A look at recent candidate commercials
Just my thoughts on recent candidate commercials:
Obama: Obama's recent spot questioning the right of drug companies to negotiate with generic drug companies over the price of drugs is troublesome. Yes, drug prices are too high. However, drug companies still need to make a profit. Or else they'll stop researching drugs if there is no profit involved. Then who is going to do successful R&D? The government? Is that a joke? The ads do the job; I want to size up Obama in person.
Richardson: I had liked Richardson's earlier spots that focused on his qualified resume. This guy seems to know his stuff, but unfortunately hasn't been garnering any press. His recent commercial about the Iraq War is pretty gutsy. While I disagree with his stance, he certainly calls in to question the commitment of Clinton, Obama, and Edwards to an immediate withdrawal of ALL troops from Iraq. While he's trying mightily to gain recognition, the Mainstream Media is just focusing on the three Democratic front-runners.
Clinton: I think a few of her recent spots highlighting her policies have been effective. I didn't like the spot questioning the Republican attacks upon her campaign. She ought to ignore them until after the primaries... focus on the battle with in your own party! I have to say, while her ads with her mother and daughter try to make her seem warmer, they are just pointless. The ads offer no solid reason why to vote for her, except that she has a good relationship with mother and daughter. Please, can we get back to the issues? That said, her ads make me want to see her speak. ***Edit: I forgot to mention her recent spot that came strong against the war in Iraq. The producers included a very strong "End the War" protest placard in the campaign footage. While Clinton is talking tougher against the war, her actual position had been rather moderate for a Democrat. I hope she is just pandering and common sense will keep her from turning Iraq into more of a chaos than it already is.***
Edwards: He's sitting in quite a nice house (probably in "Rich America") talking about his "epic battle" against big business. Edwards needs to focus on some issues soon. He's resorting to rhetoric against corporate America, which may win the hearts of voters, be he ought to be looking for our minds. Let's see some logic!
McCain: Not only has he picked up some endorsements, but also McCain has softened his stances (or at least omits his views) for issues on which he was at odds with the conservative base. I am actually interested in seeing him speak again, now that his campaign has been resurrected and Iraq has changed since I saw him in March. After all, an endorsement from the Union Leader and the Boston Globe? When else do those two newspapers agree?!
Huckabee: Huckabee's commercials with Chuck Norris show how outside the race he was until, oh a week ago, when the pollsters anointed him as the front-runner in Iowa. Much has been said in the media about Huckabee's most recent commercial on Christmas. While I agree that we do sometimes lose sight about what Christmas is truly about, he is certainly pandering to those in the Christian Right. As a more-or-less secular conservative, it is a little bit disheartening. I saw this coming when I saw him in ***April [not May!]***...
Romney: Romney's campaign ads seem like glossy propaganda, and they are. By no means was he a very successful governor of Massachusetts. Why else would the Democrats finally capture the corner office after 14 years of GOP rule (it may be impossible to believe, but Mike Dukakis was the last Democratic governor of MA until Romney's successor). I also find his use of "family values under question" to be annoying and wrong. Aren't we conservatives about having a government that doesn't interfere in the lives of its citizens? So shouldn't this government not make judgment calls concerning its citizens? Romney scares me... I think he is more of a flip-flopper than John Kerry ever was. Even in Romney's speech that urged religious tolerance, he tried to also pander to the Religious Right. He was on one side saying, "don't persecute me for being Mormon," but on the other hand saying he will fight the secular agenda in America. Since when are the beliefs of Mormons and Christian fundamentalists more sound than the beliefs of secular America? Can't we all just agree to disagree instead of imposing our beliefs on each other through laws?
Giuliani: Wow. Let me say that I did not expect the mayor of NYC, who began running on just his record for September 11th, would actually expand his campaign to other issues. Giuliani comes off as very personable in his ads. I think it was a good idea to be "talking" to the TV audience, opposed to the Romney approach, where the audience is lectured about Romney's exploits. It certainly shows a human side to Rudy. I think he plays the immigration card much too strong and also has unneeded attacks against the Democratic candidates. As I said for Clinton... focus on your own party. He doesn't reference September 11th nearly as much in his ads. I am disheartened that he has written off New Hampshire... his ads make me want to see him in person.
As a final remark, I'm interested in how all of these candidates see their future interactions with Congress. Each propose controversial policies--from Withdrawal from Iraq and Universal Healthcare, to a crackdown on illegal immigrants, further tax cuts, and even tax reform. It seems likely the House and Senate will remain Democratic... however; I don't think the Democrats will strengthen their majority by many seats. The high-water mark for GOP seats in their decade of control floated around 230, and I don't see the Democrats going much higher (certainly not back to the majorities with 260 seats that we saw in the 40 years of Democratic rule). The Senate usually doesn’t go beyond 55 seats... the Democrats can't expect a filibuster-proof margin. The Candidates ought to mention how they will deal with this Democratic majority. Republican candidates will have to compromise and work with congressional leaders. Democratic candidates may have to compromise with conservative Democrats... who's to say all Democrats will vote for universal healthcare? Just beause the Democrats control the Capitol doesn't mean whatever Obama, Clinton, or Edwards says go. We saw what happened when the GOP Congress didn't question Bush. So that's my real concern. How will these candidates work with Congress to get these "major reforms" done?