Chief Exec
Nice spoof from the Chris Matthews Show. Could have been an attack ad, but I doubt many Republicans would get it. And with health care reform under serious pressure this even becomes kind of painful:
Posts Tagged ‘Barack Obama’
Obamaville
Attack ads are always more fun than normal ones. Here’s Rick Santorum’s latest. It looks like the trailer of a horror movie. Also, check out the weird Obama/Ahmedinejad switch at 0:39.
The Road We’ve Traveled
Last Thursday the Obama campaign showed its first feat of arms. The tone is harsh, gloomy and realistic, which is a pretty bold move, because I’m pretty sure that one of the primers of advertising is that it should always convey a positive message. It shows all the hardships the country went through in the last 4 years: the economic crisis, an imploding housing market, two nasty wars, etc. And it ends on a sort of positive note, with the capture of Osama Bin Laden, the retreat from Iraq and a slowly recovering economy. It’s narrated by Hollywood A-lister Tom Hanks and features usual suspects like Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton. Would there be a particular reason not to include Hillary Clinton by the way? Also, “Obamacare” is not mentioned (EDIT: Healthcare reform is actually mentioned quite a bit, from 7:15 to ,9:50. My bad).
The underlying message is: it takes eight years of Obama to repair eight years of Bush, so give me another term. I think this ad, or rather mini-documentary, is meant to assure his base that Obama is still the Obama of 2008, but that he is now wisened and hardened. And most of all, he has rescued America from imminent doom by averting financial breakdown, creating new jobs, bringing home soldiers and investing in the car industry. I am wondering if the tone is not a bit too gloomy, because at certain moments the film is almost like an obituary. But all in all it’s a pretty impressive mini-documentary IMHO, which gives a fair portrayal of his accomplishments (obviously, there are also enough negative points would have been mentioned in a real documentary), without any nasty smears to Republicans. It sets the tone for his reelection campaign, which I guess has changed from “Yes we can” to “We will overcome” or “Through struggle we are humbled”, or something like that. If voters are going to buy this (which in the end I think enough of them will) then Andrew Sullivan will be right with his “Obama’s long game” analysis.
More at Time, Sullivan, NYT and Salon.
- Edit: best analysis at TPM.
America’s Funniest Presidents Not Being Able To Open Doors
What’s funnier than seeing American Presidents being locked out of the White House? Not much. Jimmy Kimmel thought so too. Get your copy now!
Newt Gingrich To Run For President
According to insiders Newt Gingrich will run for President in 2012. There have been rumours about this for months and now it seems he has made up his mind. Less than two years before the next presidential election the campaigns are slowly starting. Palin has been gathering funds for over a year. Giuliani says he is ‘more likely’ to run if Palin will run. President Obama is also starting up his campaign, which will be based in Chicago.
Huffpost on Gingrich:
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has told insiders that he plans to run for president in 2012, with Georgia as his base, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
According to the report, Gingrich has reached out to several prominent Republicans in his former home state in the last 24 hours, stating he intends on a 2012 presidential run.
However, a spokesman for Gingrich, Rick Tyler, denies that the former House Speaker has made a decision on 2012. Tyler states: “His plans are to decide on whether to create an exploratory committee in late February, and make a decision about his candidacy in March.”
Gingrich, 67, is registered to vote in Virginia but has spent most of his adult life in Georgia and served as a congressman in Atlanta from 1979 to 1999. He toyed with the idea of a 2008 presidential bid before ultimately deciding against it.
Gingrich recently called President Obama’s staff a “third term of the Clintons.”
WikiLeaks: Amerikanen waren bang voor Fitna
Nog een interessante cable over Nederland vandaag via WikiLeaks. Deze komt van de ambassade in Den Haag komt en is van 29 januari 2008. En is zover ik weet nog niet opgepikt door de Nederlandse MSM. Hierin wordt gewaarschuwd dat de film Fitna, die toen nog niet was uitgebracht “could generate anti-European/anti-Western protests if it is perceived as part of a worldwide campaign against Islam”. De Amerikanen hielden duidelijk rekening met grote problemen naar aanleiding van de film Fitna:
The following is an information/action cable advising posts of the possibility of anti-Dutch demonstrations and incidents following the potential release of a short film funded by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders that is anticipated to be inflammatory towards Muslims. There is also the possibility that the film could generate anti-European/anti-Western protests if it is perceived as part of a worldwide campaign against Islam.
In de cable wordt zelfs een instructie gegeven over hoe Amerikanen in Islamitische landen moeten worden ingelicht over eventuele gevaren:
Following the release of the Wilders film, if the need exists to issue a Warden Message or SMS Message to private American citizen communities, please use language in existing consular information program documents, specifically the Worldwide Caution. If posts also wish to alert American citizens to demonstrations in response to the film, they may use the following pre-cleared Warden Message and/or SMS Message below:
Warden Message: The U.S. (Embassy/Consulate) has learned of the release of a short film funded by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders that is inflammatory towards Muslims. The release of the film has sparked (use if appropriate: anti-European/anti- Western) demonstrations across (city/country/region). (Insert the specifics of known planned demonstrations as fitting)
We remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are, therefore, urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Information regarding demonstrations in (Country) can be found on the U.S. Embassy (Post) website at (website)…..
De volledige cable hier.
