rssMcCain to Speak Directly to Obama in Ad Tonight
Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 11:52 am
- 25 Comments
McCain campaign communications director Jill Hazelbaker just appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and coyly announced that the campaign will air a different kind of ad in “battleground states around the time of Sen. Barack Obama is speaking tonight.”
“This is a historic ad. I think it’s the first of its kind. Sen. [John] McCain is going to speak direct to camera to Barack Obama. I’m not going to give away many more details than that. Suffice to say, it’s going to be a very exciting ad and I think it’s going to get a lot of attention.”
Obviously, it seems likely that McCain will congratulate Obama on his achievement and acknowledge the historical significance of Obama’s nomination. Perhaps McCain will reiterate his challenge to appear together outside of the scheduled debates — though logistically this could be difficult to arrange at this late date. However, McCain is expected to appear with his running mate at a rally in Dayton, Ohio tomorrow morning. Is it possible McCain will announce his vice presidential nominee on TV, just before or after Obama makes his acceptance speech? That would almost certainly be an effective way to blunt Obama’s news coverage — and to guarantee that newspapers and cable news networks will also be buzzing about McCain in the morning. Maybe we now have two good reasons to be glued to our televisions tonight — as if we needed another.
UPDATE: Politico‘s Mike Allen has more on this:
The campaign was fueling speculation about his running mate, who is to be named at a McCain rally in Ohio tomorrow. A top campaign official says McCain has settled on his vice presidential choice and will notify the person today.
Matt Drudge of The Drudge Report, who has high-level McCain contacts, posted a tease this morning saying: “SOURCE: NAME MAY LEAK AT 6 PM ET… WITH SOME SORT OF CONFIRMATION AT 8 PM.”
Obama is scheduled to speak between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern before a crowd of about 75,000 at a Denver stadium where the final session of the Democratic National Convention is being staged.
The leak of the McCain ticket mate would cause a news frenzy at at time when the Obama campaign wanted viewers to be focused on Obama’s economic and change messages.
25 Comments
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
You people have it all wrong. If McCain announces his VP pick before the speech, that VP pick is gonna get a sweet left hook from Obama in his speech (don't think for a minute that Obama doesn't have something ready to say about any of them), essentially knee-capping the person before McCain even has a chance to introduce him. The McCain camp is dumb if they do this.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
I smell the slimy hands of Karl Rove's fetid tactics here . . .
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
The real test will be to see if our pathetic media can cover two stories at the same time.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
If you don't have any ideas of your own, simply try to rain on the other guy's parade. There are no limits to what these guys will do earn or steal a victory. Watching them play this game, I now understand how civil wars become a reality
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
If you don't have any ideas of your own, simply try to rain on the other guy's parade. There are no limits to what these guys will do earn or steal a victory. Watching them play this game, I now understand how civil wars become a reality
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
What McCain is giving us, is what we'll get. I'm glad he's wearing it on his sleeve. It helps that he's following his lameness with Bush's lameness. Easy decision.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
Shorter John McCain – It's all about me, me, me! I will make you stop paying attention to that other guy if I have to play every last dirt trick in the book! And don't even think of questioning my honor, you little jerk.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
Of course, the solution here would be for the media to ignore McCain until after Obama's night is over. Oh, wait, that would require rational choice.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
Jeez, grandpa McCain is really getting desperate for attention, isn't he?
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
McCain is going to recognize Obama for being the first Afrian American to be nominated on this historic day.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 3:18 pm
Has McCain lost his mind an arrogance? This will do nothing so much as show TV watchers the contrast between the young, vital, eloquent man of plans and the cranky old man.
(Sounds good to me!)
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
Here's the ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4KIvRTg6KQ
I will say, surprisingly classy for McCain.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
You people have it all wrong. If McCain announces his VP pick before the speech, that VP pick is gonna get a sweet left hook from Obama in his speech (don't think for a minute that Obama doesn't have something ready to say about any of them), essentially knee-capping the person before McCain even has a chance to introduce him. The McCain camp is dumb if they do this.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
I smell the slimy hands of Karl Rove's fetid tactics here . . .
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
The real test will be to see if our pathetic media can cover two stories at the same time.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
If you don't have any ideas of your own, simply try to rain on the other guy's parade. There are no limits to what these guys will do earn or steal a victory. Watching them play this game, I now understand how civil wars become a reality
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
What McCain is giving us, is what we'll get. I'm glad he's wearing it on his sleeve. It helps that he's following his lameness with Bush's lameness. Easy decision.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
Shorter John McCain – It's all about me, me, me! I will make you stop paying attention to that other guy if I have to play every last dirt trick in the book! And don't even think of questioning my honor, you little jerk.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
Of course, the solution here would be for the media to ignore McCain until after Obama's night is over. Oh, wait, that would require rational choice.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 7:06 pm
Jeez, grandpa McCain is really getting desperate for attention, isn't he?
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
McCain is going to recognize Obama for being the first Afrian American to be nominated on this historic day.
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
Has McCain lost his mind an arrogance? This will do nothing so much as show TV watchers the contrast between the young, vital, eloquent man of plans and the cranky old man.
(Sounds good to me!)
Comment posted August 28, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
Here's the ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4KIvRTg6KQ
I will say, surprisingly classy for McCain.
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