Random observations:
- Yep, positive ads are harder to find than negatives. But not as difficult to find as I'd thought, given the current "common sense" polititical "wisdom" about the effectiveness of negative campaigning.
- What is difficult is finding a positive 30 second ad that isn't filled with banal platitudes and sweeping generalizations.
- Candidates are using the internet in vastly different ways. Predictable, I guess, but still surprising. Looking at their official YouTube channels, Obama has almost 1500 videos, McCain only 300. Nader - 140, Barr - 85, Mckinney - 50, Baldwin - 31. And Ron Paul still has 136. Obama's supporters are [probably] younger, more tech oriented, more likely to get their info online as opposed to mainstream TV and radio.
- Figuring out what constitutes a negative ad is a judgement call. Pointing out substantive policy differences between what you would do, and what your opponent would do, doesn't strike me as negative. Nor do I think, personally, that pointing out that McCain would continue the policies of GWB, pretty much intact, or even on steroids, doesn't strike me as negative. But that's probably just because I'd rather elect a retarded badger with tourettes than in any way shape or form continue on with the clusterfuck the last eight years have been. But, in the interest of focusing on "what I would do" ads, I didn't throw any of those up here.
Anyway, through the miracle of absentee balloting, I voted for my "lesser of two evils" choice already, which was Obama. His flipping on the FISA issue smashed whatever enthusiasms I might have had for his campaign, showing he's as willing as the rest of them to abandon defense of personal liberty and freedom in the name of "safety" and "security." Just like all the other schmucks since 9/11.
But on the issues I care about -
- ending the war/bringing the troops home
- restoring civil liberties/habeas corpus
- ending state sanctioned torture/closing Gitmo
- developing renewable and alternative energy policies/ending Middle East dependence
- ending the Drug War/police militarization
...of those issues the candidates bother to address, I lean more towards Obama than McCain.
Honestly, even if Obama was abysmally contrary to every thing I thought, but still wanted to end the war, that'd probably be enough. Though the fact that 8 years of GWB has made me into a single issue voter galls the hell out of me.
On to the show...
McCain - Republican Party
Interesting to note that of the top 9 most viewed/most discussed videos on his ouTube channel, 7 are attack ads focused on Obama or Hillary. Including the semi-famous hit pieces "The One" and "Celeb." Having watched a bunch, I was surprised at how well crafted and slickly done McCain's ads are. I can see how they would work.
Energy
Health Care
With his mom. Pretty funny, actually. I think I'd vote for his mom.
Obama - Democratic Party
Compared to McCain's 7 attack ads in the top 9, only one of the top nine vids on Obama's most viewed/discussed hit on McCain, tagging him for his Keating 5 scandal. The others are extended policy wonk stuff, of the "change/hope/inspiration" genre, or celeb endorsements.
So non-scientifically you could then assume that people interested in McCain actually like the attack ads he runs, and those looking for Obama vids are more into hero worship and star fucking.
Non-scientifically, of course.
Energy
Change
"Plan for Change" Ad - 2m in length, but apparently he did buy the air time recently to air this in a buncha places, so it counts as an ad, despite the length.
As we start to get into the alternatives and independents, you start to see less and less actual "ads." Generally, because they wouldn't have the money run them on TV. So the style changes and they become more crafted for an internet audience, which'll sit and evaluate a vid at 5 minutes a pop, as opposed to the 30 seconds you get in prime time.
Barr - Libertarian Party
Why the Libertarian Party?
"Time for Liberty" - not an ad, really, as it clocks in at almost 5 minutes... but I thought it was kinda awesome, in the naively optimistic "this is how government should be" way.
Baldwin - Constitution Party
I watched a buncha his vids and all I could figure out is that he's against the US in the UN, the "New World Order" and seems scared of brown people coming to America.
So odd I had to check his Wikipedia - Chuck Baldwin:
"He also wrote that he believes 'the South was right in the War Between the States', and that he does not believe the leaders of the old Confederacy were racists. In addition, he wrote an article attacking Martin Luther King Jr., claiming that King was an 'apostate' minister who renounced his Christian faith...
Baldwin has written that 'the Mexican government is deliberately and systematically working to destabilize and undermine the very fabric and framework of American society.' He has attacked the 'Happy Holidays' greeting, stated that 'America was deliberately and distinctively founded as a haven for Christians', and attacked 'avant-garde egalitarians' who disagree with this. He also attacked France as an 'atheistic, secularist country'."
Oh, I see... Chuck Baldwin is an idiot. No ads for Chuck.
Mckinney - Green Party
Not half bad. Not a chance in hell of working, getting elected or even being in the right on all these issues, but there's some good kernels of stuff here.
Nader - Independent
Nader. I alternatively want to applaud and choke the shit out of him when I hear him speak. Reigning in the war, government abuses, corporate malfeasance? Check, check and check. Nanny-stating the rest of every aspect of our lives for our own good? Choke, choke, choke. He gets bonus points for the George Carlin reference though.
First 100 Days of Nader Presidency
On Iraq
7 Things You Can't Say in '08: In Memory of George Carlin
Ron Paul - Not in the race anymore, but...
Despite the fact that I disagree profoundly with Paul on both immigration and abortion... his views on the war, foreign policy, civil liberties and reigning in government would've probably gotten him my vote if he had made it to the show.
Get rid of the IRS
War, Privacy and Liberty
Budget
Really, if you've got an internet connection and the least bit of interest in politics, I can't imagine why you wouldn't hit up the candidates websites to figure out where they stand.
Having watched a bunch of these ads, even the halfway decent ones, the 30 second ads are aimed specifically at those who don't care enough to research things or are easily swayed by sound bites.
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