NPR: Clinton Campaign Makes Ad Sound Like Newscast

Clinton Campaign Makes Ad Sound Like Newscast

Newsday reports that the Clinton camp is now running an ad that sounds very much like a news report. Here's the text of the ad from Time:

This is an election news update with a major news story reported by the AP. While Senator Obama has crisscrossed Ohio giving speeches attacking NAFTA, his top economic advisor was telling the Canadians that was all just political maneuvering. A newly released document from the Canadian government shows that Obama's senior economic advisor met with the Canadian Consul General and made clear that Obama's attack on NAFTA were just, quote, "political maneuvering," not policy. Political maneuvering, not policy. In fact, the document shows that Obama's advisor also assured the Canadians that these attacks against NAFTA would not continue. Obama would not want to be, quote, "fundamentally changing the agreement." As Senator Obama was telling one story to Ohio, his campaign was telling a very different story to Canada. How will Ohioans decide whether they can believe Senator Obama's words? We'll find that out on election day. Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President.

The bloggers at Newsday's Spin Cycle political blog were not too pleased with the idea behind this political ad:

"Stuff like this, if it succeeds in fooling voters, fairly seriously pollutes the information environment by trying to steal the credibility of the news media and use it to present a biased, exagerrated set of facts. Why can't we rely on people who want to be president to not engage in the kind of creepy behavior that you teach your kids not to do?"

Maybe it needs to come with the kind of disclaimer that magazines are forced to run on ads that are set off like news articles.

5:14 PM ET | 03- 4-2008 | permalink

Comments

The Obama television ad they're running in Texas right now sounds suspiciously like a track off the Ben Folds/William Shatner CD. Stuff like this pollutes the environment by trying to steal the credibility of the music industry and use it to present a biased and exagerrated sense of coolness. Why can't we rely on people who want to be president to not defile the creative efforts of talented musical artists?

Sent by Karen | 5:28 PM ET | 03-04-2008

This is why the Clintons were always in the news for issues like land deals, Monika, Mark Rich etc.
They had eight years, I guess they need another eight years.

Sent by Concerned | 5:36 PM ET | 03-04-2008

This could be and should be the proverbial "straw" for the Clinton effort. Obama should have no trouble laughing off this tactless and juvenile act of desperation. Shame on you Hillary!

Sent by Michael Jacobs | 5:41 PM ET | 03-04-2008

hillary clinton has taken a pivotal moment in time, to show the republicans that she also can be a dirty fighter . deborah cloutier

Sent by deborah cloutier | 6:00 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Did she learn this trick from W, or did W get it from Bill?

Sent by Lanny Wagner | 6:14 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Why is everyone so upset about this political ad. Everything that it says is accurate. The NY Times article today confirms every statement in this ad. The only thing outrageous about the ad is that one of Obama's senior advisors would say anything like this to Canada while he is suggesting something quite the contrary to the public in Ohio. That is what is outrageous no matter how you cut it.

Sent by william sheridan | 6:22 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I can answer your question William. It's not the content of the ad that has journalists upset, it's the style. Many feel that it tries to pass off a political ad as a news story, which ultimately undermines genuine news reporting. They regard it as an attempt to manipulate people.

Many journalists felt the same way when the Bush administration tried to do this with TV reports a few years ago.

Tom Regan
Host, Newsblog

Sent by Tom Regan | 6:36 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Bill's machinations and outright lies were excused because he was young and charming. Hilary is neither.

Sent by Brian Quinn | 7:04 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Man, when this Peter Pauls law suit surfaces, the Republicans are going to have a field day. And this will just be the tip of the iceberg. We're gonna have four more embarrassing years of scandal if she wins the White House.

Sent by Tim | 7:10 PM ET | 03-04-2008

By the way like most of hillary's smear campaign, it is half true, I believe the only one who is happy about where this campaign is going is John Mc, and once again Bill & Hillary are showing their "power at any price" side; I am losing respect for the Clintons daily during this election. And by the way, I wasn't a Obama supporter, I was a Joe Biden supporter, the Clintons have made me an Obama supporter.

Sent by Joseph Knorr | 7:12 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Yeah but Tom, the idea of "genuine news reporting" has been brought into serious question in this election.

Your marginalization of candidates like Paul, Kucinich, and Nader, seriously hurts our democracy.

The news media accepts fabrications, distortions, and outright lies, and calls itself "objective".

This ad serves to manipulate people, but so do you, who are you to judge?

Sent by Jody Sol | 7:23 PM ET | 03-04-2008

It would appear that Karl Rove has teamed up with Hillary Clinton. With tactics like these, she once again looks like a Republican in sheep's clothing. The sad part is, she doesn't even care that she's ultimately hurting the Democratic party with her lust for power. tsk, tsk!

Sent by still hopeful | 7:38 PM ET | 03-04-2008

It is totally false to say the add is an accurate reflection of the contents of the NY Times article, which I just read online. The person who met with the Canadians is a Professor Goolsbee who happens to be an adviser to Obama camp. It is further reported that Goolsbee meet with the Canadian as an Academic, not as a representative of the Obama campaign. If Goolsbee is like the overwhelming majority of academic economists, he probably supports free trade and partly may be inserting his views, hoping he will be able to convince Obama of the importance of free trade after the election.

Furthermore, what it is reported is "According to The A.P., the note reads, `On Nafta Goolsbee suggested that Obama is less about fundamentally changing the agreement and more in favor of strengthening/clarifying language on labor mobility and environment and trying to establish these as more ???core??? principles of the agreement.'".

That is not inconsistent with what Obama has been saying, which is that he wants to reform NAFTA but will leave it if he cannot.

The pandering of both Clinton and Obama is shameful. Clinton compounds that shame by indefensible distortions.

Sent by Kevin L. | 9:22 PM ET | 03-04-2008

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