Barack Obama has a new ad out today, called "Zero." The ad focuses on the contrast between McCain's tax policy, which greatly benefits the wealthiest Americans, and Obama's, which results in savings for 95% of Americans.
It's a good ad, but it raises the question of why Obama didn't hammer that message home during the debate like McCain did with his "earmarks" bit.
McCain had an advantage in selecting his weapons, since he only has two: earmarks and "The Surge." Obama would do well to isolate his top two brickbats, and use them like McCain does, to rebut anything and everything.
Here's an example. If McCain brings up earmarks, Obama should launch into it like this: "Earmarks aren't hurting the middle class like the mortgage crisis is. Earmarks aren't hurting the middle class like rising energy prices are. (On and on for several minutes.) Earmark reform is a good idea, sure, but when your house is on fire, you don't go around checking the batteries in your smoke alarms."
Something like that. The middle class is a powerful weapon. On foreign policy, his focus on Bin Laden is his strongest point. He should include one or both of them in every answer.
McCain has basically ceded the ground on the middle class tax cuts, responding by changing the subject or lying about Obama's plan, but never making the case for his own. While this ad helps to show that, Obama needs people to notice the first time around.
WASHINGTON -Making good on a campaign promise to hold a yearly summit with American Indians, President Barack Obama told tribal leaders Thursday gathered in Washington that he is determined to reverse...
MESA, Ariz. -Sen. John McCain says Americans are in the toughest times he can remember and that President Barack Obama hasn't brought the change in Washington that he promised. McCain spoke at a town...
Paging George Stephanopoulos and his dictionary... WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans for Tax Reform noted today that the Senate health care bill ( S. 1796 ) indeed uses the term...
TC: Here's an example. If McCain brings up earmarks, Obama should launch into it like this: "Earmarks aren't hurting the middle class like the mortgage crisis is. Earmarks aren't hurting the middle class like rising energy prices are. (On and on for several minutes.) Earmark reform is a good idea, sure, but when your house is on fire, you don't go around checking the batteries in your smoke alarms." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Good advice! Also a great analysis on your blogtalkradio show last night :-)
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Dan
2:16PM Sep 27th 2008
There is the continued questions on why Obama didn't talk the whole night, and bring up the numerous economy issues he has the advantage on?? This debate was 75% of Foreign policy. Obama couldn't turn every question into the economy card, this was about Foreign Policy, and he would have been called chicken by staying away from the topic.. In the 3rd debate, when he has full run on the issue, he will be able to unleash the UE rate, debt, spending...and on and on. He held his own on a subject that John was a 3 touchdown favorite on. McCain will get destroyed when the debate is all economy.
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Mike
2:28PM Sep 27th 2008
ZERO you say 'Lil Tommie? Are we talking about your objectivity, fairness, impartiality...? Yes...it's ZERO! Your cult-leader Obama's ad "zero" is so full of BS and inaccuracies...he must have drawn from his nearly "Zero" resume to come up with that crock of lies! His "nearly ZERO" experience and his first-rate BSing come out loud and clear in that ad! Oh Geez....our blogger/author....cult-follower 'Lil Tommy is at it again. Tommy...you may want to look for another pursuit....your credibility, if you ever had any, is SHOT here! Word is that you, like Olberman, have a "thing" for your cult-leader Obama...and it comes through in all your biased, inaccurate, hateful, slanted comments. All the regulars at this site know your for the blind, mindless pro-cult leader Obama phony-baloney that you are. PLEASE...get to de-tox....where all cultists eventually must go...for their own sake.
McCain Won! Seems cult-leader Obama had his email/cell phone clones pad the website after-election polls to try to make the results look more in his favor...having his mindless robots vote over and over again for him...guess we'll see more of that...except in the voting booth!
Taxpayers...Americans thank McCain! In Washington, it’s a showdown between the representatives of Wall Street and the representatives of Main Street. But have you noticed that the old partisan alliances are reversed? It’s the Democrats who are now the Wall Street Party. And Republicans—with the conspicuous exception of President Bush—are now the Main Street Party.
