George Stephanopoulos reports on events in politics, Congress and the White House for ABCNews, on the air and online. He interviews top newsmakers, discusses the events of the week and looks to the week ahead each Sunday on 'This Week.'
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Obama Infomercial a Virtuoso Performance
October 29, 2008 10:02 PM
This was a very highly produced, technically incredibly competent half hour of television that was worth every penny.
It was all designed to get voters comfortable with the idea of Barack Obama in the Oval Office, that he is embedded in the lives of average Americans, and knows exactly what they're going through.
Obama even appeared in a facsimile of the White House Oval Office during the infomercial. Every single line during that 30 minutes was something that the campaign knows works and appeals to those undecided voters.
There was one point during those 30 minutes where he talked about education. Over images of Obama in a classroom with children, they rolled a tape of Obama's Sept. 9, 2008 speech in Dayton, Ohio:
"Responsibility for our children's' success doesn't start in Washington," Obama said. "It starts in our homes. No education policy can replace a parent who's involved in their child's education from day one, who makes sure their children are in school on time, helps them with their homework, and attends those parent-teacher conferences. No government program can turn off the TV set, or put away the video games, or read to your children."
The campaign knows for a fact that when Obama said those lines during the debate, it had the highest response of the entire debate from voters hooked up to dial groups.
So they repeated it again tonight and that idea was reprised again and again over these 30 minutes.
Every idea that Obama talked about is something the campaign knows appeals to those undecided voters, especially those economically distressed voters in the nation right now.
What you saw here was a highly competent, professional, virtuoso performance. The fact that they could go 28 minutes in and hit live to a campaign rally in Florida and right down to the final Obama Biden logo that showed a rising sun. One of the things the campaign knows is that the most optimistic presidential candidate always wins.
Ross Perot had some money to do a similar type of infomercial back in 1992 but he had a very, very primitive production.
I spoke with a former presidential campaign strategist who said that anyone who has worked in a presidential campaign has to be jealous of the toys that the Obama campaign cash can buy.
Obama's Republican rival John McCain has argued the ad, which is estimated to have cost more than $3 million, was bought with Obama's broken campaign promise to take public financing which would have limited the amount of money he could raise.
Tonight McCain-Palin spokesman Tucker Bounds released this statement: "As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product. Buyer beware."
That's an implicit admission that they know that the message worked, they just hope that the messenger won't be trusted.
--George Stephanopoulos
October 29, 2008 in Barack Obama, Democrats Vote 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (1045)
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It was a fabulous 30 minutes.
Posted by: mortimer snerd | Oct 29, 2008 10:14:53 PM
George Stephanopoulos has their been a day you have not been licking Obama's NUT sack
Posted by: tabby | Oct 29, 2008 10:17:37 PM
I loved every minute of it! It had nice production and was well thought out. I think they hit the target!
Posted by: joker | Oct 29, 2008 10:18:04 PM
It's good to see a presidential candidate acting presidential. Not small, angry, and divisive.
Posted by: thorfinn | Oct 29, 2008 10:20:30 PM
I loved every minute of it. Just like i love having my balls kicked
Posted by: mortimer snerd | Oct 29, 2008 10:21:42 PM
That was an excellent and sleek production. Creativity unlimited
Posted by: Martin | Oct 29, 2008 10:23:46 PM
Impressive. Very strong connection to 95% of Americans. In Other Words the "Middle Class"
Not one negative word or mention of McCain!!
Obama/Biden
Posted by: jpeezus | Oct 29, 2008 10:24:03 PM
It sure beats the angry curmudgeon and the whiny beauty contest runner-up that the other side has...
Posted by: Sara | Oct 29, 2008 10:24:47 PM
I wish the LA TIMES would release the video of Obama praising the PLO terrorist as HEROS and calling Israel the TERRORIST
Posted by: jpeezus | Oct 29, 2008 10:25:42 PM
I also wish the LA TIMES would release the video of Obama praising the PLO terrorist as HEROS and calling Israel the TERRORIST
Posted by: Sara | Oct 29, 2008 10:26:11 PM
Tabby,
Learn to spell ("there" not "their") before you attempt any kind of humor, no matter tasteless it is.
Posted by: jiminy | Oct 29, 2008 10:26:52 PM
"George Stephanopoulos has their been a day you have not been licking Obama's NUT sack"
Tabby, you showed the classiness that has been a hallmark of the McCain campaign. Good work.
Posted by: John McCain's conscience | Oct 29, 2008 10:27:01 PM
tabby,
Your life demands better out of you...
Posted by: R A | Oct 29, 2008 10:27:11 PM
YEP I am an Obama troll with nothing better to do than prove how much I love Obama by lying for him
BUT I also wish the LA TIMES would release the video of Obama praising the PLO terrorist as HEROS and calling Israel the TERRORIST
Posted by: jiminy | Oct 29, 2008 10:28:09 PM
Great job, Obama!!!!
This is what comes when you have a candidate with real vision.
With McCain and the Repubs all I hear is sour grapes and sore loser-ism.
GO OBAMA!!!!!
YAY PHILS!!!!
Posted by: Ed from MA | Oct 29, 2008 10:28:35 PM
Long live Obama the lying piece of trash
Posted by: Ed from MA | Oct 29, 2008 10:29:59 PM
Has anyone noticed how John McCain doesn't talk about HIS OWN ideas? He always seems to be talking about Barack Obama.
Obama on the other hand, spent 30 minutes telling people what he believes and what he would like to do.
John McCain has campaigned like George Bush did against McCain in 2000. No class.
Posted by: John McCain's conscience | Oct 29, 2008 10:30:37 PM
Start a petition demanding the RACIST the LA TIMES would release the video of Obama praising the PLO terrorist as HEROS and calling Israel the TERRORIST
Posted by: Ed from MA | Oct 29, 2008 10:30:39 PM
Did you ever notice how the RACIST the LA TIMES will not release the video of Obama praising the PLO terrorist as HEROS and calling Israel the TERRORIST
Posted by: John McCain's conscience | Oct 29, 2008 10:31:25 PM
I thought that Mr. George Stephanopoulos has always been biased for Mr. Obama. I was proven right. Mr. Obama is a deceptive serial liar. I can't believe America is being fooled again.
Posted by: young_voter | Oct 29, 2008 10:31:33 PM
echo that
go Obama!
congrats Phils!
PA for Obama!!
Posted by: Gus | Oct 29, 2008 10:32:36 PM
Forgot one: SOUR GRAPES, SORE LOSER-ISM and SOCK-PUPPETRY.
FAKE ED: YOU'RE A LOSER ALREADY, JUST WAIT TILL NEXT TUESDAY - YOU'LL BE A DOUBLE LOSER.
GO OBAMA!!!
BOO McCAIN!!!
YAY PHILS!!!!
Posted by: Ed from MA | Oct 29, 2008 10:33:23 PM
Absolutely loved it because it was all positive messages and answers to the problems our country is facing. No negative bashing like the Repubs. And to all you "nut lovers", you have two of them on your Repub ticket!
Posted by: jan | Oct 29, 2008 10:33:41 PM
jiminy,
While you are making things up about Obama, I am wondering how will we educate our kids so they can compete in the global market, how are we going to fixe our bridges before they fall down, how we are going to switch to renewable, American sources of energy.
That's what makes me a proud Democrat and American.
Posted by: John McCain's conscience | Oct 29, 2008 10:33:52 PM
I live in PENNSYLVANIA the home of the World Series winner Phillies and everybody has McCain sign on their front yards except for racist blacks
Posted by: Gus | Oct 29, 2008 10:33:53 PM
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