Consider me nonplussed about this new Obama ad. I’m on the record as (1) a believer in the power of positive messages in a “change” environment (i.e. Americans want to see a candidate articulate a new vision); and (2) a nonbeliever in the “celebrity” attack/taunt being used by John McCain.
It’s probably no surprise then that I’m not convinced this new Obama ad — which goes negative on McCain and argues that McCain is the bigger celebrity — is going to work.
This is called being on the defensive. No, I’m not the bigger celebrity. You’re the bigger celebrity! Really, folks? The candidates are each trying to argue that the other is liked by more Americans? I’m obviously not impressed. At least the Obama folks had the good sense to throw in a half dozen shots of McCain embracing Bush — from Obama’s perspective, those images are the spot’s saving grace.
Update: Jonathan Martin of Politico suggests that the celebrity retort is only included to generate media attention, and that the McCain-Bush images are the ad’s real purpose.
Plausible. Interesting.
