Text size +

Obama launches own '3 a.m.' ad

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor February 29, 2008 05:13 PM

It didn't take long -- not even a full day, actually -- for Barack Obama's campaign to launch a TV ad directly rebutting a much-discussed spot from Hillary Clinton questioning his readiness to be commander-in-chief.

Obama's spot (watch it here) uses eerily similar footage of a child sleeping, a similar phone ring as Clinton's, and similar language -- then tries to turn the issue away from experience to judgment.

"It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep," the narrator says. "But there’s a phone ringing in the White House. Something's happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the president be the one -- the only one -- who had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start. Who understood the real threat to America was al-Qaeda, in Afghanistan, not Iraq. Who led the effort to secure loose nuclear weapons around the globe.

"In a dangerous world, it’s judgment that matters," the announcer concludes.

13 comments so far...
  1. From another post by Chris:
    "Here's a great response to the Hillary ad from none other than Bill Clinton himself. See for yourselves:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZW0m2nWB_M

    "

    Posted by Mich Indie February 29, 08 05:26 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Yee-haw - and this is the kind of organization that wins.

    I can only imagine how long it took HRC's camp to come up with their "original" ad. (of course, wasn't she the one worried about plagarism?).

    Posted by HARK February 29, 08 06:11 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Wow, from an Obama supporter... I don't like it. Why bother? All this time you have risen above it.....this won't change my vote, but it's being added to the cons list.

    Posted by Black Adder February 29, 08 06:16 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. I find Mr. Obama to be disingenous in his retoric. He has virtually no experiance in national matters, or on the world theater.
    I feel strongly he talks a better game than he plays or has ever played. He comes to the American public from nowhere. A part of the Illinois political machine. This man has never been tested.
    Therefore I suggest to all Americans to think hard and look deep, we (AMERICA) can ill afford another unprepared (such as George Bush) commander and chief.

    Posted by Jerry D February 29, 08 06:17 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. If Obama is so great on security, why does he complicitly accept the endorsement of domestic terrorists, Ayers and Dohrn?

    Posted by M Zelenz February 29, 08 06:21 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Heh. That video of Bill is priceless. Did anybody ever think that maybe sometime during the last four years, the old Bill Clinton fell into a vortex and switched places with Bizarro World Bill Clinton? Anyone? Maybe it's just me...

    Posted by Jesse February 29, 08 06:22 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. The Bill Clinton video says it all. Something is seriously wrong with the HRC campaign and its willingness to use the tactics of the current folks in power.

    Posted by C Ingle February 29, 08 06:24 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Getting involved with Rezko showed good judgment? By the way, Obama wasn't even in the Senate at the time, so we really don't know how he would have voted on Iraq. Knowing him, he probably would have voted "present". He didn't even bother to show up to vote on Iran. This guy is all talk, no action.

    Posted by goldenstate February 29, 08 06:29 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. "...shouldn’t the president be the one -- the only one -- who had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start." Courage?! Really!?! What actions required courage? He was a state senator at the time; he wasn't pressed to vote on these issues!

    It's pitiful that he tries to rely on this so much for his campaign when he's the only candidate who was never forced into a decision. Courage? The truth is that the majority of Americans supported the invasion in the beginning. Now (since later in 2003/4) that most of those Americans have radically changed their views--he can use his lack of experience to align with this new majority view.

    Posted by John February 29, 08 06:49 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Obama's ad speaks for itself -- a child-like approach vis-a-vis smoke screen to a serious issue. It certainly speaks to his lack of diplomacy and experience.

    Posted by Michael February 29, 08 08:35 PM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Hillary and Camp Clinton is the essence of what is Wrong with Washington politics, do and say anthing to win no matter what is done to the country and the country's morale. "Senator Obama represents the bright future that is possible in America when ordinary people begin to take charge. Clinton and McCain certainly have a wealth of Washington experience, but Obama has tapped into our country’s enormous democratic potential, and that’s not merely exciting, it is invaluable to our future.” Jim Hightower, Texas columunist.

    And WHEN WILL SEE HILLARY'S TAX DOCUMENTS?

    Posted by Angellight March 1, 08 06:24 AM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. The link is not working. Has Hillary disconnected it?

    Posted by Dennis March 1, 08 09:27 AM
    Reply | Report this post
  1. Who is Hillary Clinton gonna call if a crisis call comes at 3:00 AM? GHOSTBUSTERS?


    Without any attachment to a position and no leadership qualities or principles to guide her in a time of national crisis, Hillary Clinton like her husband, would need to first conduct a poll to determine what is in her political interest before committing to any national decision.


    If experience may be relied upon to judge the character and abilities of our next president to deliver substantive "solutions" then let's look at the records of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.


    In the Illinois legislature, Barack Obama secured bipartisan support for health-care reform and passage of low-income tax credits and child care subsidies.


    In the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama has promoted a restoration of balance between work and wealth, criticized special interests for distorting U.S. tax codes and fought in a bipartisan effort to establish independent oversight of Senate ethics.


    In Hillary Clinton's eight (8) years in the U.S. Senate, the Congressional Record (www.thomas.gov) shows she "sponsored" only two (2) pieces of legislation that were presented to the president for signature. The first piece of legislation (S. 1241) was to establish a historic site in New York state, the second (S. 3613) was to name a U.S. Postal Service building.


    When did Hillary Clinton ever deliver health-care reform and when did she demonstrate her economic wisdom and foresight while Alan Greenspan was warning of irrational exuberance as the subprime housing loans were created and pandered during her husband's administration and her husband supported China's entry into the World Trade Organization without any conditions such as protecting the environment or labor and property rights to levels that are comparable to western standards.


    Today China is not only a leading contributor to environmental pollution and global warming (thank you very much Mr. Nobel Laureate, Al Gore), it's also pushing up oil and other commodity prices, taking our jobs and stealing our intellectual property.


    It's refreshingly nice to see the better angels of the American character is prevailing as voters reject the racial, religious and ethnic slurs being spewed by the Clinton, Limbaugh and Hannity supporters against Barack Obama.


    As a Republican-leaning independent, I will vote for Barack Obama if he is the Democratic nominee running against John McCain but I will not vote for Hillary Clinton.

    Posted by John Patrick Smith March 1, 08 11:40 AM
    Reply | Report this post
add your comment
Required
Required (will not be published)

This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.

About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

Send your comments to masspolitics@globe.com

archives

browse this blog

by category