The real agenda of Obama's 30 minute spot

[kwolf68]

What is it I think Barack Obama was trying to do with his 30 minute spot last night? Was he trying to get moderate Republicans still not totally committed to McCain? Was he trying to sway anyone? Was he working for the independents and undecided?

Nope, not necessarily (though if any were swayed that’s just an extra bonus)! I believe Senator Obama was CLOSING THE DEAL last night with those ALREADY decided for him. He still has some ‘soft support’, not necessarily people who would skip out and vote for McCain, but those new voters, first time voters, voters who are finally active for the first time in their lives, disgruntled Democrats in red states who may think their vote doesn’t count. THOSE are the people he went after.

Senator Obama went toward those people, the people who have signed up with him because of the unquenchable hope we all-moderates, Dems, Liberals- have. He wasn’t just going for Liberals like me and he wasn't going for undecideds (necessarily).

He went for my wife last night. My wife has NEVER ever voted. She was registered here in Virginia for the first time about 6 weeks ago when she became interested in supporting Obama. I was helping my son with his math homework last night when I heard the TV channel change and heard the Obama special come on. This is the VERY FIRST TIME EVER in her life she has actively channel flipped to ANYTHING political.

Result? After watching the spot she asked the question, ‘how can anyone not like this guy?’ She also said that she still didn’t like or trust politicians, but that Obama seemed so ‘genuine’.

I think Obama went after people who already support him because it is my belief polling suggests that if those who say they are voting for Obama actually do vote for him, then we could be looking at well over 300 EVs for the young upstart from the Windy City with big hopes for our great nation, possibly a landslide.

Senator Obama closed the deal with my wife and millions others like her last night. I think he may have also closed the deal on this election.

[Auggie]

1. I agree totally

[coalition_unwilling]

2. If memory serves, the four family stories featured in the ad

were all from 'swing states': Ohio, Missouri, New Mexico and Kentucky. I think it was Obama going after swing state voters trying to turn the states 'blue' in 2008.

[kwolf68]

4. I don't necessarily agree.

I think New Mexico is a lock for Obama and I still don't believe we take Kentucky. Ohio and MO sure...It seemed to me he had a great cross-rep of all the nation. He had Governors from Conservative states and Govs from Liberal states. I didn't see where he was going after particular states. I think it was broader than that. Keep in mind, he was playing this for the entire country.

[coalition_unwilling]

15. Eric J in MN (post #5) just corrected me on Kentucky below. My wife

and I were just blown away watching the infomercial last night. The part near the end where Obama said he would not be "perfect" but would promise to speak his mind and listen we thought was especially powerful.

[Eric J in MN]

5. Kentucky isn't a swing state.

It's for McCain, 54-41.

www.electoral-vote.com

[coalition_unwilling]

12. Thanks for that clarification. I had seen so many posts here

that Mitch McChinless was in trouble that I simply assumed Kentucky was in play for Obama this year.

I have been so intoxicated recently with the thought of an Obama landslide that I have begun to think of all formerly red states as seriously "in play" for Obama.

[stevietheman]

16. I'm in Kentucky, and while Obama doesn't have a chance here,...

Obama's expected high vote totals in Louisville and Lexington could send McConnell packing, as most of these voters will likely also vote for McConnell's opponent, Bruce Lunsford.

[faithfulcitizen]

18. People in Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, West Virginia, Virginia, & North Carolina ALL relate to Kentucky.

And union families. I thought it was brilliant. :)

[Viking12]

19. Kentucky isn't a swing state, but southern Ohio is really just northern KY

That part of the ad was aimed at Ohio voters that can easily relate with the Kentucky family. A modest shift in southern Ohio votes can help carry that state.

[faithfulcitizen]

20. Many other swing states too. Southern Indiana is Kentucky.

[Ron Green]

3. I think he was getting a head start on being the President.

Many of his supporters have already voted, and the hard-core and closet racists aren't going to have their minds changed. A reasonable use of this nice chunk of campaign money is to get a rolling start on assuring EVERYBODY that we'll be in good hands, there's no need to freak out, people can look forward to working together and healing some of our wounds.

[RethugAssKicker]

6. It was also to continue to make white people feel comfortable

and at ease... Notice he showed his white mother and grandparents often.
He tried to show that he is an American not just a black American.

This unfortunately is still VERY necessary, and a smart thing for him to do.

[faithfulcitizen]

17. Yep, exactly. And the AA couple was rural. No coincidence there. I disagree with the OP though.

I think this ad served many purposes, one of which was to make him look "safe" to white people, to soften the hate fest McKKK is running, and diminish RW base turnout. To demoralize them. Just my 2 cents.

