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Tired.
McCain's jokers are at it again.
Today, it's a bit in which the Republican's campaign responds to Obama's new ad slamming McCain for being Big Oil's bitch.
They chose to answer by mocking a comment Obama apparently made last week regarding proper tire inflation's connection to better gas mileage, and subsequently, conservation (watch the comment here).
Apparently, the Republicans think this is hilarious - so much so that they've hurried into mass production tire gauges with "Obama's Energy Plan" on the side, distributing them at Obama's energy speech in Lansing, MI today. They're also available for a donation of $25 or more on McCain's thingamajig on the Internets (use The Google to find it). In their e-mail solicitation, the McCainiacs get it all wrong:
"John McCain says we need offshore oil drilling and we need it now," says campaign manager Rick Davis in an email to supporters. "Senator Barack Obama has consistently opposed offshore drilling - calling it a "gimmick." Senator Obama's solution to high gas prices is telling Americans to make sure their tires are inflated."
McCain piles on:
"Yesterday, he suggested we put air in our tires to save on gas," McCain said. "My friends, let's do that, but do you think that's enough to break our dependence on Middle Eastern oil? I don't think so."
But as the Politico's GOP blogger, Jonathan Martin, notes, that isn't Obama's position (shocker!):
That's not his "solution" at all, and this latest gambit will surely bring yet more head-shaking disappointment from some quarters about McCain resorting to juvenile tactics.
But it seems increasingly clear that McCain is committed to the sort of aggressive and mocking campaigns that Republicans have been running against Democrats for years.
Let's forget politics for a moment and return to the facts.
McCain and his posse feel that minding the air level in your tires is a laughable suggestion when it comes to conservation of oil. Well, I've known since I was 16 how to check the air in my tires, and it wasn't to avoid getting a flat - I knew back then, literally a half a lifetime ago, that tire maintenance helps you save gas.
And I'm not alone: some of McCain's supporters know this, too. Guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger and vice-presidential contender Charlie Crist. Leagues like NASCAR, a "sport" (ahem) that is cheered on by millions of voters in McCain's wheelhouse - folks that might know a thing or two about a car and thus, aren't likely to be swayed by this. (Think the birthday boy regrets not having invested in a car now?) Even Bush's own Department of Energy seems to think it helps.
But was Obama correct? Were the lessons I learned as young driver all for naught?
Jake Tapper put it to the test (and redeems himself):
The idea that inflating tires would help is not disputable...
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "every pound per square inch of tire underinflation wastes 4 million gallons of gas daily in the U.S." Survey information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 27% of the cars on the road have a significantly under-inflated tire.
Obviously, Obama wasn't arguing that inflating tires would reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil -- but he was saying such a move would save as much energy as drilling for oil in the continental shelf would provide.
Tapper has much more on this in his column, but the point is made.
It seems that this latest appeal of McCain's, intended for us "elitists" that actually care more about the environment than they do the price at the pump, will backfire (pardon the automotive pun).
Forget what's written on it: you've just handed the voters a tool that they very well may actually use and, befitting McCain's obsession, has Obama's name on it! Granted, everyone gets the joke, ha ha. But folks may use this to, you know, actually gauge their tires once in a while, and they'll be looking right at Obama's name when they do it. Not McCain's. Jokes wear thin. Name recognition is forever.
(Especially that of oil execs holding McCain's puppet strings.)
Ezra Klein had the most interesting take on this:
It's sort of rare that you see the sickness of our political culture on such clear display as in this flap over Obama's offhand comment suggesting that folks fully inflate their tires.
Fundamentally, though, it's a good reminder that politics is like the Kiwanis or the Moose Lodge: It's a social club that justifies its existence by pretending that it's actually about community service and the public good. But it's really just another venue where a bunch of folks get together with their friends and work desperately to make sure they're in on the day's joke. Obama's comment on tire pressure was one of those interesting moments when the joke collides with the ostensible purpose of the club, and you get to see which motivation is stronger.
Obama seems not to think this is so funny. Thank God for that.
(Cross-posted at 1,369 lightbulbs.)
Comments (29)
Good points.
Good to see your old avatar back.
Ought to repost the Happy Birthday Senator thread...that one didn't get the attention it should have.
August 4, 2008 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto.
August 4, 2008 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think your post is excellent with the exception of one central observation - McCain is engaged in pure marketing.
He's sending very simple, TV-friendly, memorable and biting messages that are starting to define Obama.
In marketing, it's called brand repositioning. That's when 7Up was the "Un-Cola".
Did you even notice that Briney/Paris only appear in his commercial for about a second? Yet, it moves the polls and everyone is talking about it.
And Obama is failing very badly with his response. His commercial from today was right on message, but it was boring, not memorable and just reeked of typical politics.
McCain's tactic maybe dirty and juvenile, but it's one of the most effective tools of marketing. He's going to hang on to Obama's every word and then twist it into gauges, Parises and the like.
Kerry started out a war hero and ended a windsurfer.
