Obama campaign releases one-minute ad featuring president direct-to-camera

[ProSense]

Obama campaign releases one-minute ad featuring president direct-to-camera

by Jed Lewison

The Obama campaign's newest ad is an unusual minute-long spot featuring the president speaking direct-to-camera about the choice in November's election. According to a campaign press release, it will air in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Over the next four months, you have a choice to make. Not just between two political parties, or even two people. It’s a choice between two very different plans for our country. Governor Romney’s plan would cut taxes for the folks at the very top. Roll back regulations on big banks. And he says that if we do, our economy will grow and everyone will benefit. But you know what? We tried that top down approach. It’s what caused the mess in the first place. I believe the only way to create an economy built to last is to strengthen the middle class. Asking the wealthy to pay a little more so we can pay down our debt in a balanced way. So that we can afford to invest in education, manufacturing, and home-grown American energy for good middle class jobs. Sometimes politics can seem very small. But the choice you face, it couldn’t be bigger.

The ad is sign that despite the recent focus on defining—and attacking—Mitt Romney, the president and the campaign team still want the election to ultimately be a choice between two different economic philosophies for the future. Romney will want it to be a referendum on where things stand now, hoping to avoid a debate over what we should do about where things stand now. But that's not a debate he can avoid, and he's not giving any indication that he's prepared for it.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/23/1112936/-Obama-campaign-releases-one-minute-ad-featuring-president-direct-to-camera

[whathehell]

1. Good ad...n/t

[Wounded Bear]

2. Sometimes it sucks living in a blue state...

Here in WA we miss all of the good ads.



J/K. The Internets and DU keep me updated.

Nice, sane, well spoken ad. I always figured that they would get around to this type of move eventually. Pres Obama's record is pretty decent, all things considered. Sure, keep pounding on the Mittster, but let's see some pride about the record, too.

[JBoy]

3. What a concept. Treating voters like adults.

[Voice for Peace]

17. +++

actual respect for people

[lindysalsagal]

4. The video quality is so good, I had to look at my puter to know he wasn't in the room.

Holy crap! I mean it. This seems real. I don't know what you call this hi-def technology, but it's incredible. is it 3-d?

It's really unfair to ask Mittens to live up to this!

Too bad the piano in the background is lousy and out of tune....

[jonthebru]

5. This is undoubtedly the most important election in our lives.

There have been other important forks in the road for our country but the corporatists, if they succeed in gaining the White House and holding on to the congress, will cement their rule for decades to come.
The American middle class had better frickin' wake up or its descendants will suffer at the hands of this greedy, selfish minority.
The opposite could happen and the right wing knows it. If Obama wins, if we succeed in gaining the House and keep the senate then out future as a United country will be attainable. When Social Security was implemented it began a 40 year Democratic rein in the federal legislature. The country flourished for several reasons but without the creation of the middle class after World War II we would simply not be the Nation we are today. That would not have occurred with out the Democratic Party.

[kayakjohnny]

6. Calm. Confident. Direct.

Not pissy. Not defensive. Not whiny. Not arrogant.

Even Joe Schmuck should be able to see the difference in character and intelligence from a hundred miles away.

Though I still won't hold my breath for Joe Schmuck.

For all the problems I have with Mr. O, I still desperately want him back at the helm.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

7. I wonder about the billion dollars sitting around waiting on the Romney Campaign.

Will they spend it for spinning or will they divvy it up and leave town?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. K&R

[JDPriestly]

9. Best ad yet. Really a mellow, respectful feeling to it. I like it.

[Historic NY]

10. Excellent......

now if they only realize trickle down got them nothing.

[uponit7771]

11. Obama speaks to people like they're grown

[polichick]

12. I like it!

[DallasNE]

13. General Election Campaigns Have Phases

They start with a definition phase and that is what Obama has been doing up to this point with his attacks on Romney's lack of transparency on both Bain and his tax returns. Plant seeds of doubt, which drive the negatives up.

Next comes the middle game where you define the policy differences and explain why yours are superior to your opponets. It looks like Obama is transitioning to the middle game. This will be the game until Convention time and then the campaign will shift to its end game with the week before the election a summarizing of it all together.

Once again Obama is framing it in a manner where Romney is put on the defensive and challenged to finally tell the American people where he stands. Romney would rather just run out the clock with his message of Obama is a failure so you should elect me. I'm not sure why he thinks this is a winning strategy. He will get ripped apart in the debates without putting things on the table and allow the voters to decide on which direction they want this country to go. We can go the route of Spain but I can't see the American voters signing on to that option.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. K&R

[snappyturtle]

15. I think it's almost too sophisticated. It's pretty, it's calm and it has a message.

Hope the attack ads continue though. I bet if people watched a attack ad and then then this ad they'd remember more points from the attack ad. imho

[mopinko]

16. i like it. people can see he doesn't have horns.

hope they run it constantly.

[Whiskeytide]

18. That's just a camera trick - they're there...

... It is a good ad. I like it when he speaks to the public with a tone implying that they do get it.

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

[grntuscarora]

20. That ad is awesome. n/t

[itsrigged]

21. Lets see Romney's Tax returns and what he is hiding...

[lark]

22. Kick

I like it!

[Wait Wut]

23. Very smart.

Whomever is running his ad campaign is a genius. Romney won't be able to counter this ad even if he promised to write personal checks to every single American citizen. Pres. Obama's personality shines through in this ad. Romney would come across the same as always, odd, uncomfortable, nervous, whiny and arrogant. But, he'll need to find a way to counter this. I hope he tries to do the same type of ad. Go ahead, Mitt, look into the camera and try to act like a human.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. This is so well done.

He is calm, in control, intelligent!

And he talks to us as though we are just the same.

I hope this ad gets lots of air time. It will make a difference.

[cadaverdog]

25. Sorry, but I don't like it

"Direct to Camera" No, not really. The first time I saw this ad I was watching it on a relatively big screen TV and it was obvious to me that the President was not looking into the camera lens, but rather he was reading, probably off cue cards, that were positioned to the camera right side of the lens. My guess is that the camera was rather close to the President, maybe only six feet away, or possibly less. If you are going to have to read off cue cards, you should get the camera back from the subject so it will appear he is looking into the lens.

As to the content, I think it is meant to appeal to the fair-minded folks who are still trying to make up their minds on their choice for Chief Executive. And President Obama is nothing if not a great communicator. I almost have the feeling this ad is put out there to test the waters, to see if folks will react positively to an intelligent message delivered in a measured tone.

But for me, the most effective ads of the campaign have been the moving messages delivered by the folks who have had the misfortune of working for companies that were savaged by Bain Capital and Mitt Romney. I thought the one known as "the Stage" was particularly effective. Working people talking to working people about real life situations. That's where you might change some minds.

[TDale313]

26. Really like this ad.

It's smart and to the point.

[patrice]

27. K&R for clarity (direct to the camera or not).

[reformist2]

28. This top/down vs. bottom/up contrast is a WINNER!!!

The best part about it is that it challenges Mittens on his own (supposedly) home turf - how to run businesses and the economy. Obama can run with this from now until election day.