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New DNC ad against McCain:

Like the thing we saw from David Brock's independent expenditure group, I think this is pretty good but it's almost too easy. I'd like to see some early advertising taking on McCain's perceived strengths, especially on national security. I suspect, however, that part of the problem is that while either Clinton or Obama would have similar criticisms to make of McCain on the economy, they would probably come at the security issue in different directions which makes it hard for an outsider group to know exactly what to say.

Comments

I think it's genius, portray him as out of touch and clueless at the same time.

Posted by 55 | April 20, 2008 11:57 PM

Pretty good ad, but the "1.8 million jobs lost" is pretty clearly a lie. We've gained over 10,000,000 jobs over the past 8 years (from 135,000,000 jobs 8 years ago to 146,000,000 jobs now).

Posted by Al | April 21, 2008 12:05 AM

As someone who leans Democrat, this ad makes me sympathize with McCain.

McCain's statements are correct, and worse, taken out of context. He goes on to talk about the pain many Americans are feeling in a nuanced treatment.

And what Al said.

Posted by Kuros | April 21, 2008 12:54 AM

If there's some way we would work this in, I'd be very happy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2NrGqkI3Bs&feature=related

Posted by southpaw | April 21, 2008 12:56 AM

First, what part about his statement regarding inflation is true?

Second, looking at raw numbers is stupid, and even dumber when you ignore trends. While the % of employed Americans is almost the same now as it was eight years ago, the trends are not encouraging (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm) and even worse when you consider the banking mess that lies ahead. People are losing manufacturing and business/professional jobs, and taking jobs in foods services.

Posted by Lex | April 21, 2008 1:26 AM

Yes, Al, Kuros are not wrong. It's a political ad for Christ's sake, not a documentary. But the important point here--that McCain wants to do little or nothing to help the U.S. economy, working families, the poor, etc.--is completely correct. He 100% represents a continuation of Bush economic policies.

We need to change the course.

Posted by Korha | April 21, 2008 1:29 AM

In the interview with Stephanopolous, McCain came across as almost incoherent. Every time Steph asked him a question or tried to get specific on economics, McCain just launched into the usual vague talking points.

He somehow wants you to believe that he can balance the budget while cutting taxes and continuing the war in Iraq by his magical spending cuts. Of course he won't say where those cuts will come from. He refuses to acknowledge what Steph brought up, which is that virtually all experts say that even if McCain could get all the pork cut out, that it would still fall short of balancing the budget under his priorities.

McCain is trying to do the biggest snowjob on the American people.

Posted by cm | April 21, 2008 1:32 AM

This sounds interesting over at Counterpunch:

"The New Print Edition of CounterPunch, Only for Our Newsletter Subscribers!

War Hero? Meet the Real John McCain:
North Vietnam's Go-To Collaborator

What actually happened in his POW camp that twisted John McCain and made him the unstable bully he is today? Was it abuse, as he claims, or was it the fact that he collaborated extensively and has to cover up? In this EXCLUSIVE expose, Vietnam war historian Douglas Valentine gives us the answer. Read how the Vietnamese protected and promoted him and how in return Hanoi John danced to their tune. McCain was on Vietnamese radio so often he was tagged as "the PW Songbird". SUBSCRIBE NOW to read the true story of Glory Boy McCain, only in our newsletter."

I'd like to see that stuff get more exposure, if it's true.

Here's an reference to the article:

"Hero" John McCain as Phony and Collaborator: What Really Happened When He Was a POW?
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
http://www.counterpunch.com/

Money Quotes:

"Rumors and charges have long swirled around McCain’s conduct as a prisoner. Fellow prisoners have given the lie to McCain’s claims. But Valentine has assembled the dossier. It’s devastating. We’re running it in our current CounterPunch newsletter..."

“. . .two weeks into his stay at the Vietnamese hospital, the Hanoi press began quoting him. It was not ‘name rank and serial number, or kill me’. as specified by the military code of conduct. McCain divulged specific military information: he gave the name of the aircraft carrier on which he was based, the number of U.S. pilots that had been lost, the number of aircraft in his flight formation, as well as information about the location of rescue ships.”

“…McCain was held for five and half years. The first two weeks’ behavior might have been pragmatism, but McCain soon became North Vietnam’s go-to collaborator…..McCain cooperated with the North Vietnamese for a period of three years. His situation isn’t as innocuous as that of the French barber who cuts the hair of the German occupier. McCain was repaying his captors for their kindness and mercy.

“This is the lesson of McCain’s experience as a POW: a true politician, a hollow man, his only allegiance is to power. The Vietnamese, like McCain’s campaign contributors today, protected and promoted him, and, in return, he danced to their tune. . .”

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | April 21, 2008 5:18 AM

Wow. Though I'm glad to see RSH turning some of his prosecutorial energy on McCain, I don't think blaming him for his acts as a captive is likely to play especially well in Peoria. It's probably not a good idea to attack McCain on that particular "perceived strength."

Instead I recommend that we all send the DNC some money to put their ad on TV screens. It's a pretty decent ad.

Posted by Ted | April 21, 2008 6:43 AM

On the contrary, McCain's only "credibility" is his war record. Destroy that - and he has nothing else.

Who cares how it plays in "Peoria"? Those are the idiots like Al, Fred, and the like who'll vote for him anyway. He needs to be destroyed for those independents who think he's some kind of "hero".

