Saturday, June 21, 2008

‘The Country I Love’

Here is Barack Obama’s first national television ad of the general election campaign. It’s the “Country I Love” ad, and it began airing yesterday in 18 states.

What do you think of it?

To be quite honest, I think the open-collar look takes a dozen years off his age. Not in a good way.

In reintroducing himself to American voters, Barack should endeavor to look older than Will Smith. Which means: Keep rockin’ the neckties, brah!

27 comments:

  1. The open collar is one thing, but did you notice how he was the ONLY black person in the entire commercial?

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  2. ^ I was waiting to see who else picked up on that.

    ;^)

    He was rocking the flag pin on his lapel too.

    I think he's running this ad in states like Montana.

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  3. I saw it last night here in Florida. Strangely it was running when Conan was on. That demographic is already in the bag for you Obama!

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  4. Thembi I said the same thing. He could have included more people of color.

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  5. It's very "I'm not a scary Black Muslim." He is reminding folk he's half white, too. With good midwestern values. Shame he has to do that, but this is the coountry we live in.

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  6. kellybelle,

    He doesn't have "to do that" anymore than Michelle Obama has to pretend she's not the "angry black woman." Why would you think such a thing?

    Did anyone catch my "pathetic" Barack on the "The View?" No one has done more to sabotage Barack Obama than his own "angry black wife."

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  7. @Thordaddy how you know she's a angry black woman? Oh, I forgot the media. I am a black woman and I never consider Ms. Obama to be angry.

    I don't understand were this idea came from no more that it's the majority trying to destroy a strong woman by calling her angry.

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  8. I found the black man!! Only half his head is showing around frame 26-27. He has a light green shirt on. Did you find him? Do I win?

    I'm okay with the open collar. It makes him more homey and approachable. I'm also okay with it, because his gray is really starting to show. I wonder if they are touching it up a bit. Don't know. Looks good though.

    What I previously had a huge problem with is that damn white shirt he ALWAYS wears, but I've come to realize it all part of trying to make him appear older, professional and presidential. But possibly a light blue shirt, maybe yellow shirt just to mix it up a bit...jk...I did see him in a light blue shirt once. No. really. I did!

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  9. Clearly we're not the target demographic for this ad. The ad tries to reassure nervous white voters that even though he may not look like them or have a name like theirs, he shares their background and values. It successfully meets those objectives.

    I noticed that the ad prominently featured older Americans. I doubt that Conan reaches that demographic. Is the ad running on other shows that skew old? I read on Ad Age that he's asked NBC to put together an Olympic buy for him.

    As for his clothes, he admits to buying off the rack at Nordstom and Bloomies. He's simply not a GQ kind of guy. He's got his uniform and he's sticking with it. It does look like he had the tie on and then the director said to take it off because he looked to stiff or something.

    Mike, you deserve kudo points! I had to look hard for the older black guy in the green shirt. He's up in the upper left corner. A few more people of any color would have been good.

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  10. ^ A few more people of any color would have been good.

    But no women in headscarves!

    But seriously, folks...

    And Olympics ad buy? Pricey. We all better dig deep and give.

    Really. Looks like folks might be easing up on the donations now that he won the primary battle.

    But it's super important that we help Sen. Obama put his message out in an atmosphere where he's being defined by the right and by a few Hillary cultists as a fraud, a racist, an incompetent, a radical, etc.

    So if you support Barack Obama and you haven't yet contributed to his campaign... please do so. Give whatever you can give.

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  11. jjbrock,

    Michelle Obama is an "angry black woman" by the very fact that she has suffered a lifetime of racism and oppression as a black woman and her husband's handlers are doing everything they can to "soften" her image.

    This isn't the contrived persona put forth by the right-wing, but rather, the real essence of Michelle Obama.

    Did you catch her on "The View" calling her husband "pathetic?"

    Maybe we can call her "angry black wife." Or, are you going to tell me such a thing doesn't exist?

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  12. genevagirl,

    Where is your empirical evidence that Barack Obama has to "reassure nervous white voters" even though he "shares their background and values?"

    That doesn't even make sense? This is pure delusion driven by ideology.

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  13. ^ Thordaddy, did you watch the Obama ad? Every frame of it is designed to put 50-year-old white women at ease.

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  14. Mr. Mills,

    I understand Obama's strategy to persuade lil' ole white grannys, but this isn't the same as claiming he is trying to assure "nervous white voters."

    Black radicals, as a tactic, have always targeted white women as they are very susceptible to "progressive" propaganda and far less discerning when assessing the racial consequences of such decision.

    But please do tell me how old white ladies share Obama's "background and values?"

