'Troop Funding' - New McCain Ad

By Greg McNeilly
Jul 18th 2008 7:15PM

Filed Under:eAds, John McCain, 2008 President

John McCain's campaign has released a new :30 spot airing in battleground states titled "Troop Funding." It's focus is Barack Obama's lack of support for winning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This ad comes a week after Obama's negative attack on McCain regarding gas prices, the Obama campaign's retort to this ad was to call it negative.

Ok,, surprise. Political campaigns engage in "negative ads."

The real aim - and smartly so - is to peel back the veneer of positive feelings voters have about Obama. It's not just that you knowing about this candidate - and he's always changing his positions - when he does take s stand, it hurts America. This is not a broad or general audience ad. It's aim is move those who have yet to commit to Obama.

The timing - keeping the national security debate going (which Obama has engaged in, taking him off domestic issues) as Obama heads on a rainbow photo-op tour of the Middle East and Europe is just plain good campaigning.

Additionally, the use of Obama's own background (the committless blue) and his fuzy-edged graphics also moves to taint the very logo that signals Obama's packaged branding with negative impressions. Again, a clever move.

Obama realy has no retort. Factually, this ad is accurage and smartly executed.

But he doesn't need to respond in advertising. The next week he'll be touring Europe with the lead anchors from each network reporting back in dramatic fashion how much non-Americans love Barack Obama.





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