Worst Political Ad Ever?
This isn’t the worst political ad of all time but it will rank up there. The Michael Dukakis 1988 ads - which to this day no one can understand - are still the benchmark for awful. What makes the latest John McCain ad so terrible? In his latest ad he uses a speech from Obama in which he is praising McCain for his work in the Senate. The goal of the ad is to show voters that even Obama likes and respects McCain’s work and that McCain should be President. But, what voters take away from the ad is an entirely different perspective. They see Obama as someone who can reach across the aisle and work across party lines to get things done - exactly the image they want conveyed on McCain.
One conservative bloggers wrote of the ad, “Fabulous. At a time when John McCain needs to show Obama as unready and outside the mainstream — easily done on issues like abortion and the economy — he’s spending money showing how reasonable Obama can be. I understand McCain wants to make the sale with centrists and independents, but this only makes Obama more palatable to the middle. I’m guessing that they feel this shows Obama as a follower rather than a leader, but what it shows is that Obama can reach across the aisle — exactly opposite of what McCain has argued.”
Obama bounced on the ad during a speech in Iowa, telling supporters, “As if there’s something wrong with acknowledging when an opponent has said or done something that makes sense,” Obama said. “I think we need more of that attitude in Washington…We need more civility in Washington.”
What makes this ad so bad for McCain is that he needs to showcase his own independence, his own courage in office and not that of his opponent. With 3 days left and trailing in the polls and low on funds, this kind of ad is a completed waste. When you are trying to craft an image for yourself as an independent thinker who can work with Democrats and Republicans and then you create an ad that says your opponent does exactly that - then what’s the rationale for voters electing you? For this reason, this ad makes the list for worst ad ever, and certainly is the worst ad of the 2008 presidential cycle.
Sphere: Related Content
22 Responses to “Worst Political Ad Ever?”
The biggest problem with this ad is that it runs against everything else McCain has been saying. It invalidates his other arguments (even more than they were already invalidated.)
Also, McCain tried this same technique after the first debate (criticizing Obama for agreeing with him so much) and people LIKED that Obama was able to find common ground. It’s a positive for Obama. This McCain ad highlights a positive Obama trait while simultaneously making McCain’s scare tactics (in his other ads) seem nonsensical.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am…Unless McCain is already conceding and his conscience is kicking in.
Maybe he’s trying to get his supporters to realize the world won’t end on Wednesday???
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 11:47 amI swear, I feel like Obama has operatives in the McCain camp. They’re decisions are so idiotic sometimes it’s like they’re running against themselves.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 11:53 amThis is one of McCain’s big problems. When stuff like this happens it just points up the fact that McCain’s campaign in going in 10 different directions at once and he isn’t aware of even one of them. If you can’t manage your own campaign how can you manage the country?
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 12:37 pmAgree with Stuart. The McCain campaign lurches all over the field on its message. After the Republican convention, McCain attacked Obama for not backing new offshore drilling. McCain was firmly in the drill baby drill camp. Not once did he mentioned global warming during the campaign. Sarah Palin is a global warming denier. Now at the 11th hour McCain wishes to morph into Al Gore?
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 12:50 pmShort and sweet. Run once, it looks and sounds like McCain endorsing Obama. Run twice, still the same. So, it opens visually with an aerial like no other, segues to Obama speaking (captioned with Obama’s name **ahead** of McCain’s), his sound byte heard throughout. Only does McCain appear–and heard–at the end, to approve the message. The Republicans should pull out this ad quickly.
Kudos for spotting this, Jason.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 1:32 pmI think you interpretation is a bit off. Your attempt to re-frame the ad was unsuccessful and left me feeling sad for you and anyone who agrees. This is precisely the type of BS that split this country apart. Good job.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 1:34 pmharold, I don’t believe you’ve made a coherent point there. Give it another go, I’m curious as to what you mean.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 1:41 pmGo Obama go - will be good to have somebody with African roots heading up America.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 2:11 pmOkay, What’s the message? “My gifted opponent concedes I show leadership so vote for me.” WTF! Why not just send Obama the money? With a different tag line this really could have been an Obama ad. He did all the talking and sounded wise and presidential.
Q. Why didn’t McCain pick Joe Liberman, mentioned in this ad, as his running mate? Or, if he had to run a woman, Liz Dole? He might have won, or stood a fighting chance. One mistake after another after another.
There is now a theory that McCain always planned to throw this fight — He was in the tank for Obama for day one. I do not believe it, and it may be facetious, but at this point I would say that McCain looks better were it true.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 2:21 pmIts good to know that McCain has gotten Obama’s seal of approval. Its only too bad we can’t vote for Obama himself… oh, wait–
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 2:47 pmWhy vote for McCain when you can have the real deal?
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pmTerrible ad.
See, SEE! That’s what i’ve been saying all along, McCain is a REBEL, he follows his own way! Vote for McCain!
P.S. Send all donations for the ‘Buy my plumbing company’ state to me.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pmI hope that he is recovering his conscience. He could still help heal some of the division that his campaign has created in this nation. He has often been a good leader in the more distant past (immigration, serving in the military, fiscal responsibility). It is a shame that he so often lost his way the last several years and during this campaign.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 4:00 pmSo Obama is now cast as an authority figure who somehow validates the actions of John McCain and Lieberman? Wow.
Abrahama Obama FTW!
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 4:01 pmI kind of like it.
Feel Good McCain -
who woulda thunk it?!
TommyObama
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 4:13 pmIt looks like a commercial touting McCain for Senate under an Obama presidency.
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pmMcCain’s operatives operate as though they were in a circular firing squad, and I must, I enjoy the hell out of witnessing this. Uh, any one got a spare recording contract?
Dunnenuff
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 5:52 pmDear Joe The Plumer,
Comment made on November 1st, 2008 at 7:46 pmIf you are going to troll a message board, at the very least spell (Plumber) correctly.
Your BFF.
-Sarah
or maybe its McCains way of showing that he doesnt have to hate on Obama every ad, while helping himself out at the same time
Comment made on November 2nd, 2008 at 12:19 am[…] Political Ad Ever? URL: http://blog.iconflict.com/worst-political-ad-ever/ If not the worst, in the top […]
Comment made on November 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 pmAgreed! This is a horrible political ad, for the basic reason of “branding”.
Ask ANYONE with television advertising experience, you don’t show your competitor, even if you are beating him, in the ad.
You want your competitor removed from the mind of he whom you are trying to influence as much as possible.
Here is what McCain should have done at a bare minimum, run a large smiling picture of himself to the right of the screen, while simultaneously running the smaller version of the Obamantion.
He stupidly gave Obama the full screen on an ad he paid for. Anyone who gave money to the MCCain campaign should SUE for their money back after the election.
You could allege malfeasance and fraud.
Comment made on November 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 pmLeave a Comment