OMG, check out Elizabeth Dole's latest spot

One of the most entertaining commercials of the political cycle comes from Sen. Elizabeth Dole, of all people, who's embroiled in a tough North Carolina re-election bid, and now an ad controversy, with challenger Kay Hagan, who is accused in the spot above of being "godless." Hagan has demanded that Dole pull the ad, and she's filed some court papers, but only divine intervention will get the clip canned before Election Day. The ad's a real hoot, with a sub-horror-flick feel, linking Hagan to the Godless American Political Action Committee (it's a real group, which apparently held a fundraiser in Massachusetts, where else?). The spot says Hagan "took 'godless' money. What did Kay Hagan promise in return?" Could it be ... her soul!?

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on November 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Gianatasio, Other races

Cast a vote, and cancel out your neighbors

Democracy. Big word. But does anyone really know what it means? What do you think it means? No taxation without representation? Equal protection under the law? Habeus corpus? One if by land, two if by sea? Or is it simply about getting your way and not letting your brain-dead neighbors get theirs? Because if there's one way to get back at your redneck North Carolina neighbor who "built" a piece of public "art" on his front lawn working in the medium of wheel-less car and cinder blocks, it's about electing a black president.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on November 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Greenfield, Humor

Obama live-blogs McCain 'SNL' appearance

My fellow Americans, during my TV special, I declined to mention a certain someone or his party by name. And I intend to carry on in that vein. It's sad watching my out-of-step opponent, who shall remain nameless, stumbling his way toward obscurity on Saturday Night Live. He's guaranteed to blow his lines. Right there, he muffed it! Hey, they're on the teleprompter, Maverick! He's wrong for late-night TV, and he's wrong for America. When I did the show a year ago, the critics agreed: I rocked. It's been clear for some time that my opponent's style is more suited to The Biggest Loser or Lost, which will be especially appropriate venues for the senator after Tuesday. By the way, I wrote that last joke myself, unlike J.M., who's relying on comedy writers during his turn on SNL. That's the kind of change America needs and deserves.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on November 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Barack Obama, Gianatasio, John McCain, SNL

McCain hitting Obama on environment, Iran

Here are John McCain's most recent campaign commercials: "Obama Praising McCain" (top), which airs footage of the Democrat praising the Republican for his work on greenhouse gases; and "Preconditions," in which McCain again hammers Obama over the latter's willingness to engage with Iran.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under McCain ads, Nudd

New Obama spots keep pressure on McCain

Barack Obama didn't mention John McCain or the Republican Party at all during his half-hour prime-time extravaganza on Wednesday. But he hasn't stopped attacking. Here are a couple of new ads released since then: "Rearview Mirror" (top), which features humorous sight gags of Bush and McCain seen in the rearview mirrors of cars; and "His Choice" (bottom), the first Obama spot to question McCain's selection of Sarah Palin.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Nudd, Obama ads

Even the rednecks loves them some Obama

What frustrates liberals in Brainland America about conservatives in Heartland America is that conservatives in Heartland America should really be liberals! They're poor and oppressed, and they carry more than their fair share of the country's onerous military burden. Should be a no-brainer, right? Yet, those yokels always seem to get duped by the Republican machine. Shucks, they're just too stupid to figure it out, ain't they? Well, fret not, elitist fancy-pantses: They're finally coming around. Via Andrew Sullivan.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Greenfield, Humor

Maybe Hollywood doesn't hate John McCain

If John McCain had any juice at all in Hollywood, he would have been smart and hired big-name directors to film his campaign ads—instead of acting like a used car salesman and hiring a bargain film production company and appearing in the spots himself. Well, guess what, McCain doubters? He did hire fancy-shmancy Hollywood assholes to do his latest campaign spots. Say hello to John Woo, Kevin Smith, Wes Anderson, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, M. Night Shyamalan and David Lynch. Say goodbye to No-Drama Obama's lead in the polls.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Greenfield, Humor, McCain ads

