A new 2 minute-long ad from Obama spells out what he wants to do once in office.
Personally I love it: it’s substantive, logical, and it highlights the effects to the working class. But I’m not sure if your average low-information voter is going to sit through 2 minutes of, well, just talking. Maybe I’m underestimating the average American, but there’s a reason why most political ads are 30 second long “hit-and-run” style messages, with exciting graphics and the reassuring bass growl of a narrator.
This actually hits on the reason why I simultaneously respect Obama so much, and fear for the election: he’s not speaking down to people. He’s not telling them what to think, he’s not pushing smears, he’s not peddling to the lowest denominator. If America reacts to open, honest discussion of the issues, I’ll raise a glass to a people whose judgement survived 8 years of empty politics. But if they don’t, then they’ll have earned what they get in McCain.