The only reason that Paris and Britney are in an ad about Obama is to play on deep-seated fears of black male sexuality.

They're not *comparing* Obama to these two women. They are suggesting that he wants to, or is, copulating with them.

It's not logical, it's emotional That's how ads work. And this one, thanks to its vile and subterranean racism, is working very well.

Part of the genius of this sort of thing is that some of those most deeply affected by it are not even aware of what they are reacting to.

How about you, Andrew? Are you more or less likely to vote for Obama after watching this ad?

Spears and Hilton are not on most of the recent Top 10 lists from the leading Entertainment mags. They're "old" news in the entertainment biz.

If the point was to highlight the "celebrity" aspect, why wouldn't they choose the biggest celebrities of today, like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or George Clooney or any of the others that make up the Top 10 lists?

McCain't instead chooses two young, melanin-deficient, hyper-sexualized woman, mixed with several shots that oddly emphasize the monument Obama spoke in front of.

Draw your own conclusions.

The white women meme is bush league stuff. I think it's pretty outrageous to suggest that the juxtaposition of a black man with white women is designed to evoke some kind of latent fear of the black man. That's just plain nuts. Sophomoric. Wet. Bush. I'm at a loss for words, Dr. Freud.

That dog whistle was meant for real hounddawgs and not for one-testicled yappy beltway show poodles like Howie Putz.

It's called the power of suggestion.
Why are there half-naked women in beer commercials? Why does Abercrombie & Fitch have to have naked teenager-like models in their catalog to sell CLOTHING???
Sex in advertising works when it is done tastefully. McCain's crew uses the distasteful choice of celebrities such as Paris and Britany--both known form their steamy crotches--and places them with a black man.
What does it suggest to you?
I also notice the phallus symbols in the ad--the tower in Germany and the Washington Monument.
It may not have been intentional but the symbolism is there.

I think it's there.

If you're going to make a television advertisement that appeals to racism, you have to hide your tracks. For that reason, the ad makes its suggestions visually and not verbally.

For some segment of the population, the juxtaposition of a black man with two highly sexualized women will have instantaneously recognizable associations.

It's unlikely that someone who reads Talkingpointsmemo is among that segment of the population, but large numbers of low information Americans -- voters -- were raised in a world where anxieties about black sexuality were far more prevalent and foreceful than they are today.

This ad is meant to freak those people out.

Pretend you're a sixty-five year old voter in Ohio who traditionally votes democratic.

Now watch the add with the sound off.

It's very clear to me as well that the ad is not about race, it's about the rock star thing. Not only that, I remembered reading that this has already been researched, it's known it hurts Obama with swings, it's one of big his weak points with swings.

I remembered that pollster analyst Charlie Cook in a July 12 article noted it:

A recent York, Pa., focus group conducted for the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center by pollster Peter Hart vividly demonstrated that although voters are hurting, are very pessimistic about the country's direction, and are using such words as "deceived," "disgusted," and "horrific" in describing Bush's performance, many still have a difficult time identifying with Obama.

Hart found that the problem was notably not among former supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton, but among others. He reported: "The challenge emerges from the rest of the group. It is not just that they oppose Obama, but rather the vehemence of the opposition; what concerns them is less about issue stances and more about race and character. The most vitriolic comments are not directed at his policies, but at him personally, criticizing him for having a 'rock star attitude,' being a 'great fabricator,' being 'inexperienced,' being someone who 'comes from a Muslim family,' and being someone who will not 'pledge to the flag with your hand over your heart.' As Tony [one focus group participant] puts it, succinctly, 'I just don't believe in his values.' He does not specify which of Barack Obama's values he does not believe in, but he has a clear sense that Obama's values are not his."

In a more recent July 29 article, Cook discusses Obama's bounce from the overseas trip and says that:

If Obama begins to look more presidential and is seen as having greater stature while McCain is seen as angry and unpleasant, it is an opportunity for this race to transition from a very competitive period to one that is a blowout.

This ad is very targeted and it has little to do with race. It's about preventing Obama looking presidential with swings, precisely at a time when Obama has been working hard at doing that.

I am sort of worried by how well it's targeted, that McCain's campaign team may have been greatly improved in expertise.

And I agree with others on this thread that Josh Marshall is making some big gaffes with his comments on this ad, as to his reputation for being wise about political advertising. More and more seems to me like he is reading campaign talking points too much and then falling for them, rather than getting insider analysis of campaign moves. Either falling for them or purposely promoting them would be fine for a political activist, but not so much for reputation as a journalist on political horse race, it's not deconstructing the horse race for people accurately.

Of course I do suspect the Obama campaign knows all this too. Along with things like the overseas trip and the economic conference, which were obviously addressing the weakness, it may be why we are not seeing the extreme inspirationals in the speeches and pronouncements as in the primary? He is purposefully avoiding the rock star reception thing? Seeing how they balance this at the convention will be interesting, because they have to inspire the base there.

I think if Josh Marshall is getting the race thing from people connected with the Obama campaign, they might be being disingenuous with him and he is falling for it, as any race card stuff revs up the liberal blogosphere base.