Celebrities want you to vote. Seriously now

After previously imploring us not to vote, those Snobbywood celebs have come out with a new ad (above) that turns that conceit on its head. We should vote! Does this make anyone else want to gag a little? See, they can't do it, folks—they just can't be glib about something as important as voting, even with director Steven Spielberg urging them just to read the damn lines. Since the whole ad is a spoof on ensemble-cast celeb PSAs, I find it hard to swallow the "We need to get serious" attitude. It just doesn't blend. If the medium is the message, in this case: Vote, don't vote, just don't lose your cynicism.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Celebrities, Greenfield, Voting

As good a reason as any to vote next week

Don't do it for "change you can believe in" or "country first." Don't do it because it's your civic duty. Don't do it because celebrities tell you to. And definitely don't do it because everyone else is. That's un-American. Do it for the most American thing of all: doughnuts. Deep-fried, light and fluffy inside, covered with sprinkles and in the colors of Old Glory.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Food and Drink, Greenfield

John McCain live-blogs Obama's TV special

My fellow Americans, I'm actually writing this live-blog on Thursday, because I wanted to respond to Senator Obama's infomercial as frankly and forcefully as possible now that it's morning again in America. Plus, like all real Americans, I watched Pushing Daisies on ABC last night. Remember, ABC is the real American network. If you spell it out. (Which most people don't. But they should.) Anyway, I'm currently viewing a replay of Obama's program on something my aides call "the Internet." My lovely wife Cindy will be typing, because I don't use modern technology. It's a personal choice, and I'm proud to serve a country where such freedoms are guaranteed. ... Oh, sorry. Cindy says I'm veering off topic. Lemme see, Barack's yakking on about tax cuts or something. He's from Hawaii, you know. That's barely America. I'm older than Hawaii, actually. Sarah Palin's from Alaska. which I'm older than as well. ... What, Cindy!? Oh, off topic again. No, don't rewind it! In fact, I've seen enough. Whatever he said, I'm against it! Cindy, clean that up and make me sound good, OK? And would it kill you to wear glasses like Palin's?

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Gianatasio, John McCain, Obama ads

A confusing message from Mr. Joe Sixpack

Thomas Haden Church, the original Joe Sixpack, is bitter. He's been appropriated by Sarah Palin and upstaged by Joe the plumber. Instead of clinging to guns and religion, though, he's made a campaign ad in support of ... ? Well, I'm not sure. PBR, maybe? The iconic hipster beer gets a free and valuable nod in this spot. (By the way, hipsters, ugly-hot doesn't work the same way for foods and beverages.) One thing is for certain: Haden Church has thrown down the gauntlet. Joe the plumber has been officially challenged to a drinking/public-drunkenness contest. And he's up against it, with Haden Church posting a case of PBR consumed, a half-naked dance with an old woman, and what is known in the dive-bar world as a "porcelain mirage."

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Greenfield, Humor, Joe the plumber

McCain ad scoffs at Obama's big TV special

As Barack Obama prepares for his splashy 30-minute ad tonight, John McCain is doing what he can with his more limited resources. He's unveiled three new spots, including one that takes a jab at Obama's TV special. The first spot, "Compare," trades images of a smiling McCain and a dour Obama, with short phrases defining each. The second, "Tiny," attacks Obama for downplaying the threat posed by Iran. And the third, "TV-Special" (above), again questions Obama's readiness to be president. The voiceover says: "Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV specials lies the truth. ... Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs." Weirdly, the McCain campaign has altered its "Not ready" message to read "Not ready ... yet," a subtle softening in rhetoric that seems to suggest Obama will be a great candidate ... someday.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under McCain ads, Nudd

How crazy will Obama's prime-time ad get?

Barack Obama will go back to the future tonight for at least part of his highly anticipated prime-time 30-minute broadcast TV ad, including a live segment near the end of the telecast. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter's "Live Feed" blog: "The entire half hour is being fed live to various outlets from a site in Florida. They'll be feeding a tape for most of the broadcast and then a live portion at the end." Obama is campaigning hard in the battleground state today (most polls tag Florida as too close to call), with former president Bill Clinton in tow. This marks the first time the pair have campaigned together, and buzz is building that they could share the live portion of the show. Live TV is always risky, especially where the volatile ex-president is concerned. If Clinton starts getting all weird, just stick a sax in his mouth. It'll be like 1992 all over again—and from the Democrats' POV, there's nothing wrong with that.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Gianatasio, Obama ads

