The Obama and McCain Ads Compared

Blake Fleetwood has posted a sharp take on the last two elections, arguing that Karl Rove succeeded in painting a picture of:

- Al Gore as an egghead with delusions of grandeur (think Jerry Lewis as the mad professor) and
- John Kerry as lying about his bravery under fire (think Pinocchio).

Both images were travesties but they played their part in bringing Dubya to the White House.

We can read the first McCain and Obama ads by the light of Fleetwood's flashlight:

- McCain announces in the "Celeb" ad that Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, up there with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, with the message that Obama's popularity is not based on anything but appearance and that being opposed to new offshore drilling means he is responsible for higher oil prices. Image: Obama as empty-headed star.

- The Obama "We Believe" campaign ad starts with an image of McCain with Bush and Cheney, then goes to Obama's uplifting "we believe" followed by enthusiastic applause. Image: A vibrant challenger facing up to the nation's economic problems.

McCain's proposed "drill and nuke" solution to the energy crisis is nuts. Neither is likely to have any effect during the next eight years. I would call McCain a Rip Van Winkle who has been asleep during the past eight years while oilmen Bush and Cheney have resisted efforts to conserve energy. But at least Rip Van Winkle woke up and McCain still seems asleep. A real solution to the energy crisis requires changing the incentives and behavior of we the American people, which is Obama’s focus. That's why the Sierra Club has endorsed Obama.