Obama ad counters the "empty suit" charge, Is it effective?
I like that the Obama campaign is quickly addressing the various charges against him - the biggest being that he is all talk, no substance; but I am not sure this ad works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-SetojeUE
It does tell people he has a Blueprint for Change and where to find it, which is the main point, but it could have been better. The "boxes and boxes" of specifics are just copies of the same document, for one thing. Also, if he doesn't speak about those specifics fluently, voters may suspect they are not the product of his own thinking.
The quality of the video is also not too crisp and the tone is just a bit negative.
I am thinking this ad must be intended for internet distribution to remind supporters and users of his site to direct people to the website. I would want a crisper, more positive version for TV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-SetojeUE
It does tell people he has a Blueprint for Change and where to find it, which is the main point, but it could have been better. The "boxes and boxes" of specifics are just copies of the same document, for one thing. Also, if he doesn't speak about those specifics fluently, voters may suspect they are not the product of his own thinking.
The quality of the video is also not too crisp and the tone is just a bit negative.
I am thinking this ad must be intended for internet distribution to remind supporters and users of his site to direct people to the website. I would want a crisper, more positive version for TV.
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you're prolly right about the boxes and boxes being the same document. if thats true, he have left himself wide open for ridicule.
God, I hope not.
the republican attack machine can take this and michelle obama's thing and really make this into something they're evil like that.
February 20, 2008 2:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to read Obama's blueprint. He has done a good job keeping it under wraps. I went to his Web site the other day and didn't see it. In fact, I didn't see any details in his issues section, so I wonder if this is a new addition to the site. I do know that volunteers at his events have been advised not to talk about issues and instead explain how they came to Obama in order to recruit others. It is stories like that that have given me pause. Reading the document, one has to wonder if avoiding issues has been calculated. It is indeed a very progressive document. If fully implemented, America would be transformed into something more akin to a European country. I know Obama had to counter the empty suit charge. I have leveled it at him on numerous occasions. I still find him to be weak on his off-the-cuff grasp of policy, but that is probably not as important as having good people develop policy and having the judgment to discern good ideas. My concern now going forward is that now that his cards are on the table, he is going to get savaged by the right. Once people find out what he is really advocating, a lot of rich indies are going to run scared.
February 20, 2008 7:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually I haven't read all of the blueprint yet, but I believe he has been releasing parts of it in his blog (kinda like a blog?) on his website for a few weeks now.
I think the extremity of his plan comes from being a lawyer. you know, you ask for 10 million so that you have a place to negotiate from and get what you actually wanted. This is probably the answer to the avoidance of specifics as well.. he knows he has to sit down with lots of people that disagree and hash this out.. why give them a preview?
February 20, 2008 8:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
As far as I know, Obama's vocal cords are in working order. He could tell us what he thinks.
I would read his position papers, but unfortunately I'm in the middle of the 2004 Democratic Platform. It's fascinating!
February 20, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it would be more effective to have a rolling list of major stats while the announcer (with a more authoratiative voice - or Obama himself - repeats the statements with highlites of key legistalion passed, types of bills he's written, etc.
For example:
## Bills authored in the US Senate
## Bills sponsored in the US Senate
## etc.
(same for Illinois senate.)
I would mention any major accomplishments as a grassroots organizer.
If there are favorable contrasts to Clinton's record over the same timeframe, then show that too. There could even be two columns which shows a list of legislative stats, or even a timeline of who was doing what and when. That might be interesting... Obama as a grassroots organizer while Clinton on the BOD of Walmart; Clinton playing 1st Lady while Obama was passing laws in Illinios, etc. Not sure if it works perfectly, but something to explore.
Another approach is humor. My first thought is Rodney Dangerfield's "I don't get no respect" line. But he could also use Aretha Franklin's "Respect" in some way that fun and/or humorous. Just laugh off HRC's worthless attacks.
February 20, 2008 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
On the commercial, it's a tad dour. A dash of humor, preferably on the dry side, would make this point stick.
As to the encouraging supporters to talk about why they came to the campaign, that's just tried and true grassroots organizing technique. Those are his roots and and its working. The field organization is why he's been kicking Hillary's top-down campaign's ass in the caucus states and in the in the post-Supercalifragilstic Tuesday primaries.
Yes, this is necessary, but the reason its necessary is part of the reason we lost election after election after election from 1980 on. A lot of activist Democrats, and an appallingly large part of the Democratic campaign consultantcy industry somehow got the impression that we inauguarate a big stack of policy memos, position statements, detailed plans and white papers every fourth January 20th.
After Nixon, the other side finally figured out that people vote for actual humans who they think are more or less levelling with them, rather than big stacks of policy papers. Learning this, they set about developing techniques to enable their candidates to simulate humanity and authenticity and proceeded to kick our asses repeatedly. And, after each defeat, the activist Dems and consultants would sputter "but, but, but, we had the best policies, dammit, how could we lose?"
I'll never forget sitting in on a meeting with local campaign workers in 1984 who thought it would be a good use of their time to make some posters quoting passages from the 1984 Democratic platform statement and put thim in the local campaign HQ window so people could see how Mondale was on their side. That kind of Democrat has to see the sixty four position paper to get on board. Won't do us a damn bit of good in the general, though.
February 20, 2008 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink