Dude, Where's My Party?

by Josh Orton, Sun Jul 06, 2008 at 12:42:35 PM EDT

The RNC just released an energy-themed pro-McCain/anti-Obama ad in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The buy is $3 million, and it'll run for 10 days.

Take a watch, and see if you catch the two glaring ironies:

Here's a hint: both are related to the plummeting Republican brand, a trend Jonathan looked at earlier today.

The ad hits Obama as "just the party line" on energy, yet praises McCain for "pushing his own party to face climate change."

Irony one: an ad by the Republican National Committee actually praises the Republican candidate for bucking the Republican party on climate change, and attacks Obama for opposing the same out-of-touch Republican party that McCain supposedly deserves praise for crossing.

Really?

Irony two:the name of a political party isn't even mentioned until the mandatory lawyer-speak disclaimer at the end. The Republican brand is so in the mud that the RNC is running an ad praising their candidate for bucking his party, but won't explicitly mention the actual name of the party because its image is too toxic.

As Jonathan says, this is not a tied race.

Tags: Election 08, John McCain (all tags)

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Both Senator Obama and John McCain have 'bucked their Party' so this ad is not only laced with irony but also misleading.

Democrats weren't too pleased with Obama's championing of ethics reform- in Illinois or Washington.

Nor do most Democrats like his position on the death penalty or merit pay.

And ofcourse there was that speech before the War where he didn't just 'buck' his Party but the entire public establishment and nearly all of public opinion.

If McCain is going to turn this into a holier than thou race on 'independence' from one's Party he will, at best, split the difference with Obama.

On issues that matter most to the bulk of independents like myself, Obama's critique of our political system reaches far deeper and his campaigns grassroots composure makes it more credible.

by ChangeMatters 2008-07-06 12:51PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

I saw that ad here in Michigan yesterday. My first thought was... Yeah, that's why I'm voting for Barack Obama. "He's for conservation but he just says no to lower gas taxes, no nuclear power (which is a lie actually), and no to offshore oil production."

Voted with his party 97% of the time last year? Hell yeah. Voters put his party in power the year before because they were sick of the other one. He better vote that way.

I think I'll vote for that guy.

by recusancy 2008-07-06 12:55PM | 0 recs

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Totally agree.

I vote for the guy who reaches across the aisle and drags some republicans over to our side.

McCain is just one of the republicans running who claims to be more like us, the popular party, than his own. Downticket republicans are claiming to be all about change just like Obama too.

LMAO!

by GFORD 2008-07-06 02:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Fellow political junkies take note!!! THIS is what throwing your party and supporters under the bus looks like.

If I am a Republican congressman, particularly one running for reelection, I am PISSED at this. It's one thing for McCain's camp to put out something with such a blatant anti-Republican message, but for the RNC to do it? Wow.

Message to all Democratic candidates for Congress: Make sure to point out in your ads that your opponents have been slammed by their own candidate as in need of change. Offer to provide that change.

by vcalzone 2008-07-06 01:33PM | 0 recs

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the RNCC has already advised

Republicans in Congress to run on personal, local issues. They know how lousy the Republican brand is right now.

It is amusing to see the RNC spend its warchest on ads praising McCain for bucking his own party.

They know he needs to keep that maverick label to have any hope.

by desmoinesdem 2008-07-06 02:18PM | 0 recs

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Re: the RNCC has already advised

You know, it's all starting to make sense to me now.
I received the first call I've ever gotten from one of my congressmen (a Republican) the other day, after e-mailing him about numerous issues over the last few years.
The staffer thanked me for the one positive e-mail I sent a month or more ago and told me if there was anything else the congressman could help with, be sure and contact him!
Wasn't that helpful of my (never heard from before) Republican congressman?

by skohayes 2008-07-06 02:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

The RNC has told republican congressional candidates that hey are on their own... they are going all for nothing with McCain... everyone else be damned.

I live in Ohio, so I've seen lots of these McCain ads already... one of them emphasizes "McCain: Reform, prosperity, peace" PEACE!! he must think that we are really stupid!

But, the ads are all about how he's like a Sierra Club member, with him wearing hiking gear and all that... he's not only throwing sand int he face of his base, he's grinding it into their eyes!

But, the whole time, he's validating democratic policies bye copying them... Following a republican version of DLC "strategy" is a sure loser. Combine that with a base that is being continuously dumped on is not a good recipe for success.

by LordMike 2008-07-06 06:20PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Let me get this straight, the REPUBLICAN National Committee runs an ad praising the REPUBLICAN nominee for bucking the REPUBLICAN Party. Great move.

Even better they list cutting the gas tax and drilling offshore as conservation policies, no they are conservative policies not conservation policies. Dumb ad.

This is the second McCain ad i've seen that talks about the environment, this is such a losing issue for the Republicans. Voters are not stupid, they remember that it was the Republicans who denied the existence of climate change and put the polluters in charge of environmental protection.

