Ad Roundup: John McCain and Barack Obama Make Their Final Arguments in Ads

In the final days before the election, Barack Obama and John McCain released a slew of new ads attacking each other on familiar issues. McCain brought back the celebrity theme and also hit Obama on foreign policy, his tax plan, and his experience. Obama made a direct attack on Sarah Palin and continued to remind voters that McCain represents "more of the same."

Barack Obama: “His Choice”
This ad features no narrator, only text, and attacks John McCain on his economic expertise and his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Three McCain quotes appear on the screen; one says, "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." Another reads, "I might have to rely on a vice president that I select" for expertise on economic issues. The question, "His choice?" then appears, accompanied by an image of Palin winking into the camera. The ad comes in the wake of recent polls that show public perceptions of Palin have changed dramatically and many Americans now view her unfavorably.

John McCain: “TV Special”
McCain pre-emptively attacked Obama on his Wednesday night prime-time TV special with this ad, which invokes the celebrity theme McCain used this summer. While images from Obama's most notable speeches appear, the narrator says, "Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises, and TV specials lies the truth." We then see images relating to the current crises in the economy and in Iraq and Afghanistan while the narrator says, "Barack Obama lacks the experience that America needs. His response to our economic crisis is to spend and tax our economy deeper into recession." The tagline at the end differs from previous McCain ads: "Barack Obama's not ready ... yet."

Barack Obama: “Tested”
In this ad, Obama responds to the controversy over Joe Biden's comment that Obama will be tested by a crisis within his first six months in office. He also attacks McCain's ad "Ladies and Gentlemen," which incorporated Biden's comment in order to warn voters what will happen if Obama is elected. The narrator says, "An economic meltdown. Two wars. And John McCain's playing with audio tapes." The ad explains, "The next president will be tested, but here's what Joe Biden actually said." It then cuts to a clip of Biden saying that those who test Obama will "find out this guy's got steel in his spine." The ad then compares McCain's and Obama's responses to the financial crisis—McCain was "erratic," Obama had the "steady hand"—and concludes by saying that as president, McCain would continue Bush's policies. At a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, McCain brought up Biden's comment again and said, "My friends, I have been tested. Senator Obama isn't."

John McCain: “Compare”
This ad contrasts McCain and Obama, alternating between images of the two candidates while the narrator explains how they differ. According to the narrator, Obama is "your choice for higher taxes," while McCain is for "workin' Joes." Obama will "spread your income"; McCain will let you "keep what's yours." Obama is "risky"; McCain is "proven. For a stronger America." In response to recent attacks by the McCain campaign on Obama's tax plan and desire to "spread the wealth," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement, "Americans know that the real choice in this election is between four more years of Bush-McCain policies that redistribute billions to billionaires and big corporations and Barack Obama's plan to help the middle class by giving tax relief to 95 percent of workers and companies that create new jobs here in America. That's the change we need, and no amount of eleventh-hour distractions from the McCain campaign will change that."

Barack Obama: “Something”
This ad features clips from the Florida rally that was part of Obama's 30-minute infomercial Wednesday night. In the clip, Obama tells the crowd, "We can choose hope over fear, and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo." The narrator says Obama is a "leader who will bring us together." Because of him, "people from every walk of life are uniting in common purpose."

John McCain: “Obama Praises McCain”
This ad features Obama praising McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman for their proposed greenhouse gas legislation. In a clip, Obama thanks McCain and Lieberman for the "outstanding leadership they've shown." Their proposal, he says, "establishes limits for greenhouse gas emissions in a framework that's not only good for the environment but that's also good for business." Obama responded to the ad in a speech in Des Moines on Friday: "Just this morning, the McCain campaign put out an ad that showed me praising him and Senator Lieberman for their work on global warming—as if there's something wrong with acknowledging when an opponent has said or done something that makes sense. I think we need more of that in Washington. I don't disagree with Senator McCain on everything, and I respect his occasional displays of independence." McCain has also released a TV ad featuring Florida Gov. Charlie Crist explaining why he endorses McCain, as well as a radio ad featuring Republican Sen. John Warner praising McCain for being a "true fighter" who will "champion Tidewater's leading role in our nation's defense."

Barack Obama: “Rearview Mirror”
Obama makes a final attempt to tie McCain's economic policies to President Bush's policies. The ad shows a man driving past various road signs that describe different aspects of McCain's economic plan. The narrator reads the signs: McCain would provide "no tax breaks to 101 million Americans" but will keep "tax breaks for companies that ship job overseas." McCain also wants "$4 billion in new tax breaks for big oil and would tax your healthcare benefits for the first time ever." Obama made the same point at a rally in Florida on Thursday. McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said of those comments in a statement, "If voters looked into Barack Obama's rearview, they'd see that he supported every one of Washington's wasteful spending bills and has voted for higher taxes 94 times in just three years. His economic proposals are driven by job-killing tax increases and out-of-control spending—Barack Obama would drive this sputtering economy off a cliff."

Republican National Committee: “Surgeon”
This ad attempts to highlight Obama's lack of experience, comparing him to a "pilot who has never flown" and a "surgeon who has never operated." The narrator asks, "Can you hand your nation to a man who has never been in charge of anything? Can you wait while he learns?" The ad concludes with a tagline shown on the screen: "Barack Obama. Untested." Obama has said of his experience, "I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

Barack Obama: “Delighted”
"Delighted" is another attempt to tie McCain to the Bush administration by highlighting Dick Cheney's endorsement of the Republican candidate. While cheery music plays in the background, the narrator says, "Barack Obama, endorsed by Warren Buffett and Colin Powell. And John McCain's latest endorsement?" The ad cuts to a clip of Cheney saying, "I'm delighted to support John McCain, and I'm pleased that he's chosen a running mate with executive talent, toughness, and common sense." The narrator concludes that McCain earned his endorsement by voting "with Bush and Cheney 90 percent of the time.... And that's not the change we need." McCain spokesman Bounds responded to the ad in a statement: "It was John McCain who fought Vice President Cheney on Big Oil's energy bill, the administration's wasteful spending, and argued for a different, successful course in Iraq, not Barack Obama."

John McCain: “Freedom”
As part of his closing argument, McCain brings up his POW past in one of his final ads of the campaign. While footage is shown from his days as a POW and from recent campaign events, McCain says, "I've served my country since I was 17 years old. And spent five years longing for her shores. I came home dedicated to a cause greater than my own. We can grow our economy. We will cut government waste. Don't hope for a stronger America. Vote for one."