Rev. Wright is ready for his close-up. Group targets Ohio & Michigan voters with negative Obama ads

[VolcanoJen]

Oh, and William Ayers, too!

Via Marc Ambinder. I think we all knew this moment was coming. And to be frank, I'm not really worried about it... is this what voters are concerned with right now? And I don't see this kind of ad appealing to anyone but the wingnut base that's going to vote for McCain/Palin anyway.

Still.. it's good to be on top of this stuff. McCain's only chance is to go hardcore negative and less subtly racist, so we should expect that in the coming days.

The Judicial Confirmation Network is spending more than $1 million on a television/text/advertising campaign in a bunch of small city DMAs. Ostensibly, the campaign's educating folks about Obama's associations, including his former pastor and William Ayers.

The ads will run on broadcast television in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania -- the Zanesville, Lima, Toledo, Youngstown, Wheeling-Steubenville, Marquette, Traverse City-Cadillac, Lansing, Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Alpena and Erie markets, as well as on cable in Cleveland and nationally on Fox News.

Here's the text of the television ad as narrated by the JCN's Wendy Long:

Wendy: With the help of hundreds of thousands of Americans, the Judicial Confirmation Network fought for the nominations of Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Sam Alito. The next President may nominate 4 new Justices. So we'd like you to see this....

VO: Choosing the right Justices is critical for America. We don't know who Barack Obama would choose, but we know this: He chose as one of his first financial backers a slumlord now convicted on 16 counts of corruption. Obama chose as an associate a man who helped to bomb the Pentagon and said he "didn't do enough." And Obama chose as his pastor a man who has blamed America for the 9/11 attacks. Obama chose to associate with these men, while voting against these men.

Wendy: Please join the Judicial Confirmation Network. We need a Supreme Court that respects the Constitution and Justices who won't legislate from the bench. Judicial Confirmation Network paid for this message and is responsible for it.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Playbook Play Number 1357a: Appeal to people's inherent racism.

[Renew Deal]

2. The ad makes no sense.

"Obama chose to associate with these men, while voting against these men."

Huh?

[VolcanoJen]

4. I imagine that in the actual TV ad....

They'll show a picture of SCARY SCARY LOOK SCARY BLACK MAN!!!!! REV WRIGHT OMG!!!!! while saying "Obama chose to associate with these men..."

And then show a picture of Roberts and Alito while saying "... while voting against these men."

Personally, the fact that Obama voted against Roberts and Alito just makes me want to vote for him more. I think that's something everyone on DU feels. :-)

[lyonn]

9. Wow, I can't believe I missed this fact

He was right on the Iraq war and also voted against those two - fill in the blank-. Guess he was not on my radar then.

[VolcanoJen]

10. Obama's constitutional mind - excellent article from March

It's worth a full read, but I think you'll dig these passages:

Obama's Academic Background Could Influence Court Picks

Casting his vote against Alito, Obama noted similar concerns about the nominee's voting record, "The Judicial Branch of our government is a place where any American citizen can stand equal before the eyes of the law. Yet, in examining Judge Alito's many decisions, I have seen extraordinarily consistent support for the powerful against the powerless, for the employer against the employee, for the President against the Congress and the Judiciary, and for an overreaching federal government against individual rights and liberties."

In his votes against Roberts and Alito, Obama shared much of the same reasoning with Clinton, noting that the nominees' steadfast support for government and corporate powers—and disinterest in the rights of individuals—concerned him. One point he emphasizes more than Clinton, however, is Roberts's and Alito's tendency to favor the "unitary executive" theory, which supports fewer limitations on presidential authority.

Cass Sunstein, a widely-respected professor of law at the University of Chicago and Obama's former colleague, noted, " is a Constitutional scholar before anything else—he himself would be a very reasonable choice for the Supreme Court, and would be more learned in the Constitution than any president, I believe, since Woodrow Wilson and leaders from the founding era themselves."

[lyonn]

11. Thanks, informative and inspirational. nt

[Renew Deal]

15. Good catch

Makes sense.

[nc4bo]

3. Cue up Hagee, Parsley and our new friend Muthee. Roll 'em on 3. 2. 1..... nt

[vaberella]

18. Muthie is a prize unto himself. n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Nobody cares about Wright anymore

One of the many things Obama will have to thank Hillary for.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Cue up Keating 5. So totally relevant, the voters will be running

for the Obama hills.

