The Best Of Ads; The Worst Of Ads

CBS Evening News: Breaks Down The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of The Week In Campaigns

(CBS)  This may be remembered as the week that the presidential campaigns took the emphasis off personal attacks, and back on a serious issue. CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield takes a look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of this week in campaigning.

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The Good

The financial storms this past week did something the Obama campaign had been unable to do for the past two weeks: shift the spotlight away from questions of culture and values back to the economy, where Democrats generally fare better, CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports.

Obama's campaign produced a two-minute straight-to-camera ad - a rarity in today's 30 second universe - about what he would do to address the issue.

"End the anything-goes culture on Wall Street with real regulation that protects our investments and pensions," McCain said in the ad.

Obama got an unintended boost from McCain's response to the crisis, from reassurance (Monday he said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong") to an attempted explanation ("The fundamentals of our economy are the American workers," he said on Tuesday's Early Show) to a proposal that sounded very much like a familiar Washington response to crisis ("We need to set up a 9/11 commission in order to get to the bottom of this").

The Bad

This week, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee unveiled an ad in Minnesota in which bereaved parents who lost their son in Iraq point an accusing finger at Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

"At 10:30 that night … the Army came to our house," a mother of a soldier who died says in the ad. "If Norm Coleman had stood up to the president and said, 'This is not a good idea,' maybe he would have listened."

The suggestion that President Bush would have changed course because of a single senator - and that the deaths in Iraq can be laid at that senator's door - is likely to trigger charges that this ad crosses the line.

The Ugly

As for the head-shaking category - a conservative group, Freedom Watch, is running an ad in Colorado, ridiculing Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall's support for a Department of Peace. It paints the idea as a wacko notion from Woodstock Nation - complete with its favorite recreational pleasures.

Anybody got a brownie?

[concerns47]

Clinton signs the 1999 deregulation bill in a bi-partisan measure.

Read the article in 1999 about the deregulation bill

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/11/12/banking.reform/index.html

[concerns47]

Read the article in 1999 about the deregulation bill

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/11/12/banking.reform/index.html

[oldone60]

I used to wonder why Republicans are so stupid...I know I''''m probably wasting my typing on this..

Posted by sleepyric at 08:05 AM : Sep 19, 2008
==========================

The sort of attitude reflected in this post - if you don''t agree with me you are stupid (or Fascist, or evil or etc) - is why many in this country despise the left.

[treeyed]

This whole article was a cbs add for the democrats ...
Watch out CBS , is your bias this election going to cost you another anchor person ? Will it cost you another public apology to the americans?

[skyk239]

The muslim prophet married a girl who was 9 years old.

Obama wrote in his book he would stand with the muslims.

Obama voted for s*x education in kindergarten.

When will Obama disclose his donations from N.A.M.B.L.A.?

Posted by negrovote- at 11:38 PM : Sep 18, 2008


Kinda week sparky! You GOTTA keep up more... these lies were exposed WEEKS ago.

[skyk239]

OBAMA PLAYS VERY LOW.
EVERYTHING THAT MAN HAS CLAIMED TO BE HE HAS TURNED OUT TO BE THE OPPOSITE.

and it began with claiming he was nonracist and didnt see color....5MONTHS IN, TAPES SURFACED AND INFO THAT OMAMA IS A PRACTICING RACIST WITH A 20-YEAR HISTORY.

Posted by fenner at 05:13 AM : Sep 19, 2008

It is so sad to see American''s practicing Pure Fascism today. In this time of crisis, with our nation on the verge of economic collapse a few like this poor soul continue in their feeble attempt to tar Obama with the rants of an Old, Angry Minister. When someone attempts to discuss the reasoning for the Minister and his views, they want to hear none of it... they are only concerned with the destruction of Obama. When you attempt to inform them that, compared to some, the rants of this minister is mild, again, that is of no import.. the destruction of Obama is all that matters. When you ask them to show ANY like statements from Obama, again NOTHING, they are concerned ONLY with the destruction of Obama. Guilt by association was used by the SS during the 30''s so extensively that ANYONE who had anything bad to say of the Reich in Germany was IMMEDIATELY turned in to the SS. Mission Accomplished!! We have so many pressing needs and so many issues to be discussing. I hardly think the rants of a angry Old Black Minister whom Obama has so clearly stated he does NOT agree with, should be on ANYONE''s mind, well unless they wish to form another SS that is.

[sleepyric]

I used to wonder why Republicans are so stupid. Then I saw this on the psuedo-news site DrudgeReport:
FOXNEWS HANNITY/COLMES 4,921,000
FOXNEWS O''REILLY 3,839,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 3,561,000
FOXNEWS SHEP SMITH 2,184,000
FOXNEWS HUME 2,108,000


These are the morons who watch the Fox poopaganda machine. If you watch Fox News (national version, not your local news stations), try to question what they spew, and then wonder why they spew it. Because Murdoch TELLS them to spew it, or else look for another job. Use your brains people, to sort out the fact from craap...I know I''m probably wasting my typing on this..

