It’s here! Obama’s first advert of the 2012 election.
It’s not exactly the awe-inspiring, lump-in-your-throat manifesto that some might have hoped for. Indeed, it’s a piece of rebuttal against a recent advert, paid for by Republic SuperPac ‘Americans for Prosperity’, that criticises Obama for ‘pay-to-play’ politics and cronyism.
The advert defends Obama’s record on energy, describes the attacks as “not tethered to the facts” and holds the President’s ethics whilst in office to be “unprecedented”.
It’s not a great ad. They’ve tried to fit an awful lot into the 30 seconds, meaning that it is rushed and feels overly defensive.
Starting your campaign on the back-foot is a very strange decision. Yes, the Republican SuperPac have spent a reported $6 million on their campaign, but Team Obama could have easily dealt with the attacks indirectly in a much more positive and confident way.
A shaky start.
(thanks @benven for sending)