Green means Gobama for North Carolinians

Do these green-light Obama-logo decals represent cute election marketing with a post-advertising twist or a reckless endangerment of drivers? "It's not like we're putting them on actual stoplights," says David Oakley of BooneOakley, the North Carolina ad agency responsible for the initiative. Still, it might be a class-C felony in the state, which appears to be tipping blue for the first time in a generation. The agency isn't worried: It's starting a legal fund—anyone at the agency who is heard using the words "You betcha" will be fined a dollar. Decals have already begun appearing in North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. They're available for free at GObamaNC.com.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Barack Obama, Greenfield

Vote Obama, get some sweet liberal lovin'

What began as a low-budget poster in Brooklyn has turned into a pretty intense online debate about sex and politics. Angela Natividad of Adrants points us to this Salon article debating a poster (at left) that proclaims "Girls say yes to boys who say Obama." It's a reference to the Joan Baez poster (at right) that implied a sexual predilection for men who opposed the Vietnam War. While you could definitely argue that it's a crass way to sell your politics, I think some people seem to take it a bit too literally. "It really bugs me," says self-described "humorless feminist" Kate Harding in the Salon piece. She's irritated by "both the concept of a vote-for-sex transaction and the 'obnoxiously retrograde' notion that women are merely gatekeepers for our own vaginas, not human beings with actual sex drives." I have a hard time believing anyone would take this so seriously, but if it is a literal promise, then there's going to be one hell of an orgy in Berkeley come Nov. 4.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Barack Obama, Controversy, Griner

Russian aristocrats crazy about Sarah Palin

If Sarah Palin is elected vice president of the United States, we are sure to enjoy a foreign-policy renaissance due entirely to swooning foreign male politicians. The offers are already pouring in. Two Russian aristocrats, Vlad and Boris, have already asked Palin for her hand in marriage and built a special telescope to spy on her from their Moscow apartment. All they want is to rear their "little heads" and "invade her airspace." I bet we could get a lot in return, like Russian troop pullouts from Georgia, support for UN sanctions against Iran, and a significant increase in the export to the U.S. of Babushka dolls, vodka and hilarious Eastern Bloc-style sweaters.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Greenfield, Humor, Sarah Palin

Errol Morris launches 11th-hour Obama ads

Oscar-winning director Errol Morris has launched a late-in-the-game ad campaign for Barack Obama, called "People in the Middle for Obama," that's designed to sway undecided voters the Democrat's way. The ads are done in typical Morris style: interviews with ordinary people against a white backdrop, with music playing softly in the background. The interviewees are all middle-of-the-road voters who claim to be more concerned with issues than partisan ideology—and who've sided with Obama. According to the press release, the campaign is "designed to be spread over the Internet to other undecided voters who may benefit from hearing the factors that helped people like themselves make up their minds."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Barack Obama, Nudd

Tired of Obama? Then ABC is your network

CampaignFreak sibling The Hollywood Reporter (yeah, Mom always liked him best) says ABC won't air Barack Obama's 30-minute ad on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. like the three other big broadcast networks. Per THR's Live Feed blog: "One source said ABC offered the airtime, but the Obama campaign, for whatever reason, declined to buy an ad." ABC will air Pushing Daisies in that time slot as usual. Maybe Obama's a die-hard Daisies fan and just couldn't stand to pre-empt an episode. Just kidding, we know no one watches that show anymore. Here's the infamous "Daisy" spot from Lyndon Johnson's 1964 presidential run. "Daisy" ... Pushing Daisies. OK, there's no real connection. I just never get tired of seeing that spot.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Barack Obama, Gianatasio, Network coverage

Paris wraps up campaign with music video

Forget all those other fringe candidates. The clear leader among this year's third-party also-rans is Paris Hilton. She has run such a clever campaign that she's sure to get a significant number of write-in votes. She has responded well to her opponent's negative campaign ads, has benefited from timely endorsements from past (fictional) presidents and now has a music video out, something every candidate needs.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Celebrities, Greenfield

