MoveOn.org Anti-McCain Ad

[jsteele]

I'm curious about what DCUM members think of this ad:

[Anonymous]

Where and when do they play these ads? It pulls at my heartstrings. Makes one think, yes.

[Anonymous]

I find it manipulative. Move On lost me a long time ago, though.

[Anonymous]

Well, we're still in Germany and Korea - I think they (moveon.org) are purposefully shading this so that you will think that we're going to be in conflict in Iraq for the next 100 years. I think they could do much better than this - this makes moveon look like swiftboat. They're smarter than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it manipulative. Move On lost me a long time ago, though.

I have to agree. Also, I think the should have found some better and more unique "talents" for Baby Alex. The whole thing seemed sort of canned to me. And to repeat PP, manipulative, using a baby to make any political point.

Plus, we do still have a volunteer army.

[Anonymous]

PP's point about the volunteer army is great. That was my immediate thought as I watched the commercial - that it's made as if we had a draft in place. So, if Alex really wants to serve his country by joining the military, his mom's going to forbid him to do so?? Hmmm - nothing like living your child's life for them.

[Anonymous]

I didn't find the ad that manipulative and "using" the baby. I think it speaks to every mother's fear how people in charge and their decisions are going to affect our children. It is not just war for 100 years. It is also planet that needs saving, immense deficit and on and on.

I'm very scared for my children. And I feel so powerless to protect them when this evil man called president moves his finger. I don't want another one like that in charge and McCain is going to be just like that and even worse!

[Anonymous]

12:04 here. Think about it, 8:56: The ad plays on your fears. You said it yourself. How is that "new politics"? Isn't it the same as the right wing playing on your fears? Of course it is. Manipulation is manipulation, whether on the left or the right. Obama says he doesn't want to see fears used to motivate voters, and he says he doesn't want 527s to be a part of the Democratic message. Guess Move On is either ignoring that, or has Obama's tacit approval.

[Anonymous]

PP - you said it all. Manipulation by fear is the old way and it insults everyone's intelligence. BTW, I may support McCain in the general election, not sure yet, but I do not believe for one moment that moveon has Obama's tacit approval.

[Anonymous]

You know, I would like to have one, just one, election where people didn't need to polarized by fear and/or loathing during the process. Wouldn't it be great if both candidates admitted the other candidate's strong points, and complimented them, and then went on to say why they thought they were the better candidate solely on their own merits?

[Anonymous]

McCain ain't getting my son. Never. We will leave this country before my son gets shot in the Middle East.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Where and when do they play these ads?

I saw this during tonight's CBS Evening News. But, the funny thing is that it wasn't sponsored by MoveOn.org. Where the Youtube video I posted has a message at the end saying MoveOn is responsible, the one I saw on TV said that AFSCME was responsible. That's interesting because AFSCME had endorsed Clinton in the primary. I guess they are solidly behind Obama now.

For the record, I think this ad is a little too obvious in its attempt to manipulate. All ads manipulate. That's their entire purpose. But, the best ads affect you without it being totally apparent that they are trying to affect you. Maybe they should have shown Alex as a somewhat older child trying to figure out what McCain's plan for Iraq is: "McCain says it okay to stay in Iraq for 100 years, but only if Iraq is peaceful like Korea, except Iraq is not peaceful and McCain says that we have to stay until its peaceful, and that might take 100 years, but then, we can stay 100 years." The "Straight Talk Express" has clearly been derailed.

[Anonymous]

All political adds are manipulative. That's the point really.

That said, a more accurate ad would discuss how Baby Alex is going to have to pay for this war.

[Anonymous]

I think distorting McCain's 100 year remark is a cheap shot, so I do not view the ad favorably. On the other hand, McCain was also distorting the issue. Sure it would be okay to stay 100 years if it were true peace-keeping; but we are not keeping peace, we are trying to patch up some of the damage we did by occupying a country in which many (most??) of the people do not want us.

As is so often the case, the pressures of a campaign corrupt the discourse and make serious discussion difficult, if not impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McCain ain't getting my son. Never. We will leave this country before my son gets shot in the Middle East.

Um - volunteer army - we have one - duh?

Why wait - leave now.