Excerpts:
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wаѕ less tһаח upfront іח һіѕ half-hour commercial Wednesday night аbουt tһе costs οf һіѕ programs аחԁ tһе crushing budget pressures һе wουƖԁ face іח office.
Obama’s assertion tһаt "I’ve offered spending cuts above аחԁ beyond" tһе expense οf һіѕ promises іѕ accepted οחƖу bу һіѕ partisans. Hіѕ vow tο save money bу "eliminating programs tһаt don’t work" masks һіѕ failure throughout tһе campaign tο specify wһаt those programs аrе—beyond tһе withdrawal οf troops frοm Iraq.
A sampling οf wһаt voters heard іח tһе ad, аחԁ wһаt һе didn’t tеƖƖ tһеm:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D944H6EO0&show_article=1
Dο уου agree wіtһ tһіѕ, οr аrе tһеу simply demonstrating anti-Obama bias Ɩіkе mοѕt οf tһе MSM? HA!
Trying to buy credibility after the fact.
i dont agree
It probably did have a TON of spin in it. That’s what campaign ads do. Who is surprised by that?
Because it was. I felt like I was watching an Earnest Angley crusade..
Must be that darn "liberal media"…oh wait…
Dont you claim the AP is in the tank for Obama?
I just posted that too…you’re reading my mind! Good job.
because AP is conservative. no, wait, its liberal. well, truth from the liberal media for once. how about that?
what a refreshing fact based article. Love it!
It doesn’t say McCain is much better, but for those who think Obama will save them through the economy it totally disproves that.
I dont know about it
Repugs , obviously can not read or think…
I think anytime a candidate running for election opens their mouth we should all expect quite a bit of spin.
Of course they’re going to look at the "rosy" side of their plans and the "down side" of their opponents plan.
And both candidates have stated they are going to "cut the fat" out of our government without specifying what "fat" is and why it hasn’t been cut out before.
Good question though…
IT WAS!
Barack LIES. His followers believe EVERYTHING he says so he can make stuff up and NO ONE calls the "TEFLON" man out on any of it.
Do his supporters actually CARE that he lied? I think not.
Yeah—wow—wha d’ya know—AP suddenly goes all "Fair and balanced" all of a sudden……..they must be up to something!!!
Who knows….maybe Chris Matthews’ will even cause him to correct his lie about Bill Ayers’ statement, "I don’t regret setting bombs"!
My only guess is they think they’re work is done—Obama is as good as coronated
A little too little a little too late. The only change Ive see him bring about is "his mind"
How specific an you be before you actually take office and really see what is going on with the budget. He has been much more specific than MCain.
I am a realist. I know that Obama will not be able to do all that he wants to do. But if he can do even a third of what he proposes, life will be better for the middle class in America.
McCain is so out of touch with the middle class, he can’t even describe what makes you middle class. And to date, the policies he has proposed would hurt the middle class not help them. His health plan is a joke, he plans to give tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. These things DON"T WORK.
You’re still pushing this MSM talking point like a good little Palinite (well, it’s not like you think McCain is any good).
The AP loves to write these little pieces questioning Obama, and you love to read them for the same reason I don’t: They’re well and truly in the tank for the loser McCain.
Say it loud, say it proud: President Obama.
Obama’s followers WANT to hear him spin. They love hearing about all the free stuff he will give them. Obama is just buying votes with promises of entitlements. Same old Democrat song-and-dance as far as I’m concerned.
Obama has a really easy time with his followers; he knows he can just say whatever he wants, and that none of them will apply any type of critical thought to his words.
I love how some of the morons on here say they do not agree! lol
Even CNN said this morning that he took the most extreme cases from a small town that has seen an economic downfall over the past 7 years. Did not tug at my heart in the least. I thought my wife was going to kill me for even tuning in. She has worked for my dad for the past 8 years and will see her job end very soon because of that bastard! We will be OK though.
Yes it was full of SPIN like ads from the Republicans also
nether Obama or McCain’s figures add up the US defsit will rise whoever win’s in the short term.
long term aims are more importent
and i think obama as it right there
the most importnet one is stopping dependence of forign energy within 10 years. It will cost the US alot of money in the short term (no idea what it will cost) but in the long term the US will be massivly better off.
But that ad was full of spin and he doen’t know how to pay for it.
I didnt watch it, but Im glad to see SOME media really report the facts..
Well, it’s hardly pro-Obama!
But here’s my take on this:
>The criticism that the infomercial was "spin" is technically correct but meaningless. ALL political ads are "spin"–almost by definition. Did you ever see one that wasn’t? Criticizing a political ad for being spin is like criticizing a duck for quacking.
>I would like to see Obama be more specific on some points–including those mentioned. However, that’s not going to happen before the election. McCain is just as vague on this sort of thing. So is EVERY presidential candidate–and they have been for the last century. The why is simple. If a candidate is too specific, it gives the opponent an opening to attack. Look at the attacks that have been leveled at Obama over an essentially minor tax increase!
This last is one of the unfortunate features of American (and other democratic nations) politics. Candidates who are too specific don’t get elected because their opponents use their openness against them. That’s sadd-but I don’t know a solution.
Because for 30 minutes all he gave was a spin. It was an infomercial that’s all.