[Johonny]

7. I think it was about tone

He wanted to remind people worried about negativity that he's not about name calling and label but a real person, who's lead a real middle class life and he's about policies for the middle class. I think that's a message aim directly at those people sick of the "tone". Frankly for the Obama supporter I think his rally with Clinton later that night was vastly more effective at motivating me to vote.

[Cronus Protagonist]

8. I agree and it was also the "October Surprise" nullifier

With that block of time already set out, if something big happened last week or two, Obama would have been able to spend his half-hour on framing. That's possibly why nothing did happen.

As it is, he used it well and closed the deal - he knows that the softest support is the kind that doesn't show up on election day. He's a closer. VERY important!

[kwolf68]

11. the softest support is the kind that doesn't show up on election day

Ding. He energized those folks to stay true on their committment and get out and vote.

My wife is easy...if she were to get a bit lazy I'd be there. But there are a host of people out there without a surrogate to 'inspire' them to head out and vote.

We need those people to stick it out and it's game over.

[FormerDittoHead]

9. No, I think it was for some of the undecideds...

First off, it seemed to me that most every one of his 'profiles' were in combat states, ending with the rally in Florida.

"Sealing the deal" would be profiling young professionals and inner city voters in solid blue states.

But to address your thread, those who find gov't representation and support to be lacking as well as our entire country lacking direction - they're voting for Obama anyway.

Anyone solidly voting Republican is either racist, xenophobic, a greedy pig willing to see people suffer and die in order for them to keep a few more pennies (at least until the economy completely goes belly up).

Anyway, I think the real purpose was to reach out to those people who are otherwise comfortable in their lives and have been told time and again from Reagan to Rush Limbaugh that those who are in need are lazy people who deserve their own misery.

The portraits denied that vision of lazy welfare collectors being the only one that need help from the government.

But the GREATEST message was... HOPE.

I hate to say it, but there it is. It wasn't how bad my opponent is - it is how good we can be.

That's been the message. They showed the need for hope, even to those comfortable with their lives, and they said there were solutions, and there's hope for getting those solutions.

To borrow the thought - It wasn't for Democrats. It wasn't for Republicans. It was for AMERICANS, and it WORKED.

[LoKnLoD]

10. The debates seem so long ago...

I think part of it was to get his face and demeanor out to the American people again as a contrast to the squawking penguin and his phony, folksy lying running mate. Seems to me all I see on the news is these two spreading their BS lies. I think Obama impressed the hell out of everyone during the debates, such a sharp contrast to the alternative. His cool collectiveness, and intelligence shined through during those 3 debates, but everyone's memory is short. When I listen to Obama speak the first thing I think of is how nice it will be to have a president that can carry themselves like that, one we can be proud of finally. McCain and Palin just prolong the embarrasement we have had to suffer through for the last eight years.

[Merlot]

14. palan/mcbush: "prolonging the embarrasement"

could be their final campaign slogan

[riverwalker]

13. Axelrod is a genius

a bonafide, cultural and political GENIUS.

[TahitiNut]

21. Two impacts: (1) Damped down the GOP GOTV 'scare' tactics, and (2) Dose of positivism to base.

By presenting himself as the rational, kind, and considerate person he is, he threw water on the McCain/Palin attempt to energize the bigot/fundie base with scare tactics. There's just NOTHING scary about Obama. McCain/Palin are relying mostly (about 90%) on negativity ... the "vote against" crowd. They're claiming there's a monster under the bed ... triggering the most ignorant, childish viscera. For the more marginally sane an reasonable among them, this doesn't wash. At the same time, McCain/Palin are not offering ANY affirmative motivation to support them. When you take away the "things that go bump in the night" they've got next to nothing.

For those who tend to support Obama, he offered the kind of positive motivation that gets them out to the polls. They/we get something ot vote FOR. (I don't know about you, but age has waned my fight/flight reaction and I tend to respond most to the positive motivations.)

[onenote]

22. One other part of the strategy: dominate the news cycle

At this point, McCain almost certainly cannot win unless he somehow gains control of the news cycle for the final days of the campaign with a positive story for him (or a negative for Obama). Every time he tries, he gets drowned out by something: Stevens conviction, the market soaring or crashing, Powell's endorsement, Palin's wardrobe, etc etc.

By scheduling the 1/2 show, any effort by McCain to regain control of the news cycle -- to look proactive rather than reactive, was lost for another 48 hours -- and there aren't that many hours left.

It was a savvy move.

[pointsoflight]

23. Don't think so--his support is not soft.

The pollsters have looked at this extensively. The vast majority of Obama supporters in the polls support him strongly and say that there is no chance they'll change their vote.

In contrast, much more of McCain's support is soft.

Last night was about undecideds and McCain leaners.