Truemors
Barack Obama will air a 30 minute commercial ad on 7 major television networks tonight to discuss his presidential campaign. The infomercial speech will precede the Major League Baseball World Series game, which was delayed slightly in order to accomodate the Senator's TV ad campaign. The ad will air on Fox, CBS, NBC, Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One.
CHECK BACK FOR LIVE BLOGGING AND UPDATES throughout the Obama infomercial (see time-stamped commentary below).
Also see our Scan page for more live updates.
8:06 PM
Governors endorsing Obama, we meet real Americans who are struggling. Nice production value so far.
8:10 PM
America needs energy independence.
8:13 PM
Americans are tightening their belts, and Washington should be leading the way. Cutbacks are needed, Iraq funding should be first to go - this money could to go schools, hospitals, scholarships - back into America.
8:16 PM
Obama talks about his father, was shaped more by his absence than his presence.
All children need world class education, they need our support and higher standards. We can create schools that work.
8:19 PM
In last months of Barack's mother's life, she was filling out insurance forms and struggling with medical bills. He knows what it's like.
8:20 PM
"No Liberal America, No Conservative America, just the United States of America."
8:22 PM
More endorsements from other politicians, Biden speaks in support of Obama. Obama speaks on how they can relate to one another, they share core values and sense of where country needs to go.
8:23 PM
We meet another working class family, look at a bit of history and meet Mark Dow who are plant workers and struggling to make ends meet. People used to have security in jobs, receive retirement funding; now there are layoffs and no security.
8:24 PM
Communities need to pull together; the livelihood of many depend on a single plant, which if shut down would have devastating effects.
8:25 PM
Barack vows to renew military and protect country at all costs. Refocus attention on key battles, but recognizes that the soldiers being sent over are sons and daughters. Obama understands the stakes, has the courage to be rational.
8:26 PM
Everyone has a story, Americans are hard workers and do so to create better lives for their children - this is the story of America.
8:27 PM
Vows to be honest about challenges, will listen throughout disagreements, will open the doors of government and ask Americans to be involved in their own democracy again. Now Obama is speaking live in Florida now.
8:28 PM
Healthcare, renewable energy, education key points. Come together as one nation, one people. Fight for small business owners, hard working couples, young students.
8:29 PM
People should have the right to achieve their American dream. Invites people to knock on doors, make phone calls, vote, stand in solidarity with Obama. Together we will change the country, and change the world.
The senator from Illinois this month arranged to buy tonight's 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. slot on CBS, NBC and Spanish-language network Univision. Fox Broadcasting joined the field after Major League Baseball agreed to delay the start time of tonight's World Series game.
Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC, however, initially balked at selling its 8 p.m. slot, saying it didn't want to bump its regularly scheduled series, "Pushing Daisies," even though the whimsical show has been struggling in the ratings.
ABC executives said the earlier decision not to accept the Obama infomercial was due to the problem of filling the second half-hour of the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. time period -- and not for political reasons.
The Obama campaign released a short clip of the 30 minute commercial, which will feature the stories of real Americans and a live speech from Obama in Florida:
“We’ve been talking about the same problems for decades and nothing is ever done to solve them. For the past 20 months, I’ve traveled the length of this country, and Michelle and I have met so many Americans who are looking for real and lasting change that makes a difference in their lives,” Obama says in the commercial, according to the Times.
Many Democrats and Republicans are hailing Obama's extended TV commercial as a stragetic move, though not everyone is on the bandwagon and some consider the infomercial to be "overkill."
Several political image makers, both Republicans and Democrats, say it’s a smart move. But is there a risk of excess in it, as well?
While Obama hasn’t made many strategic mistakes in his campaign against Republican John McCain, he has, on occasion, shown a weakness for extravagance.
The prime-time 8 p.m. television spot reportedly cost between $3 and $5 million total to air - on top of the $3 million in production costs. The Obama camp justifies the infomercial as necessary and not extravagant, especially as the McCain campaign ramps up their offensive attacks against Obama.
Titled "TV Special," the McCain infomercial ad is transcribed as follows:
Using clips of Obama and his massive campaign crowds, the voice-over states, “Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special, lies the truth: With crises at home and abroad, Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs. And it shows. His response to our economic crisis is to spend and tax our economy deeper into recession. The fact is Barack Obama’s not ready yet.”
One McCain aide mocked the efficiacy of TV infomercials in swaying US voters in a press conference this morning, yet despite this the Republican party will air a 30-second national ad campaign of their own tonight.
Comments (0)