I think Obama needs to replace his ad team ASAP.
He needs AT LEAST the people who came up with the 3 am commercial for Hillary.
August 4, 2008 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps Obama is running a thought-out campaign rather than a daily lurch for the polls. Something unseen in presidential politics in ages.
August 4, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps he has thought-out ads for McCain's Inauguration, too?
Please, have the guts...
Hillary's ad didn't get her the nomination, but it did re-start her campaign to result in a photo-finish. Deny it all you want, you know it's true.
August 4, 2008 10:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Photo finish? Hillary needed to blow him out on Super Tuesday and didn't. The rest of the way Obama outperformed previous expectations based on the tie that day. He won or came close in some states after Super Tuesday he wasn't expected to win before then. Hillary also won a number of states she heavily invested in and was expected to get after that but never pulled off any upsets and didn't catch up. Once the die was cast on 2/5 the primaries played out pretty much as expected.
The 3am ad was a sign of the desperate situation she was in. Just as these ads are a sign of McCain's untenable position. Obama's ad team ought to compile snippets of McCain's ads and run them asking "is that all he's got?"
August 5, 2008 9:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now, that is the best ad sugestion I have seen anywhere.
August 5, 2008 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wouldn't bet against the Obama team here in terms letting McCain have a longer leash right now, which may give him a temporary boost in the polls, but which will cause him problems down the road. Obama is not going to appear like a light weight or mere celeb during the debates.
Meanwhile more stuff keeps turning up:
See, “A Dozen Reasons Why McCain Won’t Win: Money-Back Guarantee” http://msa4.wordpress.com/
(There is a link to a great video of McCain supporting Bush in the first reason.)
August 5, 2008 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
And, by the way, that 3 AM ad really worked and secured Hillary the nomination, didn't it?
August 4, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that Obama needs better ads. He's got all these great computer people and most of Hollywood loves him, he should be able to field some spicier ads. This basic political stuff that all looks the same is boring. I hate McCain for his Paris and Moses ads, but they weren't boring. I read a blog today where the commenter voiced something he saw in his head, i.e. a conveyor with Americans hanging by their heels as they move along over a big oil board meeting. As they move along, their coins and dollars fall out of their pockets and the board members laugh delightedly. McCain has his hand on the lever that moves the conveyor. That whole thing in cartoon form with Bugs Bunny/Warner Brothers music or similar----now that would be a spicy ad. I'd like a respectful campaign, but the repuggies are doing it again. This is too important to the country and to the people. We can't be too nice to win elections. They've figured out that we never fight back hard enough and they never get in too much trouble for being ugly. They just win. Let's make McCain the laughing stock of the country. He likes this kind of stuff because it's so funny. That's what he said.
August 4, 2008 9:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
p.s. Forgot to say, that this could be a series. Lots of issues all with the McCain cartoon character and the same musical theme. Lots of color and good animation and music. If they were good enough, people would begin to watch for what comes out with the next one.
Y'all remember the Coke ads with the song, "I'd Like to Build the World A Home"? Some ads really work--and others don't.
August 4, 2008 9:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain thank you for your service, sir. But when you sold your principles to Karl Rove and his minions and to the neo-cons advising you on foreign policy just to win an election, at any cost, that's when you lost me for sure. You are not honorable, sir, anymore. The version of you in 2000 wouldnt vote for the old tired fool that we see before us now. You are a shadow of that former 'man'. shame on you.
August 4, 2008 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please. McCain wasn't any more genuine back in 2000 than he is now. The dynamics of the republican primary back then required him to be 'Luke Skywalker trying to get off of the Death Star'. (Wonder if he'll reprise that one in the current campaign.?...NAH!) He'll play any role that fits the circumstances at the time.
August 4, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, the Star Wars characters could do pretty well in an Obama commercial talking about future, change and McCain's ages spent in Washington.
August 4, 2008 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Scientific, I really enjoyed this post. The links are great and it was so well thought out. I've bookmarked it for reference. Many thanks!
I agree that the Obama pressure gauge gimmick has the potential to backfire -- to some extent. At the same time, though, the McCain sharks are out in force and on message ridiculing the notion that people can take measures on their own to save fuel and energy. It's like they're trying to perpetuate a culture of dependency.
Nancy Pfotenhauer (she and Ann Coulter must be related) was opposite Frederico Pena tonight on the Lehrer News Hour. Unfortunately Pena went first, so she had the opportunity to twist everything he said -- and she's a master at it. She kept cackling in the background when Pena spoke. It was awful. He finally asked her to stop. Hard to watch.
It's way past time for the Obama campaign to stop playing nice. His surrogates need to be out and out attack dogs for it to be a fair fight. I know it's not his style, but the McCain people take no prisoners. It's unrealistic at this point to try to engage civilly with them. They're rabid and they like it. It's sport for them.
CindyMax
August 4, 2008 10:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
An excellent (and Rec'd) post, Scientific. Obama "gets" energy production and conservation, McCain gets the Big Oil bribes. And finally, some people are "getting" the difference between these twto guys.
