527 ads: “Part of the Problem”, “Middle Class”
posted at 7:30 pm on October 24, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
My friend Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson directed me to the Let Freedom Ring website Never Find Out, which has a number of 527 ads hosted along with their transcripts. I haven’t seen these ads before now and I’m not sure whether they’re seeing any ad time, but they’re interesting and rather effective. Each are 60 seconds long and stylistically identical.
The latest two ads attack Barack Obama on economics. The first, “Part of the Problem”, note that Obama didn’t do anything to stop the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac collapse, even while John McCain tried to change the regulatory structure to prevent it. Why?
WOMAN: Senator Obama, the papers say that you are benefiting politically from the financial crisis.
MAN: But if America knew the facts, I don’t know how they could vote for you.
WOMAN: John McCain tried to blow the whistle on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over two years ago. In 2006, he told the Senate, “For years, I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac…. The GSEs need to be reformed without delay.”
MAN: No wonder he didn’t get their political contributions. And who opposed the reforms John McCain was calling for? Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd, and John Kerry.
WOMAN: Wait, it gets better. Guess who received campaign contributions from the people who drove Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae into the ground? Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd and John Kerry.
MAN: John McCain saw this coming. You, Senator Obama, have been part of the problem.
ANNOUNCER: What happens when we elect a Senator who’s part of the biggest financial crisis in U.S. history? Please, America, let’s never find out.
The second, “Middle Class”, attacks Obama’s assertions that his tax policy will help the working people of America while attacking the companies that employ them:
MAN 1: Senator Obama, why are you lying to us?
MAN 2: To help the middle class, you have promised to drastically increase the taxes on the wealthy and big corporations.
WOMAN 1: This makes us think that the middle class will be better off, right?
MAN 1: Now let’s talk about reality.
MAN 3: What does your tax increase really do for America?
MAN 4: History has shown us that when big companies pay more taxes, they cut costs, they cut jobs, and they cut salaries.
WOMAN 2: Cut salaries for who?
MAN 2: The middle class that works for those big companies.
WOMAN 3: Which means that the middle class now has less money, not more.
MAN 5: Which leads us to a few questions:
WOMAN 4: Why are you misleading the middle class into thinking that your tax plan will help us?
MAN 3: How will we feel if you become President and we find out that we’ve been lied to?
MAN 4: And lastly, you’re running for President, not us.
MAN 2: Why do we need to explain this to you?
ANNOUNCER: What happens when we elect a President who lies to the middle class? Please, America, let’s never find out.
This, I think, is the kind of argument that makes a lot of sense and simultaneously is almost impossible to make effectively. For some reason, many voters simply cannot make the connection that higher taxes on employers will eventually be borne by its employees and its customers. Prices will rise and companies will cut costs, as the ad mentions. Cutting costs means either reducing salaries or staff, which will cut into the economy of the middle class much more than any tax refundables will correct.
Nevertheless, it’s an argument that needs to be made, and this at least gets the conversation started. Check out the rest of the ads on the site after watching these.
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“It’s the economy, stupid.”
Good ads.
jgapinoy on October 24, 2008 at 7:35 PM
It’s too bad McCain didn’t explain during the debates–when million were listening–why taxing the rich more is bad.
jgapinoy on October 24, 2008 at 7:36 PM
Remember Jimmah? Let’s go down swinging.
Laura in Maryland on October 24, 2008 at 7:38 PM
I saw a report (I think it may have been posted here) about one political ad that was focus grouping better than all the others. That ad was the first one you posted about Obama being part of the financial crisis. It was a strong winner for McCain and I hope it’s getting airtime in key states.
JadeNYU on October 24, 2008 at 7:40 PM
I saw a 527 ad twice that is strictly Gov. Palin. Pretty good.
Cindy Munford on October 24, 2008 at 7:40 PM
Best ads I’ve seen yet! Why’d it take so long?
Star20 on October 24, 2008 at 7:40 PM
good, but…….Too Litttle, Too Late?
( after too much time on earmarks and Ayers )?
Janos Hunyadi on October 24, 2008 at 7:40 PM
McCain doesn’t really believe taxing the rich more is bad.
lodge on October 24, 2008 at 7:41 PM
Do you read Ace, ed? These are part of the “Insurrection”.
Editor on October 24, 2008 at 7:41 PM
These are not new. They’re at least 3-weeks old. Why people here are just picking up on it, don’t know. BUT GO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THEM, PLEASE.
Editor on October 24, 2008 at 7:42 PM
This group, Freedom’s Watch, Sarah Palin, Hot Air, the Republican Study Committee, Mike Pence, etc. This is the future party we need to be building. Regardless of the outcome of this election it’s time for the grassroots to take over.
