Don’t mistake this post for support of John McCain and Sarah Palin — if I had a vote in this country the Republicans would not be getting it — but the sloppiness of this Obama campaign argument undermines its message. Let’s begin with the silent transcript from this ad:
JOHN McCAIN IN HIS OWN WORDS
“I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.” The Wall Street Journal, 11/25/05
“The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should” Boston Globe Political Intelligence 12/18/07
“I might have to rely on a Vice President that I select” for expertise on economic issues. GOP Debate 11/28/07
HIS CHOICE?
A shot of Sarah Palin winking.
ON NOVEMBER 4TH YOU GET TO MAKE YOURS
There are two issues with this ad, and the first has to do with accuracy.  I thought it was a little suspicious that the quote from McCain from the GOP Debate was completed by the Obama campaign so I looked up the transcript.  The actual quote mentions nothing about the economy:
This president came to office in a time of peace, and then we found ourselves in 2001. And he did not have as much national security experience as I do, so he had to rely more on the vice president of the United States and that’s obvious. I wouldn’t have to do that. I might have to rely on a vice president that I select on some other issues. He may have more expertise in telecommunications, on information technology, which is the future of this nation’s economy. He may have more expertise in a lot of areas, but I would rely on a vice president of the United States, but, as Fred said, the primary responsibility is to select one who will immediately take your place if necessary.
It’s a shame the quote isn’t accurate because it distracts from what could be an effective ad. Telecommunications and information technology are not the same as the economy.
The second point I take issue with in this ad is the choice to use a shot of Sarah Palin winking as a quotation device. A VP candidates decision to wink excessively during a debate may indicate poor judgement, but is not evidence of a lack of expertise in economics. This isn’t to say I think she has it — her statements on the current financial crisis don’t extend further than espouse many Republican party ideologies that have contributed to this mess — but that particular footage does very little but highlight a flirting convention.
Now, I’m not sure I want to make the argument that this ad intentionally fingers her femininity as a liability when it comes to economic expertise, but I’d be lying if I told you it hadn’t crossed my mind when I saw this ad.  At the very least it subtly encourages that stereotype, and there’s no reason for it. With all the ignorant statements Palin has made over the last few months, surely there is one more specifically incriminating the Obama campaign could have used. This way, the argument couldn’t be made that they were employing the false pretense of “the higher road” while in fact catering to the lowest common deminator.
Original link via: Edward Winkleman.
