Comments on: Obama Tries to Kill Ayers Ad

By: Tratfor: Strategic Planning Information - Strategic-Planning

Tratfor: Strategic Planning Information - Strategic-Planning — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:56:14 +0000

[...] Obama tries to suppress FREE speech and HERE and [...]

By: CSD@MTV

CSD@MTV — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:48:23 +0000

That's correct. The more they complain about the ad the greater it's effectiveness.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:48:54 +0000

Obambis reaction tells it all.

By: Ben Keeler

Ben Keeler — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:51:05 +0000

Yes Bill. Good point.

Why did Ayers seek out to be associated with Obama?

By: largebill

largebill — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:06:26 +0000

We are only talking about half of the question. It isn't just what did Obama see in Ayers. That is obvious, he was a young politician looking for access to money and political inroads? The more important question is what did Ayers see in the young Obama that made him decide to support his candidacy? We know what kind of scum Ayers is, what about Obama impresses someone like that?

By: Da King

Da King — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:11:37 +0000

I'm on Obama's mailing list, and the first reaction from the Obama campaign regarding the Ayers ad was to falsely attribute the ad to McCain, and to threaten criminal action to suppress the ad, like you said.

Bad and bad from the Obama people.

By: LisaRenee

LisaRenee — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:42:53 +0000

It's beginning to feel like deja vu, attacking McCain for the ads won't work, he didn't make them, and making an even larger deal about the ads? Makes more people know about them than would have.

By: anne

anne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:20:41 +0000

Wouldn't it be more honest and politically expedient for Obama to admit whatever relationship exists (existed?) and then move forward? A relationship with Ayers is not considered a positive in my mind, but at least he could show character by admitting what is or was there. He certainly won't lose any of his hardcore supporters because of this.
I'm sure his campaign staff could put a good spin on it.

I am waiting to be disappointed by the platforms of both parties as they avoid and evade the critical issues and harsh realities of our economy.

By: farleigh

farleigh — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:11:55 +0000

don't forget our bet chuck k you will be out of here soon

By: Ben Keeler

Ben Keeler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:29:18 +0000

Odd that Obama went down in both tracking polls today. Friday's sample rolled off, yesterday's went on (taken before last nights speeches), leaving us with Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as the days the #s are coming from. Though I was happy to see it, I still think this one day movement was more statistical noise. We shall see over the next few days.

By: Ben Keeler

Ben Keeler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:23:50 +0000

What false information is in the ad? His bombings? That Obama and him are friends? That they served on that board together? What?

By: Chuck K

Chuck K — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:20:51 +0000

The title/claims of this post are about as dishonest as the ad itself.

Free speech does not allow for a free right to slander someone.

Moreover, according to much analysis, the ad is probably outside of campaign law and contains plenty of false information.

Meaning, there is a legit reason the ad should not be aired….but nevermind that, i suppose.

By: Start Crying Now

Start Crying Now — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:16:44 +0000

Gallup Daily: No Bounce for Obama in Post-Biden Tracking

McCain creeps ahead, 46% to 44%USA Election 2008 Gallup Daily Americas Northern America

PRINCETON, NJ — It's official: Barack Obama has received no bounce in voter support out of his selection of Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.

Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 23-25, the first three-day period falling entirely after Obama's Saturday morning vice presidential announcement, shows 46% of national registered voters backing John McCain and 44% supporting Obama, not appreciably different from the previous week's standing for both candidates. This is the first time since Obama clinched the nomination in early June, though, that McCain has held any kind of advantage over Obama in Gallup Poll Daily tracking.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:32:53 +0000

Obama wants this ad off for one reason. It is effective.

By: Ben Keeler

Ben Keeler — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:53:16 +0000

DJW, I think both your points are dead on.

Alex, you are right as well. Obama and his team viewed McCain and all of us who back him as just some group he could bypass on his way to the White House. It hasnt worked out that way.

Rev, what about Jim Leach. Who cares. He lost in 2006 and even so almost no one knows who he is. It would be like if I bragged about Ken Salazar's counsin supporting McCain. Linc Chafee next?

By: Daniel Jack Williamson

Daniel Jack Williamson — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:26:02 +0000

I agree, Ben, that this ad was not produced by the McCain campaign.

The Obama campaign could have spun the ad as being illegitimate, saying that the sponsors of the ad were dubious, if not downright shady, and asserted that McCain, himself, would have never run that ad. I think that would have strategically placed the sponsor on the fringe with no leg to stand on with the McCain camp scrambling to make doubly sure that they were in no way connected to the ad, allowing Obama to dodge an explanation of the issue altogether.

Instead, the Obama response to not only run the counter ad that they did, but to further try to silence the ad and ask for the launch of a criminal investigation coupled with an attempt to intimidate stations from airing the ad does two things that Obama shouldn't want to happen:

1) a certainty that more attention is paid to the Ayers issue in relation to Obama;

and 2) the prospect that Obama lands squarely on the wrong side of discussions about censorship and freedom of speech.

Dumb move. Shows lack of judgment.

By: rayy

rayy — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:22:05 +0000

McCain's not a "nat", and he has a high degree of name-recognition from having been a Senator for 22 years and running for president before. He's also a "war hero". I don't think there's anyone taking him lightly.

The media has ignored or suppressed negative stories about McCain, including cheating on his first wife, the Keating S&L scandal, and his misogyny (evidenced by calling his current wife the "c-word" in public over her joshing him about his receding hairline).

I think the debates are going to be revealing.

By: Alex H

Alex H — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:10:32 +0000

If Obama was so strong why is he running so far behind other Democrats?

By: Alex H

Alex H — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:09:29 +0000

McCain was just thought to be a nat that Obama could step on as he walked to the White House and now that is not proving so. He looks vulnerable for the first time on the national stage. That is not the Barack H Obama I knew.

By: J Michael

J Michael — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:42:34 +0000

Why are so many REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS scared by the very idea of John McCain being President? Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cfNPM3YQ9Y