Consider: President Bush proposed the $700 billion plan; after days of hiding behind the Secretary of Goldman Sachs, Henry Paulson, Bush finally emerged from the sidelines Wednesday night to tout the plan in prime time. Just this morning, he spoke again in favor of his plan, while again taking no questions from pesky reporters.
But the Congressional Democrats, who mostly despise Bush, are also mostly for the Bush plan. Sure, they made some cosmetic changes in the bailout proposal, but they have never wavered in their basic endorsement.
So who’s against the plan? It’s McCain and Congressional Republicans who are getting in the way. They are the heroes of the hour. Although outnumbered, these brave Capitol Hill GOPers have stopped official Washington in its tracks.
...and Obama...like his 130 plus "present" votes...and I quote "Call me if you need me."
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MJG22
2:43PM Sep 27th 2008
Barack Obama is not ready to lead! The debate speaks for itself. Advantage...McCain!
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Rias10
2:48PM Sep 27th 2008
Senator Obama won. McCain did not look at Obama during the debate. When men talk to each other they are suppose to look each other in the eye or they will come off dishonest and untrustworthy. This is how Mccain looked. McCain has knowledge but he comes off dishonest. He says he supports veterans but his record does not support this claim. He did not vote for the GI Bill. He said Eisenhower wrote a letter of resignation. This is also a false statement. McCain talks good but some of his statements were incorrect. McCain did not look presidential. Obama did look presidential. As of July 7, McCain had missed 61.8 percent of the roll call votes in this Congress, which made him the No. 1 absentee in the Senate (number two was Tim Johnson, who has been recovering from a brain hemorrhage). Obama missed 43.5 percent of the roll call votes. Things That Came Out About McCain Debate Performance 1. MCCAIN: Defending his call for Cox's resignation, McCain said the country has lost the sense of accountability exemplified by Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower on the eve of D-Day. He said Eisenhower wrote one letter to be released in the event of victory, which praised the troops, "and he wrote out another letter, and that was a letter of resignation from the United States Army for the failure of the landings at Normandy." THE FACTS: Eisenhower prepared to take responsibility in the note to be delivered in the event of D-Day disaster but did not offer to resign. http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/dl/dday/InCaseofFailureMessage.pdf 2. McCain says he support veterans. Talk is cheap. McCain’s voting record does not support this claim. Rating of D from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, 20% rating from Disabled American Veterans, voted 15 times against Vietnam Veterans of America. McCain didn’t vote for the GI Bill. 3. MCCAIN: McCain said Obama voted to cut off money for the troops in Iraq. THE FACTS: Despite opposing the war, Obama has, with one exception, voted for Iraq troop financing. In 2007, he voted against a troop funding bill because it did not contain language calling for a troop withdrawal. The Illinois senator backed another bill that had such language — and money for the troops. 4. MCCAIN: "I've been criticized because I called for the resignation of the chairman of the Securities and Exchange commission."THE FACT: McCain did eventually call for the resignation of SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. But he first said that if he were president he would fire him, a step a president cannot take with the head of an independent regulatory agency. This is what McCain said on Sept. 18 during a rally in Iowa: "The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president and, in my view, has betrayed the public's trust. If I were president today, I would fire him." 5. Obama to McCain: "At the time when the war started, you said it was going to be quick and easy. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said that we were going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong. You said that there was no history of violence between Shia and Sunni, and you were wrong." 6. McCain was wrong in 2003 saying there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. 7. McCain had problems pronouncing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad name. 8. McCain sang Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran. 9. McCain refused to look at Senator Obama during the debate. 10. McCain was negative toward NATO ally Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero. 11. McCain is a supporter of the war in Iraq that was started on a big lie. 12. McCain acted like a grumpy, angry old man.
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RustyShackleford
3:04PM Sep 27th 2008
If you are white, and you plan to vote for Buckwheat, here's something you might want to consider-
Your candidate spent 20 years sitting in a church listening to his "spiritual advisor", Rev. Wright, preach Black Liberation Theology, while goddaming America and white people! Wright even criticized Natalie Holloway, the white teenager who has been missing for over three years and is now presumed dead.
Your candidate had this Reverend perform his marriage ceremony and even baptized his kids! When the truth finally came out, your candidate lied, saying he never heard this reverend use those type of comments (only to retract his statement shortly afterwards, at the advise of his handlers).
Your candidate also wrote 2 auto-biographies. in them are numerous comments about his antipathy towards white people and his allegiance toward the Muslim faith. They are easy to research.
With the exception of Fox. the mainstream media has their noses planted so far up Buckwheat's ass they can tell you what he last ate! They will not tell you about his church, his radical friends, his books, or his wife- who just this year called America a mean country!
If you are a white person who is voting for this man, I have a question- ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MINDS?
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raneripwr
7:14PM Oct 19th 2008
I AM VOTING FOR THE AMERICAN = JOHN McCAIN.
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GAS
3:12PM Sep 27th 2008
Tell, John McCain to stop mentioning the Veterans, because hasn't done a damn thing for them since he got to Washington, so stop with the BS-pls.
A 1992 video featuring a Republican senator, Republican congressman and top Capitol Hill staffers who worked on Vietnam prisoner of war and missing in action issues say John McCain collaborated with North Vietnamese while a POW, and then covered up that involvement to the detriment of POW/MIA families seeking access to classified Pentagon records about their own family members.
All, I have to say is if this is the man that the American voting public wants to put into office, then your open minds aren't so open to the truth...so what does that say about you??
Most important, they also believe, as expressed so well in the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs final report, that "the single most basic principle of personal honor in America's armed forces is NEVER WILLINGLY TO LEAVE A FELLOW SERVICEMAN BEHIND.
So there it is. John McCain is yet another Republican former Military Veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military. Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military. If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?
Tell, John McCain to stop mentioning the Veterans, because hasn't done a damn thing for them since he got to Washington, so stop with the BS-pls.
A 1992 video featuring a Republican senator, Republican congressman and top Capitol Hill staffers who worked on Vietnam prisoner of war and missing in action issues say John McCain collaborated with North Vietnamese while a POW, and then covered up that involvement to the detriment of POW/MIA families seeking access to classified Pentagon records about their own family members.
All, I have to say is if this is the man that the American voting public wants to put into office, then your open minds aren't so open to the truth...so what does that say about you??
Most important, they also believe, as expressed so well in the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs final report, that "the single most basic principle of personal honor in America's armed forces is NEVER WILLINGLY TO LEAVE A FELLOW SERVICEMAN BEHIND.
So there it is. John McCain is yet another Republican former Military Veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military. Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military. If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?
JOHN McCAIN HAS MANY TO BEAT BESIDES OSAMA OBAMA.HOLLYWOOD,THE ENTIRE MEDIA,AND THE LIBERALS.OBAMA JUST HAS TO BEAT MCCAIN.SOS
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nobama
3:17PM Sep 27th 2008
McCain and the Rep congress are fighting for us against the plan as proposed by Bush. The Dems have the majority and could pass it anytime, but they know the Americans overwhelmingly oppose it as it stands now, and do not want to take responsibility for passing it. I am sure McCain is there fighting to do what is best for we the people, if given the chance by this Dem congress.
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GAS
3:19PM Sep 27th 2008
Have we had enough of this dumb-shit from the GOP and John McCain / Sarah Palin, my God, is it any more clearer to everyone, that these people will lie, cheat, steal, decieve, say anything, do anything, to get too the White House. Just a absolute mockery of the election system, the campaign sleazyness, I'm just done, at this point, lets just hurry up and vote, so we can get these dumbasses off the TV.
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GAS
3:24PM Sep 27th 2008
Jim Crow -- The Remix By Kai Wright | TheRoot.com The Republican plan to steal the election and how we can stop it.
PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!!!!!!! LOL THE MAN WOULD NOT EVEN WEAR THE FLAG OF THIS COUNTRY?????HANGS OUT WITH TERRORIST KILLERS.20 YEARS OF REV WRIGHTS HATE MESSAGE,THATS (20)YEARS.DEALS WITH GANGSTERS,WIFE IS A BLACK MILITANT.AND HAS A ZERO IN RUNNING ANYTHING.NOT TO MENTION HE WAS A DRUG USER.JUST READ HIS BOOK.HIS OWN WORDS.BUT THE MEDIA NEVER SAYS A WORD ABOUT IT.YET WE HEAR ABOUT A 25 YEAR OLD DUI OF PALINS HUSBAND??????????
