Obama's Economic Plan in Ad Form

Obama has a new 2 minute ad that's on the air right now.  It's not as strong an attack as US West would like but it is as detailed on policy as US West would like.  He's got other ads that are strong attacks and the money to run both kinds of ads.

I like this ad because it lays out a plan for the economy that McCain cannot hope to match.  McCain is fundamentally (pun intended) opposed to having a plan for the economy at all.  The center piece of his economic plan is to make the Bush tax cuts permanent.  But 95-99% of Americans don't benefit from those tax cuts and so won't much care about whether they are permanent or not.  Besides, it leaves McCain open in the debates to a moment like this- Obama: "Senator McCain, how can you say you are an agent of change when the center piece of your economic policy is to continue George Bush's tax give aways to the wealthiest 1% of Americans?"  McCain:  "You are distorting my record, you little jerk!  I'm a war hero!  I killed fitty men!  I invented the cell phone when I was on the Commerce Committee."

I also like this ad because it links the war in Iraq to the slump in the domestic economy.  If you add up the people for whom the war is the top issue and the people for whom the economy is the top issue you get pretty close to 50%.  Obama needs to rally those people (Republicans call them "folks") and convince them he is their champion.

I don't like this ad because it is too long and unexciting.  I doubt many people will watch it through - especially if they have a DVR.  But it probably will get a lot of free air time on the news shows when they talk about the "Obama Plan."  It will probably be days before there is anything that could reasonably be called a competing plan from McCain and even then I would bet it will not impress people as being pro-active.