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MAKING HIMSELF SMALL.
There's a lot to say about John McCain's new advertisement, but I think his former adviser John Weaver says it best: The ad is "childish" and "diminishes John McCain ... There is legitimate mockery of a political campaign now, and it isn't at Obama's. For McCain's sake, this tomfoolery needs to stop."
I'm one of those liberals who used to admire John McCain, and frankly expected him to prosecute a very honorable, issue based campaign. But this latest campaign model, with false personal attacks about troop visits and gas prices combining with adolescent stunts isn't just unpleasant, it may also be ineffective. I'm mainly referring here not to the false negative advertising on television, a proven vote getter, but rather the smaller-run or web only videos, like the one today, designed to stir up media attention.
Jon Chait has gotten at this as well. These ads are designed to create cultural resentment of Obama as "the Other," the kind of identity politics Mark Schmitt wrote about in the magazine a few months back. But when these videos are designed to create earned media attention, and filtered through the press, there is a danger that the negative narrative will boomerang, which is what seems to have happened in the last week. Obama's traveling spokesperson noted that McCain's campaign "released another false ad on a day when he's being attacked for running false ads."
Until the polls give us more information about how these ads affect public sentiment, if at all, my hypothesis is that McCain, who is now facing criticism from the right for his tactics and wavering on tax orthodoxy, will be forced to either once again shake-up his campaign and try to be the ebullient maverick of old or consign himself to the fate of another old GOP curmudgeon, Bob Dole.
--Tim Fernholz
COMMENTS (9)
it may also be ineffective.
right, 'cause that bulljive has been so ineffective in the past. Were you around for the past two elections, or any others for that matter?
Posted by: ed | July 30, 2008 6:17 PM
Ed, I don't think this is quite the same situation. The attacks stuck to Gore and to Kerry for a variety of reasons peculiar to the year and the man. Gore ran when times were so good that people could take pleasure in being petty and voting against someone they disliked. Kerry ran such a muted, message-free campaign that he was highly vulnerable to smears. "Kerry's not really a war hero" cut to the heart of his candidacy, true or not--"Obama blew off some wounded soldiers once" is weird verging on irrelevant.
Obama might not be invulnerable to these attacks, but he's got the deck stacked so heavily in his favor that it's hard to believe that he won't be able to easily return everything thrown at him.
Posted by: Mike B. | July 30, 2008 6:36 PM
I have to agree with Mike B except for one thing. John Kerry didn't lose because of the narrative the Swift Boaters and RNC created, he lost because people were weary of changing presidents while we were engaged in two wars. But you're correct, this is a different time. Two candidates, neither incumbents. One likely to change directions, the other likely to "stay the course"
Posted by: BrooklynGirl | July 30, 2008 7:11 PM
Frankly, I won't be sorry if these ads do "diminish John McCain." He's been pampered and softened by the political press corps for many years now, and it may be time that the public gets a look at the guy who was involved with the Keating 5, who regaled the "boys on the bus" with sexist stories, who told those ugly jokes about a 12-year-old girl, who's campaign is full up with lobbyist and corporate apologists, who's temper reportedly has been a cause for concern among his inner circle. Far from being a mavaricky, refreshing kinda fella, he's been a straight-up anti-choice conservative for most of his political career, and it's time we got to see behind the scrim his media partisans constructed.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 30, 2008 7:24 PM
You probably expected McCain to run an honorable, issue-based campaign because he pledged "to run a respectful campaign based on the issues."
Posted by: croatoan | July 30, 2008 10:34 PM
I'd like to get on board the S.S. This Time, For Sure too, but you can't argue with results. Some things are different now, but every election people say that too. We shall see.
Posted by: ed | July 31, 2008 5:19 AM
The only thing "offensive" about the ad is its use of two blond haired white girls, and even that, given the premise of the ad, is not technically out of line.
McCain is hardly the first person to accent the celebrity-hood of Obama. Besides, the Obama campaign actually encourages that sort of thing so they shouldn't squeel when somebody tries to make them pay on the other end.
Good night, a lot worse stuff than this is going to happen. Toughen up, people.
Posted by: John Petty | July 31, 2008 11:29 AM
"I'm one of those liberals who used to admire John McCain, and frankly expected him to prosecute a very honorable, issue based campaign."
Joke's on you, I guess. And the rest of the country.
Posted by: dbt | July 31, 2008 11:51 AM
"These ads are designed to create cultural resentment of Obama as "the Other," the kind of identity politics"
I don't think that's right in this case. In this case, he's trying to trivialize the entire campaign as an instance of teeny bopper insanity, and work the inexperienced and unqualified line. Therefore, all those people who've kind of been ignoring the insanity can stay tuned out, because it's all just irrelevant.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 31, 2008 10:10 PM