To get better everything, vote for Mos Def

Universal healthcare, education and housing, more taxes on the rich, less on the poor and a warm bed for every American—only one candidate promises all of these things, and it's not John McCain or Barack Obama. It's rapper/actor Mos Def. Sound good? Well, how about all these other goodies: "America would be cool again," "better cars and better everything," "voting bonanza," the elimination from the lexicon of "drop it like it's hot" and "shortie," National Tupac Day, Malcolm X University, National Skateboard Day, and much, much more. So, this Nov. 4, be a "good Jedi" and not a "Sith," and write in Mos Def. He's the candidate for better everything.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Celebrities, Greenfield

Obama flooding the zone in 7 swing states

According to CampaignFreak parent Nielsen, which can return to following the packaged-goods wars once the Obama era begins, the future president is handily out-advertising John McCain in seven key swing states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. From Oct. 6-26, Obama placed 62,000-plus ad units in those states compared to McCain's 24,200-plus, a 155 percent advantage. (Adding insult to injury, Obama's also leading in the Ohio "cookie poll.") Florida has been the biggest winner in the swing-state ad bonanza, with almost 19,000 Obama units, compared to about 5,700 for McCain, from Oct. 6-26. As for the pro-Obama impact of the video where Sarah Silverman urges Jews to visit their grandparents in Florida, it's been amazingly positive, but mainly for Silverman, and the state remains a statistical tie for the two candidates in most recent polls. Both Obama and McCain have basically shunned Georgia, with the former running 1,470 ads there, compared to just 22 for the latter. If you've ever seen Deliverance or watched Atlanta Braves baseball this season, you'll know why the Peach Tree State is best avoided.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Ad spending, Gianatasio

Obama, McCain enter home stretch for ads

With a week to go before the election, Barack Obama and John McCain have both released new ads in which they speak directly to voters—an established approach for Obama, a relatively new one for McCain. Obama's spot, titled "Defining Moment" (top), is his first new commercial in a week, and condenses his entire platform down to a concise two-minute pitch. McCain's ad, called "Life Savings" (bottom), is a regular 30-second issues ad, in which the candidate promises to help rebuild voters' personal finances in the wake of the economic meltdown.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under McCain ads, Nudd, Obama ads

Joe the plumber simply refuses to go away

Sometimes it's hard to tell who's in charge of this election: the official campaigns, or citizens with a lot to say and the Web 2.0 means to say it. Take, for instance, Joe the plumber. In the short time since the campaigns engaged with Joe, he has been debunked, used by McCain in official ads, challenged by real Ohio plumbers, and now, quite unbelievably, encouraged to run for Congress in 2010 by an anonymous blogger (motto: "Plunge the crap out of Washington"). What a trip Joe has had in just two weeks! The latest news, even more unbelievable, is that Joe is seriously considering a run. Luckily for Joe, while lying about your past and not paying taxes doesn't help you be a better plumber, it's pretty much a prerequisite for elected office.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Greenfield, Joe the plumber

Liberals draft Ronald Reagan for the cause

A refreshingly stylish and subtle ad from liberal advocacy group Progressive Future uses the words of Ronald Reagan to encourage support for Barack Obama. The lines come from the Republican icon's eloquent appeal in the second 1980 presidential debate against incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Reagan asked the audience. "Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was?" The ad omits the unemployment line, though it could easily point out that the unemployment rate is at a five-year high. Of course, liberals aren't the first to use this quote for alternate purposes. A media fellow for the conservative Hoover Institution once cited it in his case for why America should clamp down on immigration. Hat tip to the girl Riot on Twitter.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Griner, Third-party ads

Will a real Joe the plumber please stand up?

Speaking of names: Joe Biden, Joe Sixpack, Joe the plumber. This election is teeming with Joes. All the Joes you could ever want in an election. But are we talking to the right Joes? Biden is a senator and the Democratic candidate for vice president. Sixpack is you and me and every hard-working, God-fearing, tax-paying American. And the plumber, well, he’s not really a plumber or a taxpayer. Looking for actual Joe the plumbers? Straight from Toledo, Ohio, here they are: Joe, Jose and Jodie, all actual plumbers, all stumping for Obama.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield of Post Advertising

Published on October 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Barack Obama, Greenfield, Joe the plumber