He danced around the topics like he always does but never gave enough to explain what it is that he is doing
I am surprised he didn’t have a count down ticker that any caller in that gives him money will receive not one but two additional nonsense speeches at the same low cost!!!
Isn’t that against the FCC Charter.
I thought the Core intention of Broadcast Communication was to serve the Public.
Can a Politician actually violate the FCC rules with Spin.
I’m SHOCKED
WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office.
Obama’s assertion that "I’ve offered spending cuts above and beyond" the expense of his promises is accepted only by his partisans. His vow to save money by "eliminating programs that don’t work" masks his failure throughout the campaign to specify what those programs are — beyond the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
A sampling of what voters heard in the ad, and what he didn’t tell them:
THE SPIN: "That’s why my health care plan includes improving information technology, requires coverage for preventive care and pre-existing conditions and lowers health care costs for the typical family by $2,500 a year."
THE FACTS: His plan does not lower premiums by $2,500, or any set amount. Obama hopes that by spending $50 billion over five years on electronic medical records and by improving access to proven disease management programs, among other steps, consumers will end up saving money. He uses an optimistic analysis to suggest cost reductions in national health care spending could amount to the equivalent of $2,500 for a family of four. Many economists are skeptical those savings can be achieved, but even if they are, it’s not a certainty that every dollar would be passed on to consumers in the form of lower premiums.
___
THE SPIN: "I also believe every American has a right to affordable health care."
THE FACTS: That belief should not be confused with a guarantee of health coverage for all. He makes no such promise. Obama hinted as much in the ad when he said about the problem of the uninsured: "I want to start doing something about it." He would mandate coverage for children but not adults. His program is aimed at making insurance more affordable by offering the choice of government-subsidized coverage similar to that in a plan for federal employees and other steps, including requiring larger employers to share costs of insuring workers.
___
THE SPIN: "I’ve offered spending cuts above and beyond their cost."
THE FACTS: Independent analysts say both Obama and Republican John McCain would deepen the deficit. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Obama’s policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years — and that analysis accepts the savings he claims from spending cuts. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, whose other findings have been quoted approvingly by the Obama campaign, says: "Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next 10 years." The analysis goes on to say: "Neither candidate’s plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified."
___
THE SPIN: "Here’s what I’ll do. Cut taxes for every working family making less than $200,000 a year. Give businesses a tax credit for every new employee that they hire right here in the U.S. over the next two years and eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Help homeowners who are making a good faith effort to pay their mortgages, by freezing foreclosures for 90 days. And just like after 9-11, we’ll provide low-cost loans to help small businesses pay their workers and keep their doors open. "
THE FACTS: His proposals — the tax cuts, the low-cost loans, the $15 billion a year he promises for alternative energy, and more — cost money, and the country could be facing a record $1 trillion deficit next year. Indeed, Obama recently acknowledged — although not in his commercial — that: "The next president will have to scale back his agenda and some of his proposals."
Actually I’ve been noticing the MSM is actually being more fair and balanced lately. And by lately, I mean the last week or two. They’re pretty sure the election is all sown up for Obama, so they are actually starting to do the critical reporting on him they should have been doing the last 2 years.
I think they’ve realized their reputation has been shot, so they want to be able to go show people "See, we ran critical stories of Obama before the election."
I think you hit on the answer in your last line, IT WAS AN AD, with the air time paid for by the Obama campaign. You do not buy air time unless you intend to spin, so they are a little naive to criticize him for spinning,
Because that’s all it was Hype spin failing to disclose or straight talk a total waist of money and time
Because Obama got to yap away, say as he pleased, and no one could confront him, or ask him tough questions, only considered tough, by him, because the answers he may give to them, he would stumble over, being that his plans for America are harmful to us, not to the betterment of Freedom, or we the people.
In other words, Obama had the opportunity to lie, and deceive the American People, for his own self-worth, and no one could re-but him.
Because it was? filled with spin I mean. What could anyone possibly expect? obama never comes clean about anything. When pressed he’ll say just enuf truth to shut up the questioner & the MSM gives him a pass. & questioning Barry after an answer – Racist!
30 miniuts of 1 minute bumper sticker slogans.
The mainstream media has been carrying water for the Obama campaign since day one. Perhaps there has finally been enough criticism about the bias (even Dan Rather chimed in!) that a handful of reporters are waking up to their professional responsibilities.
I think the article made very good points.
You can tell people all the good news and promise everything will be ok… but facts are facts people. You can’t spend money if you don’t earn it – or wait, take it from somebody else first.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to watch his infomercial. I did want to see it to her his bogus speech. I can imagine, as he has done throughout his campaign, he misled people in what it will cost & who will pay for it!! His "cult-ish personality" is the only thing that makes him somewhat attractive to people. His lack of any record is disturbing to me!! Like Biden said, this is not a job that lends itself to OJT. Nobody is groomed to be President, but most have much more experience & a record to run on when the do decide to make that move.
I don’t like the Democrats play the race card… if you are anti-Obama it is because you are racist!! I think these questions should have been brought up along time ago. How can you HONESTLY say you have figured out the EXTREMELY complex Federal Budget?? This will be his argument when he goes to raise taxes on EVERYBODY!!