Maybe they know something i don't, but i think all this ad does is remind voters that the Republicans are wrong on the environment. McCain is not going to win a contest on the environment with Obama, so if this is the issue he wants to fight on. Let him.

by liberalj 2008-07-06 01:46PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Yeah can add irony 3 and 4:

3) McCain actually superimposes an oil-well over the background of a forest.

4) This add is ostensibly aimed at going for an early 80's look -- I imagine to conjure up images of Jimmy Carter, when, low and behold, McCain is battling memes that he is too old and out of touch. Yikes, not very helpful.

Seriously though, I commented about this on 538.com, this add is horrendous. If I'm a low info voter, it does nothing to make me like McCain. The picture of him is staid and out-of-focus. The music sucks. And, most of all, it's simply too early to be running negative adds. No one knows who McCain is. They could draw up a :30 bio add that could do real work in developing the McCain brand. Instead, they're getting desperate. Here's hoping they continue to waste money on this crap.

by such sweet thunder 2008-07-06 10:26PM | 0 recs

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gas tax

Do even supporters of suspending the gas tax claim to support it for environmental reasons? WTF?

by aaronetc 2008-07-06 02:17PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

So, let me get this straight: people currently have a higher opinion of Democrats than Republicans, and yet it's somehow damaging to Obama that he's "just a typical Democrat" (or whatever) and that he's voted with the party 97% of the time? O..k...

by rfahey22 2008-07-06 02:21PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Sorry, Josh, but I think you've drunk a bit too much of the Kool-Aid.

McCain is doing a far better job than Obama in defining the energy debate. Yes, the definition is completely wrong, but come October Obama's complete failure to define this issue is going to be biting him in the ass.

It's all fine and well to make graduate-level-reading points about the lack of reference to the party brand in the ad. But to think that that means that this is "not a tied race" -- or won't be -- is delusional.

The American electorate will turn on a dime. Right now, the only argument forcefully being made is by Gingrich and McCain, with their "drill here, drill now" policy. It's the wrong argument, but until Obama himself -- and not us bloggers -- forcefully argues an alternative, the debate is going to go McCain's way. I'm fully on your side, but we mock McCain's rhetoric on this issue (in the absence of a counter argument from Obama that is made with equal measure) at our own peril.

by Mathew Gross 2008-07-06 06:11PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

I wouldn't worry about it too much... Gas prices will plummet after Labor Day. The oil companies know that if this keeps up, people will vote Democratic, and will manipulate the market to try and prevent that from happening.

Sound too tin-foil-hat for you? Take a look at how much gas prices dropped after labor day in 2006, and how much they rose almost immediately after the election.

There was also a price drop in 2004 as well...

Obama will have an energy policy answer and that answer is, "McSame's energy policies are the same as Bush's, and look at where Bush's energy policies have gotten us."

by LordMike 2008-07-06 06:16PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

"Obama will have an energy policy answer and that answer is, "McSame's energy policies are the same as Bush's, and look at where Bush's energy policies have gotten us.""

That's a good start, LordMike. But Obama needs to actually say it. He hasn't. Permits for drilling on public lands have gone up 400% or so under Bush, and gas prices have nearly tripled. Thus, the McCain argument that we need to drill more as a solution has already been disproven. But it doesn't do any good for you or me to say this; Obama has to open his mouth to get the point across. Thus far, he hasn't. I don't claim to know why he hasn't, but he needs to start speaking up before the debate (and the perceived solution) runs away from him.

by Mathew Gross 2008-07-06 06:25PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Agree with you 100%, I'm not sure why he's being silent about it so far... maybe he's waiting to let McCain set himself up and then cut him off at the knees. Whatever it is, I'm sure that Obama knows what he's doing... I hope!

by LordMike 2008-07-06 07:14PM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

Yes, well, I'm not Obama. But I am a blogger who sees great irony in the RNC trying to get away with this positioning. So I wrote about it.

by Josh Orton 2008-07-06 07:38PM | 0 recs

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by LesGovt 2008-07-07 05:25AM | 0 recs

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Re: (Comment Deleted)

Apparently, this site is too frail to deal with opposing views. My ideas do not come from McCain as I cannot stand McCain and, at this point, I don't plan to vote for him. I just believe that common sense should tell us that McCain is mostly correct when it comes to his latest energy policy.

by LesGovt 2008-07-07 08:28AM | 0 recs

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Re: Dude, Where's My Party?

I have absolutely NO doubt that Obama will bring up energy when it will best benefit him, or hurt McCain the worst, either way.

Sometimes it is best to stand silently on the sidelines and let your opponent self-destruct. IF Obama MISSES a good opportunity to make a statement, I will criticise then...but now it makes no difference. After Sept.1 we will see.

by Hammer1001 2008-07-07 08:19AM | 0 recs