Lalo, you have some interesting points, but I wouldn't count out Axelrod's ad people just yet. I think they may be taking a long view, refraining fom counterattacks now in order to stake out the moral high ground from which to later strip the "honorable" label off McCain.
August 4, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think they may be taking a long view, refraining fom counterattacks now in order to stake out the moral high ground from which to later strip the "honorable" label off McCain.
Then you must be drunk. Or stupid. I decline to make the call. How did the rope-a-dope strategy work out for our effete Frenchy windsurfer candidate, Kerry, in 2004?
August 5, 2008 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are rude, so I will explain this slowly for you to avoid shocking your fragile psyche. McCain is the one vulnerable to turning his greatest strength into a weakness. He's doing much of the damage to himself, though Obama will have to drive home the point later. It's called giving him enough rope to hang himself, not rope-a-dope. And in 2004, moron, it worked very well against the only candidate with serious military experience.
August 5, 2008 2:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would say the same if I haven't seen what happened to Kerry. McCain is not talking about himself anymore. He knows he polls better than Obama on defense and foreign policy. His job right now is to reposition Obama.
As always, the Republicans would rip his own words out of context and come up with an ad that says something very negative with a smile.
When Democrats run a negative ad, it ALWAYS comes across as openly and deliberately mean-spirited and malicious. Like the DNC bomb bomb bomb ad, remember? It was perhaps a good idea but the execution was absolutely horrific. That's why it didn't work, because it came across as desperate and negative.
August 5, 2008 8:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great post...definitely rec'd!!!
I would LOVE to see Obama riff off of McSame's comments in a TV ad, some good fodder...using NASCAR, the Dept. of Energy and Gov. Terminator clips/quotes to show how out of touch McBush is.
August 5, 2008 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
My favorite ad of the season thus far was the one of the lady holding (was it Alex?) a little boy saying that John McCain couldn't have her son...Brought tears to my eyes...we need more of those!
August 5, 2008 12:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
How frustrating is it that McCain is continuously driving the political conversation? Make no mistake about it, McCain is eating Obama's lunch right now.
August 5, 2008 1:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
...McCain is continuously driving the political conversation...
Yes he is. And it's gonna leave a mark.
August 5, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
And when will the MSM make this *their* talking point? Some surrogates should be out there rattling.
Obama needs to launch ads that target both heart and mind, appealing to both our emotions as well as our intellect. He needs to remind us how tragic life has been for a lot of Americans after 8 yrs of Republicans, homeless, jobless, coming home from Iraq in a box, etc. to demoralize the Republican base and mobilize angry voters who will not sit back and take this anymore.
Policy details to solve our problems are one thing, getting at the heart of America is another.
Rouse the party, pack a punch already.
August 5, 2008 2:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I think TPM in general and Josh Marshall in particular would be far more helpful if they ran an open contest for an Obama commercial with the following rules:
- stay on the message
- don't insult or riducule McCain, but rather take the common truths about him and turn them upside down
- keep it simple
Like, for example, a photo-album idea. Imagine its slowly turning dusty pages, showing black-and-white old photographs and talking about McCain's lifetime of politics, insider knowledge of Washington, skill of playing the political game, etc. This would drive home the point that he's a dinosaur. Then close with the Bush/McCian embrace and ask if he's the right person to lead America to a new dawn.
Blah blah blah, maybe, but far more useful than trying to suck some blood out of the airplane seats.
August 5, 2008 8:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well Lalo, I've read your responses in this post, and I agree with you 100%.
Obama needs to play to the popular culture, in much the same fashion as the McCain camp did with the Britney ad.
His age needs to be called into question, subtly. Obama made that point in his latest ad, but it's too subtle.
Your idea makes sense, and Obama could say, well John, it's all about humor. Relax and enjoy it! Old Man Yells At Cloud kind of stuff.
Besides, have you seen the disturbing video of McCain becoming completely confused during a presser? Who wants another second term Ronald Reagan in the white house?
August 5, 2008 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
You make a great point, and that ad sounds like a winner. You and I rarely agree, but this was on target. Thanks for responding to my post.
August 5, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great idea for an ad Lalo, a bit of humor never hurts.
OTOH, McCain just pre-emptively produced the ad (which hammers home the terrible state we're in, reminds the voters the Bushies are responsible for the disasters) I said Obama SHOULD air asap...:( ...McCain just released one which tosses Bush and his legacy under the bus. He is darn crafty - this is innoculation against being associated with Bush and the Republican disasters....
Obama, Obama.....*shakes head*
I think there're lots of McCain spies on TPM.
August 5, 2008 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
When you look at the detail, it all comes apart. It's a lot easier to be what McCain is trying hard to become if you're not burdened by conscience or wherewithall.
I used to like having McCain on the opposing team (I joined the D camp in protest a few years ago). But now I can only hear his dental work coming loose, his voice drying up.
August 5, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
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