Two Ideas For New McCain Ads

I won't attempt to actually do the video work on these advertisements so all readers will have to settle for a pseudo screenplay manner of presenting these three. As I see it, the best political jujitsu is to take an opponents strengths and turn them against them. Obama's speech was a virtuoso in rhetoric, vision, and he even laid out some proverbial meat on the bones. In my opinion, the speech left Obama open for serious and legitimate criticism and McCain needs to take advantage.

Fade in.

Barack Obama's speech comes on screen

Barack Obama

And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

Voiceover comes on screen as images from prior American wars interchange while he speaks.

That's tough talk Senator, but when Senator McCain repeatedly offered you an opportunity to have this debate you repeatedly refused. Senator McCain offered an opportunity to host joint townhall debates all throughout the summer, and each and every time you refused. Just last month, a coalition of military groups offered to host a national televised townhall debate about issues relating to being Commander in
Chief. Senator Obama YOU REFUSED!!

That's tough talk Senator considering every opportunity you were offered to actually debate these issues YOU REFUSED.

The McCain campaign also welcomes a vigorous debate about who has the temperament and judgment to be Commander in Chief. That's why we offer the challenge to Senator Obama for a townhall style debate specifically on these issues. If that really is a debate you're ready to have, Senator, you'll accept our challenge.

John McCain

I'm John McCain and I approved this message

fade out...

Barack Obama's speech comes on screen

Barack Obama

But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

...

It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.

For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.

...

Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

...

Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.

And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.

Voice over with headlines of commentary pointing out Obama's thin resume filtering on screen

From 1991-1993 Barack Obama was a community organizer. In that role, he lobbied government for money for community programs. The Obama campaign has yet to show any tangible accomplishment from that time

In 1996, he became a State Senator. He spent eight years in Springfield, Illinois as an unaccomplished State Senator with no signature piece of legislation to his record.

In 2004, he became a U.S. Senator. Among his duties, he chaired the committee on NATO. He held exactly zero hearings. He's contributed in no significant way to any signature piece of legislation. In fact, Senator Obama's greates accomplishment as Senator is running for President.

Senator, the McCain campaign agrees, when you have no record to run on, all you do is paint your opponent is someone to run from.

John McCain

I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

...fade out