# Obama's infomercial **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113 "2008-10-29T17:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/101 "2008-10-30T00:35:55Z")
Give me a re-cap. I’m still at work on the west coast! ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/102 "2008-10-30T00:38:47Z")
Hold on. I’m listening to Chris Matthews gush. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/103 "2008-10-30T00:40:22Z")
Wow. That was great. And I couldn’t help but notice John McCain’s name wasn’t mentioned _once_. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/104 "2008-10-30T00:40:50Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Hold on. I’m listening to Chris Matthews gush. Chris Matthews gushing was the most amazing thing I have ever heard. I mean, I was more stunned by that than by the program itself! ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/105 "2008-10-30T00:41:24Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I try to be a cynic. I know that an Obama administration will fall short of my expectations. But, I’m kind of tearing up here. Damnedest thing. you too? Here’s the thing I realized while I was getting all emotional and hopeful. It may well be that we will see Barack’s “just another politician” side while he is in office. It may be that he will cave to some of the less attractive habits that have made Washington so ineffective and left us so jaded. The beauty of it is, is that we don’t have to shrug our shoulders and accept it and slink back into disillusionment and political apathy. We can hold him and our elected officials to promises made, and we can insist on some serious changes. He closed by encouraging us to stay involved in our democracy. Let’s make a commitment to do that. Let’s change how elections are financed. Let’s insist our elected officials be open and accountable to us. If not , out they go. Then we’ll keep doing it until someone gets the message. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whomever. Just someone who communicates sincerely and wants to serve with a bit of integrity. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/106 "2008-10-30T00:47:02Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > Wow. That was great. > > And I couldn’t help but notice John McCain’s name wasn’t mentioned _once_. It was a very positive, upbeat message. It presented well, looked professional and was actually informative. Look for this to take up a day or two of news coverage. That’s two days McCain doesn’t benefit by free news coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/107 "2008-10-30T00:49:36Z")
Okay - as far as this kinda thing goes. As someone who has been paying attention, I was a tad surprised how much of the footage I had seen before. Not just the convention speech, and the debates, but also the bit about his mom waking him up early to study. But I guess it was quite well put together, and can see how it might impress anyone who is braindead enough to still be undecided! 😛 Thought the old black guy must get a kick out of jamming the blues on national TV. And the kid showing her school colors at the grocery store! Its gotta suck being McCain, and simply not having the cash to compete with that kind of media buy. The one thing that bothered me, that I have noticed in the past, is that he really does not support nuclear energy. Didn’t even mention it. That’s one of the very few issues on which I disagree with him. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/108 "2008-10-30T00:53:59Z")
msnbc does crack me up. here in battleground pa, there were 2 mccain ads in the first commercial break after the obama ad. xanthous, there were video clips of people who are having trouble making ends meet. paying for prescription drugs, losing pensions, and school teachers. after each vid. it would go to either obama in an office talking about how he would change things for them. sometimes it would go to rallys where the answer was in a speech. also there were bits of him talking about his mum. and michelle obama talking about him at home with the girls. there were clips of people talking about him and what he did in the i.l. state senate and the u.s. senate. it ended with him at a rally in florida putting an !!! onto the video. msnbc then went to commercial which was a mccain ad. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/109 "2008-10-30T00:57:04Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > msnbc does crack me up. here in battleground pa, there were 2 mccain ads in the first commercial break after the obama ad. McCain ads are heavy on the CNN channel on Sirius. At almost every break. One anti-O followed immediately by one anti-Dem control of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/110 "2008-10-30T00:57:51Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > msnbc does crack me up. here in battleground pa, there were 2 mccain ads in the first commercial break after the obama ad. > > xanthous, there were video clips of people who are having trouble making ends meet. paying for prescription drugs, losing pensions, and school teachers. > > after each vid. it would go to either obama in an office talking about how he would change things for them. > > sometimes it would go to rallys where the answer was in a speech. > > also there were bits of him talking about his mum. and michelle obama talking about him at home with the girls. > > there were clips of people talking about him and what he did in the i.l. state senate and the u.s. senate. > > it ended with him at a rally in florida putting an !!! onto the video. > > msnbc then went to commercial which was a mccain ad. Yep. That was a bit of a buzz kill. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/111 "2008-10-30T00:58:02Z")
