Open Thread

The hits might not be coming on the national level quite yet, but this is a tough spot from the Obama campaign out in Nevada (more over at My Silver State):

Consider this an open thread... What's on your mind?



Display:


Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

This is the sort of targeted negative ad that makes sense (much like Obama's Ohio ads targeting McCain & the DHL debacle).  It's way better than McCain's scatter-shot ridiculous fluff pieces.


by bottl4 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:02:14 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)


I like the local approach too.

Make them have to stamp out fires in different battleground states.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:23:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

One week after being beaten to death on blogs and the intertubes  I'm getting the Paris video fwd on Facebook and email by non political friends. Looks like Karl Rove overplayed his hand here. This has backfired big time.


Yawn.
by spacemanspiff on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:17:57 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 2)

Nearing 6.2 million views on FunnyorDie.com.  Not to mention cable news mentions and views.

The definition of a viral video.


New Mexico politics from the local perspective.
by fbihop on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:11:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 2)

Some surrogates--not Obama himself--should make some jokes about McCain debating Paris Hilton on energy.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:24:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

I think using actual clips of McCain to underscore Obama's argument is very effective and perhaps the most effective method in a negative ad. Obama isn't attacking McCain's personal character so this ad is good. I like it.


by Steve24 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:30:24 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

It's always been the best approach, and I'm certain we'll see more of these as the campaign continues. Unlike Hillary Clinton, McCain has seemingly been talking without knowing and/or caring what he's really saying for awhile now.


"Hey, check it out. You just had yourself a glue OD. So you're learning another lesson. Don't do too much glue, or your night sucks."
by vcalzone on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:57:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Kerry states plus IA, NV and NM (none / 0)

would only equal 268 electoral votes. Damn.


Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.
by desmoinesdem on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:44:37 PM EST

Re: Kerry states plus IA, NV and NM (none / 0)

Don't forget Colorado. I think he's going to have that one in the bag.


"Hey, check it out. You just had yourself a glue OD. So you're learning another lesson. Don't do too much glue, or your night sucks."
by vcalzone on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:56:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

seems like CO is still pretty close (none / 0)

but I hope you are right, because Kerry state plus IA, NM and CO would be enough for Obama.


Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.
by desmoinesdem on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 04:11:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: seems like CO is still pretty close (none / 0)

I'm still hoping for Virgina and (longer shot) Indiana.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 08:03:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

269, not 268. (2.00 / 2)

The Kerry states total 252 Electoral Votes.  Iowa has 7, and New Mexico and Nevada each have 5.


by Brad G on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 06:58:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

Once that story is out there and McCain's "judgment" of his personal life is out there, Virginia and maybe North Carolina are blue.
Politics is a tough business and McCain's past has gotten a free ride for too long.

by gil44 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 04:12:41 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

ha
I deleted part of my post
here it is agian:

I hope to see Obama surrogates starting to link the Edwards fiasco with McCain's treatment of his first wife.
Once that story is out there and McCain "judgment" of his personal life is out there, Virginia and maybe North Carolina are blue.
Politics are a tough business and McCain's past has gotten a free ride for too long.


by gil44 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 04:13:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

I don't know.

I mean, I agree McCain has had a free ride and compared to McCain Edwards has been downright gallant.

But I don't think its anything the surrogates can really touch either.

It has to come from us.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:33:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

This video (none / 0)

ran a little fast. Like someone sped it up.


Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 04:20:38 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 3)

This ad approach is another aspect of the 50 state strategy -- Focus the message on what's important in that locale.

Very smart.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 04:46:12 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

I bet they're holding off on publicizing McCain's people shipping jobs out of Ohio and trying to put Nuke waste there until after the conventions.

You don't want to just blurt that kind of stuff out. You want to time it for maximum impact.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:36:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

Really disappointed with that ad -- he tries to slam McCain for NIMBY while playing up the very same thing in Nevada.

Not to mention that Yucca Mountain is the safest, best, and most environmentally-friendly energy-production solution that we've got (including reprocessing spent nuclear fuel).

Worst Obama ad I've seen so far.


by ChrisKaty on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:09:51 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 3)

It's good politics but bad science.  There's nothing wrong with nuclear waste transport by truck nor with the Yucca storage location.  But the people in Nevada don't like it.  Them's the breaks.


Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics
by BishopRook on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:48:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

I'm not even sure it's good politics.

"McCain doesn't want nuclear waste by HIM?  What a jerk!  You guys in Nevada don't want nuclear waste by YOU?  Good for you!"

The cogitative dissonance is jarring.


by ChrisKaty on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 06:32:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

I don't think that was the argument.  The argument was "John McCain agrees that nuclear waste is unsafe because he doesn't want it in Arizona, but he wants to dump it in Nevada."

But they're starting from the assumption that a nuclear waste disposal site is dangerous to the state it's in, which isn't accurate.


Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics
by BishopRook on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 06:36:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

You're wasting your time.

If Obama gave the Gettysburg Address, she'd say "What a windbag."


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:47:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

They understand the damn argument. (none / 0)

PUMA logic is not worth attempting engagement.  Let it go.


Howard Dean is my go-to guy
by lojasmo on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 11:10:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: They understand the damn argument. (none / 0)

Um, what exactly is that based on?