McCain and the Rep congress are fighting for us against the plan as proposed by Bush. The Dems have the majority and could pass it anytime, but they know the Americans overwhelmingly oppose it as it stands now, and do not want to take responsibility for passing it. I am sure McCain is there fighting to do what is best for we the people, if given the chance by this Dem congress. --------------------------------------------------- You are aware that McCain supports this bill, right? You sound like you are, in fact, unaware. In truth, no one, the Democrats or the Republicans - Obama or McCain, really want to pass such a bill, but all are aware something has to be done.
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jj
7:17PM Oct 19th 2008
THIS MESS WITH THE BANKS BELONGS TOTALY TO THE DEMOCRATES = BARNEY FRANK AND REID.DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOU WILL SEE.THE MEDIA WON'T TELL YOU.FRANK AND REID WANTED FREDDIE MAC AND FANNIE MAC TO LEAN MONEY TO EVERYONE.EVEN IF THEY HAD NO MEANS TO REPAY.PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS. WITH THE LIBERALS.
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jj
7:17PM Oct 19th 2008
IF OBAMA OSAMA IS ELECTED AMERICA WILL BECOME A BIG CHICAGO/DETROIT/N.O/NEWARK/PHILI/JUST ONE BIG SEWER.
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bj
3:39PM Sep 27th 2008
jj3:14PMSep 27th 2008
JOHN McCAIN HAS MANY TO BEAT BESIDES OSAMA OBAMA.HOLLYWOOD,THE ENTIRE MEDIA,AND THE LIBERALS.OBAMA JUST HAS TO BEAT MCCAIN.SOS............JJ, THIS IS SO TRUE, AND EVEN SO, THE POLLS SHOW THEM JUST ABOUT EVEN. I AM HOPING AMERICANS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH
OBAMA, HOUSE BOUGHT WITH HELP OF CONVICTED FELON RESKO (WHO GOT TAXPAYERS MONEY FROM OBAMA FOR SLUM PROJECTS), is the No. 2 U.S. senator getting big Fannie and Freddie political bucks, connections with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Jim Johnson and former Fannie Mae chairman and CEO Franklin Raines are part of his advisors, ties to Ayers the unrepentant terrorist and lies about it, sits for 20 years at a racist, black liberation theology church that damns America and lies about it, mentors are Alinsky, and Frank Marshall Davis communist party USA member, votes "present" 130 times on senate issues, can use a teleprompter beautifully but is lost without it, AND has visited all "57" states. Thanks, but no Thanks!
ELECT THE HONORABLE JOHN S MCCAIN.
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bj
3:37PM Sep 27th 2008
jj3:14PMSep 27th 2008
JOHN McCAIN HAS MANY TO BEAT BESIDES OSAMA OBAMA.HOLLYWOOD,THE ENTIRE MEDIA,AND THE LIBERALS.OBAMA JUST HAS TO BEAT MCCAIN.SOS .............JJ, THIS IS SO TRUE, I AM HOPING AMERICANS ARE DOING THEIR OWN RESEARCH TO SEE THE TRUTH BEFORE THEY VOTE, SINCE THEY WILL NOT GET IT ANYWHERE ELSE, EXCEPT FOX NEWS.
OBAMA, HOUSE BOUGHT WITH HELP OF CONVICTED FELON RESKO (WHO GOT TAXPAYERS MONEY FROM OBAMA FOR SLUM PROJECTS), is the No. 2 U.S. senator getting big Fannie and Freddie political bucks, connections with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Jim Johnson and former Fannie Mae chairman and CEO Franklin Raines are part of his advisors, ties to Ayers the unrepentant terrorist and lies about it, sits for 20 years at a racist, black liberation theology church that damns America and lies about it, mentors are Alinsky, and Frank Marshall Davis communist party USA member, votes "present" 130 times on senate issues, can use a teleprompter beautifully but is lost without it, AND has visited all '57' states . Thanks, but no Thanks!