D0WNT0WN on October 24, 2008 at 7:43 PM
The abortion one gave me chills. Hope they play that one in all the battleground states.
BJ on October 24, 2008 at 7:43 PM
I argue this all the time with my coworkers that are still on the Obama/McCain fence (ex-Hillary voters, all).
I love slamming Obama’s hiring tax credit, too.
lansing quaker on October 24, 2008 at 7:43 PM
Loved em all!
TDBURN on October 24, 2008 at 7:47 PM
By the way – do you know what’s so effective about these? They’re addressing him DIRECTLY.
It’s not condescending to the voting audience.
Editor on October 24, 2008 at 7:50 PM
I think on these YouTube videos, it’s worth clicking the embedded version, which will open the same video up on the YouTube site, and then rating them.
Tzetzes on October 24, 2008 at 7:50 PM
I think what would help is having a business owner from the area where the rally is taking place to explain what he/she would be forced to do if Obama’s tax policy was put into action.
When people hear from someone local, or someone they know better, then it tends to be placed on a common sense level that those in the audience can understand. Plus it is not political speak!
Carly or Meg doing this is not going to work either. It needs to be one of those over $250K small business owners doing this.
freeus on October 24, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Not to mention the companies that will outsource, the money that will be hidden in tax shelters & Swiss banks, & the people who won’t work (or spend) as much so that they won’t be taxed more.
jgapinoy on October 24, 2008 at 7:52 PM
Unfortunately the people who are voting for Obama don’t have a clue what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are. But if they did it would be a great ad.
As for the second ad, it needs to focus on Small Business not Big Business. I also don’t like the use of the word “lying”. I’d prefer “deceiving”.
Buy Danish on October 24, 2008 at 7:53 PM
I hope that these ads are getting TV play in battlegrounds. I emailed this group to find out where they are airing. I never heard from them. They probably get tons of emails.
These ads are powerful…BUT THESE ARE THE BEST!
OSUBuciz1 on October 24, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Just donated $100.
JadeNYU on October 24, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Chicken Button is my favorite
BuckNutty on October 24, 2008 at 8:03 PM
If people would take the time they waste typing “If only McCain had…” and “I wish this spot said…” and sent the links to people they know, these ads could make even more of a difference.
I did.
Simple, yet powerful. Wish every Osama Obama voter could watch them before they hit the booth.
MrScribbler on October 24, 2008 at 8:06 PM
I’ve seen the Fannie/Freddie ad on Philadelphia’s #1 nightly news show, right after the World Series game 1.
I would sure love to see that “chicken button” ad running in saturation. There hasn’t been nearly enough humor in this campaign.
rockmom on October 24, 2008 at 8:09 PM
60 seconds is 50 too long, at the moment.
Obama needs to be tanked with some sharp facts.
profitsbeard on October 24, 2008 at 8:14 PM
These need to actually run.
deedtrader on October 24, 2008 at 8:21 PM
I’ve seen them. I think it was on CNN. It was definitely on one of the news networks.
amerpundit on October 24, 2008 at 8:29 PM
These are very good ads, and I think some of them are running in battleground states.
irishspy on October 24, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Be sure to donate and help them run.
amerpundit on October 24, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Regarding the increasing of taxes on corporate America it would help if some of this country’s influential CEO’s opened their damn mouths and told their employees, partners, suppliers, and anyone who will listen what will happen to them personally if their employer’s taxes go up.
I think the biggest favor I could do for my employees would be to warn them that their jobs are at risk if Obama were elected and that a vote for him is a choice between working or not. May be harsh but they have to be honest.
I worked in Marketing for FedEx in Memphis a few years back and know how many black Americans FedEx employs. FedEx has been hammered by high fuel prices. Blacks are going to go to the polls and vote almost exclusively for Obama. Not only is it in Fred Smith’s (FedEx Chmn and CEO) best interest to have Obama defeated it is also in his best interest to make sure all his employees know the repercussions of an Obama presidency. I wouldn’t be a cowardly CEO and just hire more lobbyists in the hopes of softening any potential legislation while simultaneously giving more power to arrogant members of Congress, I would come out and tell my employees that a vote for The One is putting their jobs at risk.
DerKrieger on October 24, 2008 at 8:42 PM
Good ads. To the point. Accurate.
However, I’m afraid too many people are swooning over the false promises of socialism from The One. Any rational person can see the disaster that an Obama Presidency would be but I guess we must be living in insane times because people flock to the guy cheering in the hundreds of thousands. I am genuinely concerned for the welfare of my country. I almost feel the need to stock up on all sort of stuff from beans to bullets for the upcoming disaster if Obama and more Democrats win the Congress.