This person has no diaries, no ratings, and only nine visible comments; of the comments not in this thread, one is somewhat critical of Obama, one is somewhat defensive of Obama, and the rest are about different issues entirely.  And while the two in this thread are critical, they're issues-based, with not a PUMA meme to be heard.

This person seems perfectly reasonable to me.  Do you guys know something I don't?


Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics
by BishopRook on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 12:35:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: They understand the damn argument. (none / 0)

BOTH of his/her responses in this thread attack the ad.

he/she acts as an apologist for McCain's push for drilling in another thread

He/she questions global warming in another thread.

he/she attacks Obama in another thread.

I guess he/she could be a republican disruptor, but I smell PUMA.  Periclese (just upthread of his/her recent posts) certainly is.


Howard Dean is my go-to guy
by lojasmo on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 09:12:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: They understand the damn argument. (none / 0)

BOTH of his/her responses in this thread attack the ad.

Given.  I don't really like the ad either.

he/she acts as an apologist for McCain's push for drilling in another thread

Kind of a stretch.  (S)he wrote two comments in that thread, both of which simply point out that the oil futures market can respond to news as well as actual oil.  Which as a matter of fact, "good liberals" seem to agree with--didn't we all call for closing the Enron loophole to stop oil speculation and lower its price?

He/she questions global warming in another thread.

Read again.  (S)he defends it, not questions it.  Or rather, defends the use of the term "global climate change" rather than "global warming" because it's more accurate--some places will get much warmer while other places might actually get colder.  Calling it "global warming" leaves an avenue open to skeptics to say "aha, but over here in this little corner of the globe, it's getting colder!  So much for global warming!"

he/she attacks Obama in another thread.

(S)he expresses disappointment in Obama for how he handled the Clark/McCain dust-up.  And is in complete agreement with Jerome who wrote the entry that (s)he was responding to.  I'm not saying Jerome is exactly unbiased, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a PUMA or a Republican disruptor.

And you left off the comment where (s)he defends Obama by pointing out his poll numbers dropping (at the time) are a potential consequence of being simultaneously attacked by people on both sides.

The alias "ChrisKaty" hasn't been used on any PUMA sites, nor any Republican sites.  Also, the "official" PUMA position on nuclear appears to be fear and loathing [WARNING: the previous link goes to Alegre's PUMA blog, enable ad-blockers before clicking], contrary to this poster's position.

All in all there's no evidence to say this person is anything less than a progressive Democrat who is here to discuss substantive issues.


Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics
by BishopRook on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 09:51:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Death by a Thousand Cuts (2.00 / 1)

I like it


by pubasnacks on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:29:51 PM EST

WTF is up with Russia & Georgia? (none / 0)

color me disturbed by the news on the NYT home page.


by chiefscribe on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:31:59 PM EST

Don't worry. (none / 0)

Bush has ordered the US army to transport Georgia's troops out of Iraq and back to Georgia, which means......um, we're allied with a country at war with Russia.

(I just knew the Chimp wouldn't get out of office without triggering nuclear war.)


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:51:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

John Edwards...a real silence. (1.00 / 3)

Is it  possible no one is talking about John Edwards because we misjudged him in our rush to capture the White House with a progressive?


by joliepoint on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 05:35:29 PM EST

Re: John Edwards...a real silence. (2.00 / 2)

Nobody's talking about it?  Where have you been the last 24 hours?

There's a war between Russia and Georgia, people are still dying in Iraq, we have a healthcare crisis, the economy is in the tank (housing crisis, gas prices, foreclosures, etc.) and EVERYBODY spent the last 24 hours talking about John Edwards.


New Mexico politics from the local perspective.
by fbihop on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 06:19:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: John Edwards...a real silence. (none / 0)

This is like a bit of tourettes. What does your post have do to with the ad?


by bruh3 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 06:53:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: John Edwards...a real silence. (none / 0)

Well, it is an open thread.


by Bush Bites on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 07:58:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: John Edwards...a real silence. (none / 0)

that still doesn't explain the randomness asking something that's been covered extensively is somehow not being covered in an open thread that mentions an obama ad


by bruh3 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 08:31:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

I agree - positive national ads and sharply focused vicious (but accurate) negative ads on the local level. DHL/UPS in Ohio, nuclear waste in Nevada, etc.


McCain housing policy shaped by lobbyist.
by obsessed on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 03:24:38 AM EST

Edwards and McCain (none / 0)

I like Josh Marshall's take that the feeding frenzy over Edwards' will focus more attention on the fact that McCain had an affair with Cindy after his wife was disfigured in a car crash. And god only knows how many other affairs. Remember when old George Allen had his Macaca Moment and then people started coming out of the woodwork with stories about his horrible racist pranks in his earlier years? McCain, beyond a doubt, spent decades of his life adultering anything in a skirt. Let's just hope it all comes out after the convention when it's too late to dump him.


McCain housing policy shaped by lobbyist.
by obsessed on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 03:30:55 AM EST

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

well, duh, positions politicians take are actually more complicated than their attack ads.

this ad is effective because it points to mccain hypocrisy. he supports yucca but doesn't want the waste driven through arizona. not very "Mavericky" sounding to me.

people wanted obama to attack and now that he has a great ad, i've read worry that the ad may "backfire." this is a great ad that will work well.


by Lolis on Sun Aug 10, 2008 at 10:00:12 AM EST


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