Available online anywhere? I don’t have cable ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/112 "2008-10-30T01:00:14Z")
> [@Lionne](#): > > Available online anywhere? I don’t have cable ☹ It’s linked on [Huffington Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/obamas-prime-time-tv-comm_n_138767.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/113 "2008-10-30T01:01:42Z")
You’re so awesome; thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/114 "2008-10-30T01:06:08Z")
Brilliant. Did exactly what it was meant to do. Glad to see Kentucky thrown in there and Missouri. I’m psyched. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/115 "2008-10-30T01:07:12Z")
**F A N T A S T I C…** \* To beat the champion, and make him stay down, you must knock him out cold.\* **THIS WAS THE KNOCK-OUT PUNCH OBAMA NEEDED.** \*Glance not at the has-been lame duck incumbent, ignore the mudslinger attack dog running-mate bully governor, and stand over your opponent with your head held high like Cassius Clay, errrr… Mohammed Ali. There was a rumble in the Jungle, but the fight didn’t last the full 15 rounds. It ended in the 12th. **[SIZE=“4”]There can ONLY be one.** We shall wait for McSame to stand up before the count of 7, errrr…, days. Until then, there will be no raising of arms and no dancing around the ring, but any attempt to get up before the count of 7 will result in an immediate un-merciful punch where the sun don’t shine. Stay down Johnny, stay down.[/SIZE]\*:p:cool: ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/116 "2008-10-30T01:17:49Z")
McCain talked about ‘the tape’ with Larry King for a good few minutes. He pretty much implies that Obama is cheering on terrorists on the tape. But he was sure to stress ‘he hasn’t seen it because the media won’t let the American people watch it.’ ---
**Author:** ![Neon\_Madman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e79b87/32.png) [@Neon\_Madman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neon_Madman)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/117 "2008-10-30T01:19:34Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > **F A N T A S T I C…** > \* > To beat the champion, and make him stay down, you must knock him out cold.\* > > **THIS WAS THE KNOCK-OUT PUNCH OBAMA NEEDED.** > > \*Glance not at the has-been lame duck incumbent, ignore the mudslinger attack dog running-mate bully governor, and stand over your opponent with your head held high like Cassius Clay, errrr… Mohammed Ali. There was a rumble in the Jungle, but the fight didn’t last the full 15 rounds. It ended in the 12th. > > **[SIZE=“4”]There can ONLY be one.** > > We shall wait for McSame to stand up before the count of 7, errrr…, days. > > Until then, there will be no raising of arms and no dancing around the ring, but any attempt to get up before the count of 7 will result in an immediate un-merciful punch where the sun don’t shine. > > Stay down Johnny, stay down.[/SIZE]\*:p:cool: So I take it you liked the video then? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/118 "2008-10-30T01:25:51Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > But he was sure to stress ‘he hasn’t seen it because the media won’t let the American people watch it.’ … …Wh… 😕 …Buh? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/119 "2008-10-30T01:36:04Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > … > > …Wh… > > 😕 > > …Buh? He said something about never having heard of a major media not releasing a tape that the public should see, or something. I don’t know. I am a nervous freakin’ wreck until November 4th. Just 7 months ago, I didn’t know if I would vote at all. Now, I can’t freakin’ wait. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113/120 "2008-10-30T01:39:26Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > … > > …Wh… > > 😕 > > …Buh? The “tape” McCain is referring to is the alleged tape of Obama at a dinner with Rashid Khalidi, a professor at Columbia University with ties to the PLO. [But what McCain doesn’t want you to know is](http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/the-khalidi-gam.html): > [@](#): > > But McCain has his own connection to Khalidi. > > In 1993, McCain became chairman of the International Republican Institute. He still chairs that respected organization. > > That same year, Khalidi helped found the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, self-described as “an independent academic research and policy analysis institution” created to meet “the need for active Palestinian scholarship on issues related to Palestine.” (Its archived Web site is HERE.) > > Khalidi was on the board of trustees through 1999. > > According to tax returns, the McCain-chaired IRI funded the organization Khalidi founded and served on to the tune of $448,873 in 1998 (click HERE to see the tax return)\* as first reported by Seth Couter Walls at HuffPo. > > The IRI continued to give money to the CPRS after Khalidi left the group as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-infomercial/470113.md?page=7)