by Mark Silva
It's about time for closing arguments in this two-year-long trial of the American public's patience for politics, and Democrat Barack Obama launches his with a two-minute-long ad - candidate to camera - explaining what he may do as president and how he may pay for it.
Obama also calls for an end to the "mindless partisanship'' and "divisiveness'' afoot with this ad about a "defining moment in our history.''
The fact that it runs two minutes, and will be followed next week by a prime-time half-hour campaign ad for the senator from Illinois is a testament to record campaign fundraising.
It also casts a forward spin on a question that Ronald Reagan once famously asked:
"At this defining moment in our history, the question is not, "are you better off than you were four years ago?" We all know the answer to that,'' Obama says to his audience. "The real question is will our country be better off four years from now? How will we lift our economy and restore America's place in the world?
"Here's what I'll do as President,'' Obama says in his ad. "To deal with our current emergency, I'll launch a rescue plan for the middle class... That begins with a tax cut for ninety-five percent of working Americans. If you have a job, pay taxes and make less than two hundred thousand dollars-a-year, you'll get a tax cut.
"I'll end the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and give them to companies that create jobs here in America. And I'll make low-cost loans available to small businesses
"To build our economy for the future, I'll focus on our urgent national priorities: reducing the cost of health care... breaking our dependence on foreign oil... and making sure that every child gets the education they need to compete.
"How will I pay for these priorities? First, we've got to stop spending ten billion dollars a month in Iraq - while they run up a surplus. I'll end this war responsibly, so we can invest here at home
"We'll monitor the Wall Street rescue plan carefully, making sure taxpayers are protected and CEOs don't game the system
"I'll let the temporary Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% expire and close the corporate tax loopholes the lobbyists put in.
"We face real challenges, and they won't be easy to solve. But we can do it if we end the mindless partisanship...the divisiveness, curb special interest power and restore our sense of common purpose I'm Barack Obama. I approve this message and ask for your vote because if we stand together, we can meet our challenges and ensure that there are better days ahead.''
Comments
Ed Rollins, Reagan's campaign manager, said Obama's Mile High speech was "the greatest political speech I've ever seen".
To that, one might add, that this new ad is the greatest "what you see is what you get" political spot ever aired. Not a wasted second.
And, what you see is pretty damn good.
Posted by: ornery | October 25, 2008 12:18 PM
The Annointed One calls for an end to partisanship. Can someone tell me one time Obama has been anything but?
Anyway, Obama's true defining moment came when his PR agency cleared the decks for him in the Democratic primary for Illinois U.S. senator and then cleared it even more when its lawsuit to find out that Jack Ryan wanted to have sex with his wife. Not only was the Tribune's assassination of Obama political opponents a defining moment for Obama, it also marked the beginning of the end as the Tribune as a viable news source and its final transformation into a corrupt media outlet.
Posted by: John D | October 25, 2008 1:02 PM
Wow, this is one of the most informative political ads I have seen this year. Maybe the most compelling reason to vote for Obama.
I was already leaning Democrat this year, but every day I just get closer and closer to voting for the Democrats.
Posted by: Donald August | October 25, 2008 1:04 PM
JD, Obama's opponents in prior races (and in this) have done themselves in.
Obama didn't force Jack Ryan or Blair Hull to engage in sexual misconduct and then spread it of record in their divorce papers.
They did that to themselves. Any cub reporter could ferret that stuff out (OK, maybe some old fart steered someone in the right direction).
Your remark perpetuates the errors of all Obama's political opponents:
You want to perpetuate the myth that he's just a young good looking guy in a nice suit.
Don't deceive yourselves--or, go on if you wish.
Obama is smarter than Bill Clinton.
He's not a "Chicago machine politician" and never was.
He has connected solely on his own merits with the American people.
In ways Clinton could only dream about.
No family fortune or political dynasty behind him whatsoever.
But, continue to delude your partisans if you wish by thinking he's an empty suit, a ward heeler type political hack.
And you will get your heads handed to you.
Posted by: ornery | October 25, 2008 1:37 PM
I just viewed the 2-minute Obama video and was most impressed. As always, Senator Obama was clear, succinct, positive and constructive.
I am pleased how Senator Obama continues to practice fluency and above-board communication v. his opponet(s) who ply their audiences with misrepresentations, malaprops, and repetition.
Further, I am pleased - in the waning days of the campaign - Senator Obama continues with encouraging messages. I trust - I pray - the majority of voters in the U.S. will see the unarguable wisdom of placing the Obama-Biden ticket in the White House.
As a life-long independent, I will revel in casting my ballot for Senator Obama.
Posted by: saftgek | October 25, 2008 5:56 PM
Here is a link to a calculator that will allow you to compute your tax cut
http://taxcut.barackobama.com/
Posted by: Mike | October 25, 2008 9:15 PM
Correction: As I recall, the Hull affair had to do with allegations of assault and death threats, not sex. Jack Ryan wanted, according to his ex, to have public sex in some club.
Presumably in NYC. We know things like that don't happen in Chicago.
Posted by: ornery | October 25, 2008 10:49 PM
I AM JUST SO PROUD THAT SOMEONE WITH COMMON SENSE LIKE BARACK OBAMA COULD ACTUALLY BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I KNOW THAT GOD ALMIGHTY IS IN THE MIDST REGARDLESS OF THE RACISTISM IN OUR COUNTRY AND LOOKING AT BARACK AS A BLACK MAN INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT HIM AS A BI-RACIAL MAN AND A MAN IS QUALIFIED TO SERVE JUST AS A WHITE MAN WITH NO BRAINS AND KNOWLEDGE TO DO THE JOB, I PRAY ONE DAY WE CAN LOOK AT EVERYONE EQUAL REGARDLESS OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN
Posted by: Linda Vaughn | October 26, 2008 12:52 AM
If history is a predictor of the future, I don't think we can afford him. He's promising things he does not have the possibility to deliver and he has a history of fiscal irresponsibility, like those in the Democratic party today. Imagine the trinity of Obama, Pelosi and Reid! Now that's scarier than any horror movie I've seen!
Posted by: Miss Pink | October 26, 2008 12:11 PM
Another question to be answered is if and when Obama gets elected, is the killing of innocent babies in the womb going to continue? And if Obama really believes in GOD and if he also believes that everyone borne is borne in the likeness of GOD. Then what would his answer be to the 50 million babies that have already been aborted?
Posted by: paul | October 26, 2008 2:50 PM