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A Last Desperate Flurry of Attacks

Fred Eshelman, "a wealthy North Carolina based pharmaceutical executive," finances a conservative group that claims to communicate "with a zingy edge and a sense of humor." An example of that humor is an attack ad airing today. The ad exploits Joe Biden's prediction that the next president will be "tested" by an international crisis.

The script of the latest attack ad is less provocative than than the images used. Along with footage of the Twin Towers, the commercial is shot stylistically like the Fox show “24” with shaky camera images of dark-skinned men building a bomb, and ends with the bomb’s detonation in a city. The ad also uses an image of Obama next to one of the terrorists driving a van.

[more ...]

Susan Davis at the WSJ Washington Wire writes:

It’s also unclear what the ad is advocating — it does not name any policies Obama has supported or opposed, but suggests that he will “undermine” U.S. security efforts. The ad is part of a last minute effort by a number of GOP attack ads hitting Obama in the final days of the campaign.

Davis' confusion notwithstanding, it seems quite clear what the ad is advocating: Barack Obama pals around with terrorists. He would undermine security because he wants to destroy America as we know it. He's not a real American.

The Jeremiah Wright ads send the same message: Obama pals around with America-bashers. His values are different. He's not a real American.

One last flurry of desperate attacks, a relaunch of overblown charges that voters have already heard and rejected. To preserve your sanity, you might want to turn off the television (with the exception of essential football games), to disconnect your telephone, and to enforce radio silence until Tuesday evening.

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  • Display: Sort:
    PA (none / 0) (#1)
    by TheRealFrank on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 02:41:53 PM EST
    We've seen that the increased Republican efforts in PA have moved some of their flock back to them, but it sounds like people are being flooded with slime there this weekend.

    I wouldn't be surprised if this backfired. Negative campaigning works to some extend, but especially a flood of robocalls can easily turn off voters.


    Better (none / 0) (#2)
    by Wile ECoyote on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 02:44:42 PM EST
    tell Murtha.

    Parent
    sarah palin! (none / 0) (#3)
    by obama13 on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 02:47:29 PM EST
    check out this awesome sarah palin cartoon
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exiyBYnJ00
    its great!

    Did I just get deleted (none / 0) (#4)
    by NYShooter on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 04:35:25 PM EST
    Or did I just forget to hit the "post" button?


    The ethnic stereotyping of the (none / 0) (#5)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 06:11:30 PM EST
    "terrorists" in this ad is WAY beyond the pale. Doesn't this rise to the level of a form of hate-speech?

    As for the ad including:

    an image of Obama next to one of the terrorists driving a van...

    That is a correct characterization of the intent, although the actual visual content is less egregious than the description would have us believe.

    The description implies that Obama is sitting in the van next to the guy. The actual visuals do put Obama and the terrorist on the screen at the same time, but they are separated into two clearly separate frames. And, the "terrorist" is in a moving picture, while Obama is in a still shot.

    It's still bad, but it sounds worse than it looks.