Transcript:
Obama: "I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message."
McCain: "Senator Obama, I'm not President Bush."
Narrator: "No, but you did vote with Bush 90% of the time. Tax breaks for big corporations and the wealth but almost nothing for the middle class - same as Bush. Keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while our economy struggles - same as Bush. You may not be George Bush but..."
McCain: "I voted with the President over 90% of the time, even higher than a lot of my republican colleagues."
Brilliant!
Obama's campaign is so well run, it's like a car whose engine you just can't hear when it's idling but you can hear it roar when the pedal goes down.
McCain can't match this. His team can't put out incisive ads anywhere near as quickly. He's just not that organized.
Obama is winning for many reasons, but his organizational skills are probably one of the top strengths of his campaign. His well run campaign combined with his positive message and refusal to be drawn into petty politics is inspiring, even for those who don't necessarily agree with his policies.
No wonder America's youth are getting involved moreso in this election cycle than ever: Precocious Youngster Sells Cookies To Buy Attack Ad
EDIT4: Final, final update. Thanks again to Musikal203 for posting the McCain post-debate "I'm not Bush" ad. It's pretty weak, in my opinion.
EDIT3: Final update: reddit • digg
EDIT2: Sorry had to take out theonion video due to the annoying autoplay. It's still linked above and worth watching.
Another note - as several people are pointing out - the usage of McCain's angry looks is a great way to make him look unpresidential without actually saying anything. A case of a picture speaking a thousand words without any of the republican uproar that words would engender.
EDIT: 1st time on the rec list - thanks to Barack for his campaign's amazing reaction times :-)
Some additional thoughts:
- Several comments point out that the ad very effectively neutralises what most pundits consider to be McCain's soundbite of the night. He'll have gone to sleep happy that he'd got that out there and have woken up to a nightmare upon seeing his rebuttal juxtaposed with his boast.
- mrConcern points out that the Obama team had held back on using this footage. It's brilliant political skill - the McCain boast of his 90% voting record with Bush is all the more powerful when preceeded by him whining that he's not Bush. The Obama team had this ad ready and waiting, just needing McCain to fall into the trap and push back against the comparison at a debate. Perfect timing. Political jujitsu is the term, I believe.
- I wonder if Obama's beaming smile was partly because he'd been waiting 3 debates for McCain to snap on the Bush comparison and he'd seen his trap work beautifully.
And what a smile it is. The smile of political success, knowing that your opponent can't hurt you because you have the truth and honour and justice as your allies.