Obama Ad Deems McCain "Out Of Touch"

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Advertising

The Obama campaign has released its second advertisement spotlighting John McCain's inability to say how many houses he owns in an interview this week. The sharply critical spot invokes "country club economics" and casts McCain as wealthy and disconnected from the economic troubles of average Americans.

"Call it country club economics," an announcer says as the spot opens on a shot of McCain and former president George Bush in a golf cart. "How many houses does he own? John McCain says he can't even remember anymore." (Note the use of "anymore" here, which could prompt suggestions that the Obama camp is trying to spotlight McCain's age.)

"Well, it's seven," the announcer continues. "No wonder McCain just said the fundamentals of our economy are strong." Here McCain is shown with George W. Bush.

"And anyone making less than five-million-dollars-a-year is middle-class," the announcer adds. This is a reference to McCain's comment to Rick Warren that a $5 million income is what it takes to be considered rich, a comment his campaign later said was a joke and McCain predicted would be distorted.

Concludes the announcer: "Maybe McCain thinks this economy is working for folks like him. But how're things going – for you?"

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by alicerea1 August 23, 2008 11:27 AM EDT: Could someone please explain more about Muslim roots?

Obama''s father was supposedly a non practicing Muslim.
How do Muslims, specifically overseas, view roots with Muslims?
Rumors are flooding the internet stating that
%u201COnce your father is a Muslim, you are viewed by Muslims as a Muslim.%u201D
Is that correct?
Shouldn%u2019t the Americans be concerned about terrroist Muslims view of Obama?; Reply to this comment


by stormsinger1 August 23, 2008 9:18 AM EDT: I don''t really want a Christian as President. But it seems I have no choice in that matter, so I only hope that the new President will realize that this country was built on the Constituion and Bill of Rights and not on the bible. Everyone has to worship as they see fit, whatever makes them feel better. It''s when they started buying into the notion that they have some Sacred duty to force others to comply with their beliefs that religion becomes the deadly disease that history has proved it to be.

bswalker121 said "the more America listens to this guy the more he sounds like an atheist.

obama is a BABY KILLER!!!

enough said!!!

do you really want a baby killer as president." I would put forth the idea that Bush has killed more children in Iraq and Afghanistan that are "killed" by abortions. OF course, they are brown babies of another religion so I guess they mean nothing to the "good christian folks"; Reply to this comment


by wellhell3 August 23, 2008 4:53 AM EDT: Hahahahah! Obscamma puts out this KRAP as he stands on the porch of his $million mansion in Hyde Park where he lives with his other rich corrupt Muslim buddies!

Now this is HILARIOUS!; Reply to this comment


by cpjcfisher August 23, 2008 2:11 AM EDT: Everyone knows that if you are runnin for president you are wealthy and wealthy people often have other people overseeing there investments. I would be more worried if McCain were spending all his time taking care of that instead of addressing the national issues.; Reply to this comment


by misha128-2009 August 22, 2008 9:39 PM EDT: sephers165 - the issue is not the number of houses in ny mind. It is McCain''s inability to remember things like his voting record -- Cxechoslovakia -- Putin is a GERMAN -- the mythical Iraq-Pakistan border -- the relations between sunnis shiites, al qaeda and insurgents -- these are not the attributes of a leader that can answer the now proverbial 3AM phone call. A second issue could be the potential for conflict of interest and the potential undisclosed benefits of McCain''s policies on his own finances. In my mind the actual number of houses is trivial compared to the two issues listed above.; Reply to this comment


by sephers165 August 22, 2008 9:31 PM EDT: I''m not too fond of McCain or Obama but this latest thing might seal the deal for me. McCain owning seven houses means he has investments, some of which are set up as a trust fund for his children. Personally I see that as a good thing. Some people aren''t aware of how all their assets are invested and not knowing off the top of your head isn''t much of a crime. Besides he''s really old and his memory is slower : )

The point is I was very disappointed with Obama attacking McCain on it and the media treating the McCains blunder as such a big deal. Not only does it lower Obama''s character in my eyes, it actually leaves him more vulnerable to new attacks.

I think this is the second major gaffe the Obama camp has made, which for the most part has done amazing so far. The first gaffe was the reaction to the New Yorker cover.

This is Obama''s election to lose and he would be better off not looking desperate and attacking on such small issues. Although I am also doubtful of the right''s claim that he willfully didn''t help his Kenyan Half brother and am a little disappointed they are attacking on that.; Reply to this comment


by misha128-2009 August 22, 2008 8:47 PM EDT: bswalker -- thinks that the administration''s hiring of lawyers from Jerry Falwell''s Law School was a good idea. Wait until he learns those were part of the team of incompetent lawyers that came up with moving detainees to Gitmo potentially allowing them access to the US. They in conjunction with other administration lawyers including the lawyer in charge of handling terrorist cases who has no experience with terrorism cases cannot draft a law and told a Congressional Hearing they have no recommendations to prevent the release of the detainees in the US and possibly in his neighborhood. I wonder if he will then wish to have lawyers like the ones Monica Goodling hired to defend her working at the DOJ to protect him, instead of the lawyers that passed Monica Goodling''s review? Why vote for a Republican that will continue to hire lawyers and judges for political and religious reasons instead of their legal expertise. How can things be worse than the administration providing terrorists transportation to US, access the courts and potential entry to the US. The only thing I can thing of is electing John McCain and allowing this incompetence to continue.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 August 22, 2008 8:31 PM EDT: Senator Barack Obama has never killed nor harmed anyone.

BSWALKER is an product of Republican Propaganda Hate Media that has rendered a mentally unstable condition.

Chill BS, we live in a Democracy.; Reply to this comment


by misha128-2009 August 22, 2008 8:19 PM EDT: With AG Mulkasey and the Supreme Court saying Bush''s transfer of detainees to Gitmo gave them access to the US courts and possible release in the US -- SO WE CAN FIGHT THEN HERE INSTEAD OF OVER THERE!! The Administration and the DOJ in congressional hearings having NO RECOMMENDATIONS HOW TO DRAFT A LAW to stop this McCain is the last person I want as President! At least give the Democrats a chance to save us from Bush''s hundreds of worse-than-Willie-Horton-terrorists that can potentially be released in the US instead of letting McCain continue the Bush incompetence / complacency allowing the terrorists to enter the US at the court''s direction.; Reply to this comment


by bswalker121 August 22, 2008 6:43 PM EDT: talk about out of touch.

obama claims to be a christian, but in a ''06 speech to his blind atheist followers he says that the old testements teachings are not relevant to American policies.

what kind of christian is this clown?

A CHRISTIAN OF CONVENIENCE!!!

it was convenient for him to join Wright''s church and proclaim himself a born again christian.

the more America listens to this guy the more he sounds like an atheist.

obama is a BABY KILLER!!!

enough said!!!

do you really want a baby killer as president.; Reply to this comment