's new servers. if these pages take long to load i will have to drag myself over to Kos. I am not a big Kos fan. there are some nuts over there.
October 15, 2008 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
"We cannot wait until Barack is elected. I've been talking to the leadership in the Senate. We need in the next three months to do what Barack is proposing."
Prepping for a potential victory, Biden sounded in this excerpt as restless as we are, entering the WHouse and start getting things done. No BS.
October 15, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, they've been running this ad in Oregon for MONTHS -- in fact if I'm not mistaken, I think I saw it during the primaries.
October 15, 2008 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hurry up time WE WANT DEBATE!
Fish getting burnt!
October 15, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink