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Obama's 'closing argument' ads go in two routes

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 30, 2008 12:06 PM


Barack Obama today launched two new "closing argument" ads -- one that paints Republican rival John McCain as more of the same, the other that portrays himself as a uniter for a new America.

"Wonder where John McCain would take the economy? Look behind you," the announcer says in the first ad, which shows a driver tooling down the road as images of President Bush appear in his rearview and side mirrors .

"John McCain wants to continue George Bush’s economic policies," the announcer continues as road signs show critiques of McCain's proposals. "As president he’d provide no tax breaks to 101 million Americans but keep tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas. He wants $4 billion dollars in new tax breaks for big oil and would tax your health care benefits for the first time ever.

"Look behind you," the announcer concludes as an image of Bush and McCain together appear in the driver's rearview mirror. "We can’t afford more of the same."

At a rally this morning in Sarasota, Fla., Obama pressed the analogy, saying that McCain had been in the passenger seat as Bush drove the economy intot the ditch and now was ready to take the wheel. "It's time for a new driver," Obama said.

The McCain campaign responded to the ad by asserting that "in the latest chapter of their 'new kind' of political campaign, their ad uses doctored photographs to argue that John McCain is George W. Bush."

“Barack Obama's economic proposals are driven by job killing tax increases and out-of-control spending -- Barack Obama would drive this sputtering economy off a cliff,” Tucker Bounds, a McCain spokesman, said in a statement.


The second ad is more uplifting, showing Obama's campaign crowds.

"Something’s happening in America," the announcer says. "In small towns and big cities. People from every walk of life uniting in common purpose. Barack Obama, endorsed by Warren Buffett and Colin Powell, a leader who’ll bring us together."

"We can choose hope over fear, and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo," Obama is shown saying. "That’s how we’ll emerge from this crisis stronger and more prosperous as one nation; and as one people."

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No the less... continuously, a job well done!

Posted by JA October 30, 08 11:25 AM
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The reason companies are shipping the jobs overseas is because they arent receiving the tax cuts. Brilliant Barack. Keep it up.

Posted by BM October 30, 08 11:44 AM
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this is great

Posted by cameron October 30, 08 11:44 AM
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This mess in our country is not entirely George's fault ...Cheney has much to do with the destruction of our economy while he and his friends enriched themselves, but Barrack do not mention Chenney because they are distant relatives and Obama possibly wants to use Dick Cheney as and an adviser to his administration.

Posted by jai October 30, 08 11:56 AM
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obama you are great you are the one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i love you and and you"re family you will make a great President....YOU WILL WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Dolores Martinez October 30, 08 12:01 PM
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Jai: With all due respect, that's just idiocy. Bush is the Commander in Chief and if he can't even keep his VP in line, then he has no business calling himself a leader. No, he can't have all the blame, but he can sure have a lot of it. He's a horrid leader that is just a figurehead for the corruption in Washington.
As for the relations, Cheney and Obama are EIGHTH cousins - "their common ancestor is a 17th century immigrant from France." It's a fallacy of logic for you to assume that such an obscure twist of fate would have any relevance on Obama's choice of advisers. Get real.

Posted by RT October 30, 08 12:12 PM
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Great! Dolores Martinez (if that's her real name) is another example of an ignorant and uneducated voter for obama. Tells you volumes of the type of voters he attracts, doesn't it?
We need to go back to the good ol days of making sure voters have minimum intelligence before being allowed to vote. Dolores lives on a park bench and has no right to vote.
Dolores is just looking for a handout and welfare. She's a lazy good for nothing obama worshipper who has fallen for his promises to spread the wealth. That's right, he's going to take money from those of us who work hard and give it to worthless people like Dolores.

Posted by Janie October 30, 08 12:41 PM
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I see you all have not lost your fight :

GOOD! Because we have a lot to do. You! (the American people) are going to have to take back control of your elected government at every level, and set your government back on the right path of service to you, and the greater good of the World.

Barack Obama and the democrats are your best hope of doing that now. Tell your family, friends, and everyone you know to support them as best they can. Because the Bush McCain vote fraud, vote cheating, vote buying, vote manipulation machine is already hard at work to cheat you again. And we all know what a disaster that has been the past 8 years of Bush McCain.

Barack Obama and the democrats will need all the power you can give them at every level of government (Federal, State, County, and local City elected governments). Obama and the democrats will have an enormous mess to fix for the American people, and the rest of the World. A mess caused by the corrupt Bush McCain administration.

You see, starting back in 2000, and before 911, it was mostly the Republican governors, Republican legislatures, and county elected Republican officials that conspired with the corrupt Bush McCain administration to raise college, and university tuitions by the fastest, and highest rate increases in American history. Some state tuitions went up by as much as a WHOPPING! 30% in one year.

The reason the Bush McCain administration did this was to force struggling working class kids into the military to pay for the sudden jump in tuition. Which was forced on them by the corrupt Bush McCain administration, and their corrupt Republican Governors, and republican controlled state legislatures.

See, Bush McCain had plans to get us into all these immoral, foolish, criminal, and unnecessary wars from the start. So they could use these wars to seize power, and later to get reelected. But, for their evil plan to work they needed more volunteer soldiers struggling to pay for an education whose blood they could spill to help them seize more power. Remember Bush McCain's "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!" theatrics.

The exploitation, and lost lives of these finest Americans is despicable, disgusting, immoral, corrupt and criminal. And it makes me SICK, and ANGRY!

You will have to vote for Obama, and the democrats in overwhelming numbers to overcome the Bush McCain vote fraud machine. Vote early if you can. Then help your fellow Americans cast their votes now, and on through election day. Vote for Obama, and the democrats like your life, and the lives of your loved ones depends on it. Because it does. You will not survive 4 more years of "Let Them Eat Cake" Bush McCain, and their republican allies.

Just look at the mess we have now.

You can fix this mess with your votes for Obama, and the democrats. And REMEMBER, no matter which of us may stumble or fall, the rest of you must continue to surge forward for Barack Obama, and the democrats, and for your-selves most of all. The children, and the World are counting on us.

It's in your hands now. And I know you will get it done.

God bless all of you.


JACK SMITH - WORKING CLASS... :-)

Posted by jacksmith October 30, 08 01:08 PM
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There is only one option in this election. The last eight years have been a disaster. It's time for a change.

Barack Obama is the superior candidate in every respect.

Obama / Biden 08

Posted by Joseph October 30, 08 01:25 PM
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Janie- if that is YOUR real name.all she was doing was expressing her excitement. surely you can tell me why your excited about McCain right? Surely you have more to offer than a negative attack because someone expresses them self. wait let me guess you're part of the true america right? well i'll tell you of MY america.. it's the america of Ottis Redding, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and in my america we love people because that is what america is about being open to all race, religion. I'm sorry if you're so filled with hate that all you have are negative attacks. THIS is the very reason Obama is winning the hearts of millions. He shows what he is for, not what he is against

Posted by angie THIS IS MY REAL NAME October 30, 08 01:37 PM
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Wow, Janie (if that's your real name), you're sounding very bitter and nasty! I am an Obama supporter. I don't live on a park bench, I have a decent paying job, and I have been working for over 45 years! I don't need a hand out from the government or anyone else. So put a lid on your cruel remarks. You have no idea what you are talking about!

Posted by nano October 30, 08 01:57 PM
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Janie; so you must know Dolores personally? You must know how she lived her life; if she is a good person; if she deserves the right to vote?? Perhaps she just came down on her luck as so many of us have at one time or another. In this economy, you would rather support someone who will continue to spend $10 billion a month on the war?? And you WONDER why prices and taxes are so high? You are a damn fool and if you're lucky, maybe President Obama will include your 'measly little self' in giving you some tax breaks! You're downright pathetic!

Posted by EX Mccain Supporter October 30, 08 02:56 PM
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There is only one real presidential candidate this year. No thinking person would seriously consider McCain/Palin.

Can you imagine them running this country like they've run their campaign?---> Hate mongering, name-calling, fear peddling, whining, infighting, misuse of funds (150K for clothes), no clearly consistent message. Refusing to answer direct questions, monumental ignorance, abuse of power...

Doesn't that sound like the last 8 years?

They have run a campaign that is so disorganized and polarizing that it manages to combine the worst parts of the McCarthy era with the early Hitler rallies without any of the efficiency with which they operated.

Posted by Thinking Man October 31, 08 05:55 AM
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Thinking Man you are doing what you complain of the Mc Cain campaign with references to Hitler. "Hate mongering, name-calling, fear peddling, ....." Get real, this is politics and both sides have smeared each other with false accusations. It's nothing new and the smears have been American politics for well over a century.

"If I hadn't been President of the United States, I probably would have ended up a piano player in a bawdy house. " Harry S. Truman

Posted by Jersey Girl November 3, 08 10:13 AM
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