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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

Clinton-Obama Ad Wars Heat Up in 22 States

With Clinton and Obama together budgeting $19 million for Tsunami Tuesday-focused spots, American politics hits a new milestone — “the most ambitious and geographically expansive television effort in a presidential primary,” according to New York Times political reporter Adam Nagourney.
As Nagourney notes, the ads are mostly positive, avoiding attacks on the opponent. He cites the example of Obama’s ads in Minneapolis and Albuquerque, where anti-war sentiment runs high, emphasizing his early opposition to the Iraq War. In Hartford and Fargo his ads focus on economic fears. Senator Clinton’s California ads address environmental concerns, energy and foreign oil dependence and she is running ads stressing “economic anxiety” across the nation.
Chris Bowers has an Obama-Clinton poll averaging chart that ad-buyers will find of interest. Clinton supporters will be encouraged by Bowers’ chart, which shows Obama leading in 3 of 22 states. But the chart averages snapshot polls, and some recent polls show Obama gaining rapidly. In another recent Open Left post, “Super Tuesday Ad Buys,” Bowers riffs on Nagourney’s article and notes that Clinton has apparently decided not to advertise in three states, Illinois, Kansas and Georgia.
The larger ad agencies are reaping most of the benefit of the Obama-Clinton ad blitz. But one of the most powerful ads being deployed — via internet — the pro-Obama “Yes We Can” spot, was produced by Will.I.Am, a member of the uber-hip “Black Eyed Peas” and directed by Bob Dylan’s oldest son, Jesse Dylan. The ad is a dazzler, featuring inter-cut shots of an attractive cast of young celebrities singing the words of Obama’s inspiring “Yes We Can” speech. No doubt it will be emulated in many future political ads. Both opponents and supporters of Obama will find it instructive regarding the art of political ad-making on the internet. The Clinton campaign has a bank of three dozen ads, including endorsements from RFK, Jr. and the grandson of Cesar Chavez, at this gateway link.

One comment on “Clinton-Obama Ad Wars Heat Up in 22 States

  1. ducdebrabant on

    I’ll be so sad if Obama wins the nomination this year, because of the way he’s run. Clinton has criticized him, but never his supporters. He basically denounces anybody who supports anyone else.
    We’re either corrupt (that’s for bigwigs, and his code for it is that they’re part of “business as usual”) or we’re relics, pessimists, fuddy duddies who want to live in the past (a place where apparently there were a lot of female Presidents I don’t know about), opponents of change, unworthy of his Brave New World.
    All it takes to turn a bad person into a good person in Obama’s book is transferring allegiance from Hillary to himself, sufficiently early. After the convention — morally, not practically, speaking — is too late. Ted Kennedy, who has been a Senator for 46 years, and even collaborated with George Bush, isn’t part of “business as usual.” Why? He supports Obama now. And that is the only reason.
    Having to support a nominee who has done nothing but diss me all these months will be painful. I’ll do it, if I have to, but I still hope I won’t have to. I have hoped so hard to feel a part of the next Democratic administration, but it seems to me that the “uniter” Obama has told me pretty clearly I’m not the stuff he wants his new America to be made of.
    He’ll take my vote, of course, and let me try and make it up to him that I ever supported Hillary Clinton. But basically I’ve marked myself with him as not quite up to snuff, and even if he might have some use for me, his respect I’ll never ever have.
    Nor will I have the respect of Obama’s most earnest supporters on the Net, that is abundantly plain. I, who would support any Democratic nominee over any Republican this year, am as bad as any Republican to people who declare they’ll sit the election out or vote for John McCain if Democratic voters have the temerity to deny the nomination to Obama. I’ve failed to recognize his Destiny, and woe to any of us who do not acknowledge our newborn king.
    Hillary was supposed to be the divisive one, but she’ll be lovely to former Obama supporters if she gets the nomination. Obama has divided the party into good and bad Democrats. Paul Krugman and Charlie Rangel and I belong to the latter category.
    The oh-so-junior Senator from Illinois hates us even worse than he hates Dick Cheney. A Republican for Obama, no matter what eles he believes, is cherished proof of the candidate’s charisma. A Democrat for anybody else, even if he takes the same position on every issue as Barack, proves only his own perfidy.

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