This Presidential race will be extremely close, otherwise. And if Bush and Cheney play the Iran war card, the Democrats will lose, as Josh Bolton said in 2006.

The only way to counter that is destroy McCain. And the only way to do that is to destroy his alleged "war record."

In the end, of course, it won't matter. Obama or Clinton will start another war anyway. It's inevitable. But at least some time might be gained. McCain will start another war within six months of his inauguration. Clinton may take a year, and Obama might take 18-24 months.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | April 21, 2008 7:43 AM

Re Richard Steven Hack

Mr. Hack certainly like to quote disreputable sources. On a previous thread, he quoted the Independent, the newspaper of record in Great Britain for medical woo and pseudoscience. Here he quotes the left wing antisemitic counterpunch web site and Alexander Cockburn, a left wing cocksucking pederast. The chances that the mainstream media would use material from such a disreputable source are slim and none and slim is on the bus headed out of town. This is nothing but swift boating by the far left. Of course, this crap is on a par with the other ravings we expect from this blogs favorite bank robbing slimeball.

Posted by SLC | April 21, 2008 8:07 AM

I keep hearing people bang the drum to go after McCain on national security - all of ya'll are crazy.

If this election is about national security, McCain wins, hands down. The Republican party has an advantage in that arena that has been built up over decades, and the current candidates amplify that point - you put all three candidates up there and say, "who do you trust to protect you", then McCain wins in a landslide.

For the Democrats to win, this election needs to be about domestic issues, where they have an advantage that has been built up over decades, and where the current candidates amplify that strength. Every ad that makes voters think this election is about security is a good one for McCain, and every ad that makes voters think this election is about domestic issues is a good one for the Dems, period.

Posted by Vermando | April 21, 2008 8:12 AM

The dragging on of the Democrat primary shouldn't cause any hesitation to go after McCain on national security. The odds are very high that Obama is going to win, so start attacking McCain from the direction that Obama is likely to use in the general.

Posted by Will Hutchinson | April 21, 2008 8:21 AM

"Pretty good ad, but the "1.8 million jobs lost" is pretty clearly a lie. We've gained over 10,000,000 jobs over the past 8 years (from 135,000,000 jobs 8 years ago to 146,000,000 jobs now).

Posted by Al | April 21, 2008 12:05 AM"

Sounds like someone's never heard of population growth!

"For the Democrats to win, this election needs to be about domestic issues, where they have an advantage that has been built up over decades, and where the current candidates amplify that strength. Every ad that makes voters think this election is about security is a good one for McCain, and every ad that makes voters think this election is about domestic issues is a good one for the Dems, period.

Posted by Vermando | April 21, 2008 8:12 AM"

Which is why that tactic has worked a total of 0 times in recent years. Whenever Republicans talk about al-Qaida and we turn around and say "who wants to talk about health care?" we look weak because we're saying we're too scared to take the Republicans on over national security. If you want to change the foreign policy of this country, you have to fight the Republicans on it. Of course, we can still attack McCain on economic issues, but voters can sense when we're afraid.

Posted by Reality Man | April 21, 2008 8:28 AM

Outsider groups should know perfectly well that Obama is going to be the nominee. An ad showing the "Bomb bomb bomb. Bomb bomb Iran" and "make it a hundred" video would be much too easy to be clever. However, it is what the world needs right now (and continuously until November).

Better actually to just show the question and "make it a hundred" sound bite, then, when Republicans complain that the sound bite was taken out of context, add context.

If McCain is quoted, people can argue that he was misquoted or that the meaning was distorted by removal of context. On video, his irritation at the fact that anyone would even suggest ever leaving Iraq is clear.

Posted by Robert Waldmann | April 21, 2008 8:30 AM

RSH's post makes me throw up in my mouth a little. But I also remember the purple heart band-aids that the republican delegates wore to mock John Kerry's sacrifices, as they celebrated the re-coronation of two draft dodgers. I'm tired of losing elections. Is it time to tear a page out of Karl Rove's playbook, and sponsor 'Vietnam Prisoners for Truth'?

Posted by WSP | April 21, 2008 9:12 AM

Sounds like someone's never heard of population growth!

Agreed!

Posted by Al | April 21, 2008 10:06 AM

Vermando, recent polls show that the Dems and GOP are near even on the "who do you trust on national security" poll question. One at the end of Feb had the Dems up around 6 points, and a more recent one, I think at pollingreport.com, has the GOP up a point.

You seem to be advocating that Democrats maintain their instinctive defensive crouch on national security, agreeing with the GOP to the detriment of America and the party (see, e.g., Iraq, invasion of). The GOP is not serious about national security, and voters know it.

Posted by Elvis Elvisberg | April 21, 2008 11:04 AM

Hack,

I'm NOT voting for McCain. That said, anyone who would try to portray McCain as a collaborator is a subhuman piece of shit animal who deserves to be cut up and fed to pigs.

Have a nice day.

Posted by libarbairan | April 21, 2008 11:12 AM

libarbairan, do you have evidence to the contrary?

I personally don't know what the evidence is either way, and I don't really care. I'm just saying that if McCain's story is false, then it is the most obvious way to destroy his candidacy.

But whichever way it is, somebody better have the evidence, otherwise it will backfire. That concern is legitimate.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | April 21, 2008 6:11 PM