[RedLetterRev]

12. Yeah, where ARE those 527's?

I hope they're editing up and ready to air all the dirty McKook laundry. There's so much fodder. Early voting is right around the corner in NC and I've already got my guide in hand. There's not a doubt in my military mind that Barack can have NC outright, but every little boost would help.

I heard on the news this morning that Liberty University was cancelling classes to make sure that every student and staff was registered to vote :puke: for the stated purpose of swinging VA to McKook. The 527 ads airing truth about McKook and Keating would counteract that move. We're talking about 10,000 votes on the Liberty campus alone turning out as a block for the dark side.

That is NOT good.

[No Elephants]

19. Aren't students supposed to vote in their home states? Well, Pub students.

[VolcanoJen]

7. Video of the ad here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C3383QdT2g

It kinda sucks. :-)

[GarbagemanLB]

17. WOW. That looks like one of those cheap ads that airs only during the day...like those

ITT Tech commercials. Pretty bad ad.

[Indenturedebtor]

20. LOL that was terrible. I hear you can get really cheap remodeling supplies there though nt

[lyonn]

8. Those bastards will do anything to press peoples' prejudices

Sick! And the worst part seems to be that many are truly prejudice against anything that isn't white and for the right to be against gun, god and gays and save the baby. So much for We The People and We are all Created Equally...

I was talking to an Aunt in Sacto.last night who is/was a Dem. and she was totally undecided about her vote and was probably going to vote herself in. No kidding, but hey, she is 90 years old!! What struck me while trying to be nice and tolerant of her views was that I felt she was against blacks more than anything, never spoken but subtle comments caused me to read between the lines. I had this sinking feeling. It's hard to be disrespectful of someone so old but I had to carefully tell her why she was way off base. Mentioned the economical turmoil going on now due to the repubs., no rules or regs that protect all of us peons rights, corps rule and we lose, that type stuff. It did seem I struck some point that gave her pause. Maybe that I didn't even make color a factor only that Obama was smart and that I believed that he was the only way for we the people to get out of this terrible mess we are in.

This type BS sells tho?! Effin scary......

[high density]

13. Pay no attention to that crashing economy

Instead, vote for McCain because Obama's former pastor is crazzzzzyyyy!!

:eyes:

[yardwork]

14. Dumb idea to combine the Supreme Court justices in ads in those markets.

Yes, the markets are predominately white - with the big exception of Cleveland. No, they are not all homogeneously right-wing. A number of those areas - including Youngstown, Toledo, and those in southern Michigan - have a lot of union members, and the Supreme Court has not been friendly to workers' rights in recent years.

Fail. The ads might have had some impact if they were purely racist. By diluting the message with the Supreme Court, they will have a neutral or even possibly positive impact on Obama's chances!

[sufrommich]

16. Marquette is a college town and Traverse City has had an influx

of people from all over the state,I wouldn't doubt that Obama has a very good chance in both towns.Kalamazoo-Battle Creek were probably going McCain anyway.

[Ol Dirty Harry]

23. As a graduate of that university in Marquette ...

I can safely say that Marquette will ALWAYS vote Dem. It's one of the bluest areas of Michigan, outside of Detroit and Ann Arbor. When I left two years ago, the 11-member Marquette County board was comprised of all Democrats.

Oh how I miss thee, jewel of Superior!

[sufrommich]

24. Marquette is a beautiful town. I'm thinking of retiring there.

Sorry you had to leave.

[jberryhill]

21. LOL at the narrator

Is he selling an energy drink?

I kept waiting for an 800 number to order before midnight tonight!

[chris_t0f]

22. Judicial Confirmation Network crap video !!!

Following the recent JCN crap video, I wonder why a video that would include the following is not out there too...

John McCain:

- cheated on his handicapped wife for many years right after coming back from VN
- finally dropped her for a rich, younger and able woman who was so happy she ended up a medication addict
- abandonned his first-marriage children in the process
- was involved in the biggest loan scandal of the eighties as soon as he got into congress and since calling for financial institution deregulations all along
- is putting his COUNTRY LAST by not releasing his medical records despite 4 melanoma (the most aggressive form of cancer with less than 75% survival rate after 15yrs)... that was 10 years ago... I don't even count how many medications is is on (from pain killers, arthritis, hypertension, etc...)
- has shown his judgement by picking the most unqualified VP in US history for political purposes...

Stop playing nice guys democrats! The RNC has unleashed their attack dogs, so let's unleash ours !!!