[crewmember1]

Fenner - never fact faulty? McCain? Even Rove had to say he crossed the line with the 100% truth telling - and that''s Rove. This is the fault of following only one candidate - you get spoon fed only their pablum and have nothing to compare it to. Come on Americans, we are in this to fix this - We need to see for ourselves and we are counting on each other in this crisis to all step up to the plate, put our prejudices behind and make really informed decisions. I have listened to gaffes, stretches and simple mistakes on both sides. The score card should be tallied before Election Day along with our best judgment as to who is truly committed to the real infrastructure of our nation. Namely, the middle class. Even John McCain has turned his attention to the middle class because the Republican philosophy of less government with Wall Street - let them make money and it will trickle down - is failing right before our eyes. He recognizes that much. The question is, does John McCain truly have the inner framework and support system to fix that problem or will he have to run with the lobbyists he has? I''m watching, but I''m thinking that Obama has laid the groundwork for exactly the crisis that face us today. He didn''t have to make any shifts so he is ahead of the game. Plus, he is a bit smarter than McCain. McCain has the establishment behind him if he has the horses to sway them into relinquishing the reins to some government controls or not. hard to say at this point.

[element51]

negrovote....Your posts are pathetic....not unlike you. You either cannot finish reading a complete sentence or you suffer from some form of mental disease that causes you to see things that aren''t there. I read the complete s e x ed bill and in no way did it advocate teaching young children about s e x. It simply would have allowed teachers to educate them about inappropriate touching. As for "standing with muslims" Obama was refering to American muslims being treated badly simply because of their religion. I would hope that any president would protect American citizens. If all you are going to do is lie why don''t you find something new to lie about. We''re all sick of the same old *****.

[obbcbs]

In case you thought that Bush and the Republican managed FEMA learned ANYTHING from Katrina/New Orleans, take a look at Houston TX today.

When will there be power, water, food, medical providers?

The big advantage Galveston provides FEMA over New Orleans is that the devastation was so utter, that no person survived on the south end of the island.

[obbcbs]

McCain against demonstrates his ignorance when he puffs up and claims he would fire the chairman of the SEC. The Chairman of the SEC is not subject to being fired by the President, since a ruling by the Supreme court in the 1930''s. The SEC chairman is INDEPENDENT of politics.
They are appointed and once appointed do the best they can. They can only be removed from office if they break a law or conduct malfeasance.

Since McCain was instrumental in DE-REGULATING the SEC himself, the SEC chair can only work within the rules that exist.

Fire McCain, he''s one of the key persons responsible for the environment.
Gramm is the other one. This is a replay of Lincoln Savings and Loan.
Rich people gamble on real estate and then US taxpayers bail them out when the market (predictably) moves in a new direction (what goes up must come down).
Mccain prevented the minimization of the damage in that case, by stopping the federal investigation.

[obbcbs]

Today McCain didnt even recognize the name of the Spanish leader when asked by a Spanish language radio station.

His foreign policy credentials were lost when he lost his memory.
He doesnt have Lieberman around every day to whisper the answers anymore.

At the end of the interview he dissed the Spanish government.
His staff then said Spain is an enemy.
I suppose that should be expected from someone who identifies as a member of the Georgian Republic, *he says.

[homespunlady]

The IRONY is that BOTH sets of Major Candidates RANT AGAINST the REPUBLICAN BUSH Administration.

Has anyone else noticed that McCain/Palin are trying to appear to be Democrats?

They rant against "corruption" and the "failures" of REPUBLICAN leadership and I couldn''t believe an earlier speech where McCain actually mentioned Republicans as a cause of the problems we''re now facing.

They DON''T put their party on their signs and use "Democrat Blue" for their background on their signs.

I started to NOTICE this LACK of IDENTITY in a LOT of the Republicans running for office.

Sheesh you''d think they''re EMBARRASSED by THEIR OWN PARTY.

But the candidates for the HIGHEST OFFICE refusing to acknowledge on their signs they are REPUBLICANS and trying to HIDE that fact TOO???

Where are the BRIGHT RED backgrounds I USED TO SEE on their signs and the word REPUBLICAN PROUDLY DISPLAYED on those signs?

Where is the TRUTH as to WHAT PARTY they belong to?

I see a LOT of Democratic SIGNS PROUDLY DISPLAYING their PARTY affiliation.

GOP - the "STEALTH PARTY" HIDING their IDENTITY and acting like IDENTITY THIEVES stealing the OTHER Candidate''s PLATFORM, signs, ideas, etc in hope of MISLEADING voters??

How PATHETIC can Republicans get by trying to be Democrats? OWN UP and CHANGE PARTIES if you''re going to use the SAME platform and talking points!

That way maybe the Constitution Party or Libertarian Party might have a chance.

[ragnar30066]

Blatantly partisan journalism is bad enough, but you have to do it sloppily too? Sheesh!

[svsmr]

Looks like you have some editing to do here - ""End the anything-goes culture on Wall Street with real regulation that protects our investments and pensions," McCain said in the ad." I believe you meant Obama.