Yakko77 on October 24, 2008 at 8:49 PM
I have only one small quibble with the second ad: Obama is not just lying to the middle class; he is lying to everybody.
AZCoyote on October 24, 2008 at 8:52 PM
These have been around – get on their site and spread the word
These ads are articulate and clean – hint hint
defendfaithandfamily on October 24, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Margret Thatcher once said of her opponent that he was willing to cause the poor to be poorer so that the rich will be less rich.
It had to do with the gap between the upper and middle class. A case of 5-1 is closer than 500-100, but ummm 100 is better than 1.
- The Cat
MirCat on October 24, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Part of the Problem is playing here in PA, as of today. It’s way better than anything produced by the McC-P campaign. It explains a complex situation clearly, in few words–a knack that has eluded the GOP campaign.
james23 on October 24, 2008 at 9:24 PM
I also saw today, for the first time, here in PA, a good ad by a 527, a different group, about Sarah Palin. Given the beating she has taken in the press, the backstabbing by the Establishment Republicans, and her importance to McCAin’s chances, running an ad about her, and defending her, is a no-brainer. Thank god someone outside this hapless campaign has stepped up to the plate.
james23 on October 24, 2008 at 9:27 PM
Yeah but lefties think they can make employers not fire people, not raise prices. see Chevez. He made a law that made it illegal to charge more. The dem congress will do the same. price controls, Unions will strike if workers are fired, business will lose profits. Not be able to fire so they will never hire. will not be able to raise prices to recoup costs so government will prop them up with printed money causing a black market and massive inflation to occur. See Zimbabawe. That is how socialists works. they think they can control the market i.e control human behavior by outlawing it. It never works but they keep trying.
unseen on October 24, 2008 at 9:55 PM
Fantastic ads however I feel they may be too late. Lets hope not.
Claypigeon on October 24, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I saw a Palin ad in California! I guess they can’t totally ignore us, but…
PattyJ on October 24, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Yeah!
Let’s roll!
ex-Democrat on October 24, 2008 at 10:33 PM
I love it, I love it, I REALLY LOVE IT!
foxone on October 24, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Corporations pay their taxes with dollars they get from consumers (you and me). It don’t take a genius to figure this out. That explains why democrats vote for this crap.
coldshot on October 25, 2008 at 7:36 AM
I’d like to see McCain-Plain and Republicans point out another option for companies facing the Obama tax increase: they pass the costs on to the consumer. When virtually all items we purchase cost more, that’s one hell of a tax on not just the middle class, but ALL classes.
Not only that, but the tax would be incredibly regressive: those making the least would be affected more by price increases.
Hope and change: you better hope that you have some change left in your pocket once this starts.
karl9000 on October 25, 2008 at 8:34 AM
Why are so many in the middle class so GD gullible?
Godefroi on October 25, 2008 at 9:41 AM
They forgot “raise prices” — which, it can be argued, is the biggest way raising taxes on business hurts the middle class.
Joe the Plumber doesn’t make more than $250K, but the company that makes his van surely does. And the one he buys gasoline from. And tools. And the hardware necessary to do his job.
What happens when he has to pay more for all of those things?
S. Weasel on October 25, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Another case that could/ should be made: If big business doesn’t want to cut costs (employment, salaries, etc.) they will raise prices. Taxes of this nature are inflationary, so either way the middle class will pay the taxes Obama will put on big business.
Also, the case which must be made (and to his credit McCain has been trying to make it) our high corporate taxes are driving businesses overseas.
Micheal on October 25, 2008 at 11:21 AM
It’s just going to be very hard not to be disheartened if Obama wins.
Since the time of our forefathers, America can only get farther and farther away from their visions of the truly free land we love.
The only thing we as conservatives can do is to buck up and fight over the next four years, but it will be awfully hard with some potentially irreversible changes Obama will bring.
Grafted on October 25, 2008 at 2:04 PM
Hot Air needs to repost this. We could all use a dose of Reagan right now.
Kmarion on October 25, 2008 at 9:01 PM
The second ad points out a lesson that we all should have learned because of a mistake made by George Bush – the first George Bush back in 1990. He signed into law a tax increase, thus breaking his “read my lips” promise, which included a luxury tax on boats. This caused a drop in the demand for boats, since the tax made them mostly costly. This drop, in turn, led to boat builders laying off their middle class workers. President Clinton, to his credit, abolished the luxury tax in 1993. But in doing so, he gave the rich a tax cut.
Bigfoot on October 26, 2008 at 1:19 PM