5 Misleading Presidential Campaign Ads

Some recent campaign ads needed some fact-checking before airing

September 5, 2008 RSS Feed Print

1. John McCain, "Expensive Plans"—The ad claims that Obama and congressional Democrats will implement "painful tax increases on working American families" and cause "years of deficits." Obama's plan would in fact cut taxes for the majority of American households, benefiting the middle-class. McCain's program could also lead to "years of deficits."

2. Barack Obama, "Fix the Economy"—The ad lifts McCain quotes such as "I don't believe we're headed into a recession" and "There's been great progress economically" from longer responses and fails to include the context and other statements where McCain admitted that the economy is struggling right now.

3. John McCain, "Tiny"—The ad quotes Obama as saying Iran is a "tiny country that "doesn't pose a serious threat." Obama actually said that Iran, Cuba and Venezeula are "tiny compared to the Soviet Union" and those countries don't pose a serious threat "the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us."

4. Barack Obama, "Ohio Jobs"—The ad says McCain opposed a 2003 amendment to help DHL buy Wilmington, Ohio-based Airborne Express and that the merger is the direct cause of the job losses in Ohio. McCain said he did not oppose the amendment to help DHL and there is little evidence that the merger caused the loss of 8,000 jobs.

5. John McCain, "Housing Problem"—The ad says power broker Tony Rezko bought part of Obama's house that Obama couldn't afford and that in return Rezko received "$14 million from taxpayers." Rezko's wife bought an adjoining tract of Obama's property but later sold it, and the $14 million was to build apartments for low-income seniors.

Source: FactCheck.org

Tags:
presidential election 2008,
campaigns

Reader Comments Read all comments (4)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

opinions are lame.

keep you own thoughtsd in your head, and just vote for obama, he owns.

Fabio of MS 2:33PM October 23, 2008

obama obama obama obama, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united state, barack o bamam, obmama obama.

of HI 2:30PM October 23, 2008

In fact, Rezko's wife purchased the adjoining property and Obama purchased a part of that property and then Mrs Rezko sold the "remainder" of the property. Check your facts.

John of IL 2:10AM September 06, 2008

advertisement

Debate Club

Was 2011 One of the Worst Years for the U.S. Government in American History?

Experts debate where 2011 ranks among Washington's worst years.

Latest Video

Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Barack Obama's $5.6 Billion Valentine's Day Tax

An Americans for Tax Reform report shows the federal tax burden on love.

It's Too Early to Write Off Either Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney

Barack Obama and John McCain traveled unlikely paths to their nominations in 2008.

On Contraception Mandate, Obama Blunders Into the Culture Wars

Obama's contraception "compromise" is a gimmick that voters will see right through.

Why Mitt Romney Can't Sell Himself to Conservatives

Voters want to know if they can trust Mitt Romney.

Americans Deserve Political Freedom from the Catholic Church

Church leaders could not have been less gracious towards Obama's surrender on contraception.

What the Catholic Contraceptive Debate Is Really About

Today's debates about contraception and inequality are intertwined in that the bring up the question of morality.

Why the Catholic Contraception Controversy Is a Phony Battle

The Catholic Church is asking the Obama administration to do something it cannot do itself: limit birth control use.

Obama’s Contraceptive 'Compromise' Doesn't Pass the Smell Test

The so-called "accommodation" on contraceptive coverage reinforces the administration's commitment to its pro-choice agenda.

advertisement