When I saw the first Swiftboat ad in 2004 I called it the most devastating political ad I had ever seen. That description doesn’t quite fit the “Debra” ad from John McCain, but it is very, very effective and my favorite of the campaign thus far.
What I will be watching for this week is whether or not Obama can convince the diehard Hillary supporters to go with him. Debra is not the only Hillary supporter now enthusiastically supporting McCain. Here is a quote from one Hillary-turned-McCain supporter in Denver in response to a reporter’s question:
Did you vote for Kerry in 2004?
BT: Yes. I’ve voted for every Democrat since, well, Nixon when I was 18, but Democrats after that. I’d like to see a McCain-Hillary ticket to tell you the truth. And there’s nothing that would please my soul more than to see Obama lose. He’s talking about eight years when he hasn’t got the four years. When people start nominating Hillary on the floor this week, he may fall off the stage when he sees superdelegates switching to Hillary.Okay, the McCain-Hillary ticket reference was something scary to contemplate, but that ain’t happening. I think it is amusing that Obama could have gotten the support of these people if he had chosen Hillary as his VP, but McCain has gotten their support without having to offer Hillary anything. I don’t blame Obama for not choosing Hillary. Putting her on the ticket would have been risky and painful in a variety of ways, but there is also a price to pay for not choosing her. The fallout of that decision makes for an interesting dynamic to observe. What do you think Obama should do to gain the full support of the Hillary supporters?
Update: More Clintonites for McCain via The News and Observer.
Charlotte businessman Mark Erwin, a friend and supporter of former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, says he is supporting Republican Sen. John McCain in the presidential election.
Erwin, who backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary, said he did not think Sen. Barack Obama was sufficiently seasoned to be president, reports Rob Christensen.
“I’m supporting (McCain) because I think our country needs somebody who has the depth of experience, proven talent and lots of leadership training,” Erwin said.
“Sen. Obama doesn’t have any of those things. I think Joe Biden had it right when he said, ‘Some day he will be ready, but he’s not ready now.'”