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  15. @Thordaddy what proof do you have that Ms. Obama is a angry black anything? Have you had conversation with Ms. Obama too come too that conclusion? If not how do you determine that a person is angry? Ms. Obama have never done anything in public for that label to be place on her.

    Oh, it's the right wing nuts coming with all this non-sense. I know most likely she has seen racism so have I but I don't consider my self and angry black woman.

    Racism alone don't make you be angry because you learn to deal with it. I am quite sure Ms. Obama been educated and all know who to handle her own.

    Now I will call my self an angry black wife because I too know about that.

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  16. jjbrook,

    If blacks had to have a "conversation" with every white person they accused of racism then how would your line of attack prove tenable?

    My evidence is the action of Michelle Obama herself and those that surround her husband. The numerous gaffes combined with the attempt to "soften" her image are more than enough evidence to make a general statement about Michelle Obama. In addition, we are told constantly that ALL blacks have a justifiable rage that manifests from years of racism and oppression.

    You posture as if this isn't enough evidence and only right-wingers can see it. For goodness sakes, she called the next potential president (her husband) "pathetic" in front of millions of American viewers.

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  17. Da what? "But please do tell me how old white ladies share Obama's "background and values?""

    They were both raised by white folk. They love the bible. They love their county. They love their children. They want to see their children grow up and have fulfilling, prosperous and meaningful lives. They want a safe, secure, economically prosperous country. Do I need to continues?

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  18. @Thordaddy blacks don't need a conversation with the majority because the majority action have spoken down through the years. You no the old saying "ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER WORDS".

    Maybe thats how and why we know about racism it's come by first hand experience. Now, back to my question when did Ms. Obama show any one she was a angry black woman? Where did she display this action? And too whom did she display it too?

    If you can't answer these question maybe you are the Right wing nut with an angry problem not Ms. Obama.

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  19. One of the main reasons I began supporting Barack Obama was because of his beautiful BLACK wife Michelle Obama.

    She is an inspiration to so many black girls and women out there! And the chance to see her as the FIRST LADY of the united states was reason enough for me to get behind her.!

    Michelle Obama gets it so hard is because she is so credentialed on her own. Went to an Ivy League school, Worked at a prestigious law firm, hell she was the main bread winner in the house while Barack was out doing what ever he did. It was her income that sustained that house! Sounds like a lot of Black Women in America.

    She is a strong black woman who supports her husband but isnt a rug for him to walk over! I don't think you will find Michelle standing by him in front of American why he tell the world about getting caught during something thats not respectable.

    Theres no way Barack would be as successful as he is without Michelle on his side! Go Michelle Our Fist Lady!

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  20. Seriously thordaddy, have you not visited any of the conservative (or just pro-Hillary) blogs and read any of the comments? I've read numerous comments about Michelle being "ungrateful", "indignant", "uppity", "elitist", "radical", with a "smirk on her face". I could go on all day. Also, you will find on many of those blogs, actual comments that illustrate a fear of this country becoming Zimbabwe. Seriously. These people think that if Obama wins, he'll turn the country African. Real people think this stuff. I can let you guess as to who.

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  21. jjbrock,

    Outside of Michelle Obama proclaiming to be an "angry black woman," nothing will suffice as to the evidence you want.

    Yet, this standard is not the standard at which blacks are expected to perform when accusing whites of the far more insidious label of "racist."

    You are in fact showing your daughters EXACTLY what they shouldn't be shown and that is to be dishonest when applying what you consider your "principles."

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  22. mike,

    Those old white grannys that you speak of are the even more radical subset of Hillary's peers. If you think they believe in what you are spewing then you know nothing.

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  23. jess,

    Why do Obama supporters keep trying to link radical leftist Hillary supporters with a "conservative" boogey man that most likely isn't really conservative?

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  24. Thordady, please don't say you're buying that "pathetic" mess when the woman clearly said "empathetic." C'mon, now. There's plenty of real reasons to like or dislike a person without having to invent nonsense.

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  25. christina,

    Michelle Obama, a radical black feminist, can't stand the idea of being in a relationship where she will undoubtedly be second-tier material.

    This assumes her "pathetic" husband is elected president.

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  26. thordaddy -- I can't argue with a mindreader. You obviously have insights into Michelle Obama's character that I wouldn't presume to argue with. I'm only saying that she *said* "empathetic," not "pathetic."

    I really don't get where you're coming from with her (Seriously. I actually can't follow your train of thought -- I'm sorry; I know I'm joining this conversation late) but since she's not the one running, she's not all that important to me as an object of debate.

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  27. Interesting ABC poll out today. 48% of Americans have a favorable view of Michele Obama. Only 39% say the same thing about Cindy McCain.

    So much for the "controversy" about Michele Obama.

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