[1]This is an exercise in messaging. Presented here are two ads: one from the President’s campaign organization the other from the RNC.
In Mr. Obama’s ad, we get theme he promised [2] he’d never use: the death of Osama bin Laden (“You know, we don’t trot out this stuff as trophies,” he said). That was then, this is now and there’s an election campaign underway so bring on the trophies:
In the second, RNC, ad, we have a different theme — one featuring then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, who believed then-Sen. Obama just wasn’t ready for the Oval Office:
The Obama ad features Bill Clinton, who references George Bush (funny how he keeps reappearing, isn’t it?). The RNC ad has ol’ Joe in fine form, and is very much focused on the President’s handling of the economy.
They are both good ads. They make solid hits and have great visuals. And each presents what it thinks is its strongest case: Obama “the decider” v. Obama the Unready.
Drop your partisan blinders for a moment and tell me: which one does a better job at delivering its message?