Political ad season is in full swing. Most ads are just variations on the same basic themes; there’s the openly low-blow approach, as in this Barrack Obama ad which takes one trivial verbal stumble by John McCain and uses editing tricks to make him appear not just infirm, but dangerously, ominously infirm, and then there’s the ol’ boilerplate ads in which a soothing voice reassures you, in a tone that’s a cross between a tampon ad and someone talking you off a high ledge, that you’re going to have a good life if you just choose the right political product.
Some ads take newer and more creative approaches and manage to pull it off. This inventive and oddly effective Conservative ad manages, through its use of music and images, to subtly, almost subliminally, evoke the biblical-scale sorrows of the last century, and the great wars, en route to addressing the prosaic issue of…tariffs. Truly an achievement.
The best ad I’ve seen this fall, though, is this one, in which John McCain offers his sincere heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to his rival on the occasion of his winning the Democratic Presidential nomination. At first glance, it’s nothing but pure sweetness and decency, a Hallmark Card of an ad replete with a tintinnabulating music-box soundtrack, but on further viewing its mildly sinister tack fairly rumbles and its edges become more apparent.
There is an understated but unmistakable “by-and-by” menace lurking beneath the forthright, kindly smile. McCain’s tone brings to mind certain Irishmen — and some Scots, depending on what part of Glasgow you’ve wandered into — who (and fire up your Irish accent as you read the following) even as they’re butterin’ ya up, and tellin’ ya what a wondrous creation you truly are, are also kinda…well, threatenin’ ya’ at the same time with those very same words. An unspecified, vaguely-alluded-to inevitability mixes uncomfortably with the most heartfelt reassurances that all inevitabilities will of course be comfortable, for such a wonderful person as yourself. Aye, you’re a big strong man. Congratulations on all your success, it’s all so well-deserved; I love to see your smile and your happy, confident ways. With any luck, we’ll surely be encounterin’ each other in the days and weeks and months and years to come, and what a privilege it will always be for me.
/Irish accent.
Its loaded tone, only parsable by a certain constituency, betrays a deeply-rooted, Northwest European approach to discourse in which a full genuflection is roundly delivered in the square middle of an unflaggingly formal “you’re-not-going-to-win-this-one” procedure.
A lot of elder Chinese, too, seem to take that same subtle approach. To see it in a political ad is strange; it has a certain…commutative bloom. It’s certainly a big change from the usual “my-ass-smells-like-a-pumpkin-pie-baked-especially-for-you” paeans to the All-American axe-murderer’s own self-image one typically sees in, say, American Congressional ads.
Watch it a few times — the music gets funnier with each viewing.
Re: best one this fall ~
Truly, a subsonic zing-fest of the highest order. At one point there’s the tiniest shift in the artful shadow on McCain’s face, as if for a fraction of a Jesus-cloud second he’s letting a shaft of light fall, very deliberately, on a single glinting millimetre of a vast expanse of cold steel.
It’s the merest hint of a whisper of a wisp of an unmistakable communication of his bone-deep understanding that Obama is a flibbertigibbet and coat-tailer of the baldest and most squalid kind – the kind who dresses up indiscriminately in every piece of macaroni he can stick to his shell, and who completely lacks the ability to distinguish between jewels and paste. He knows that Obama would be ashamed, if he actually felt a shred of the reverence he professes, of associationally exploiting King’s memory in such a cynical, prurient and appropriating way. It says, “Oh, you have a dream, do you? Yeah. We see what kind of dream you have.”
Stunningly elegant and circumscribed throw-down on McCain’s part. “How unfortunate that you should be so vulgar and over-confident as to show your lack of genuine substance in this crass way, and how very unwise of you to assume that you’re sliding it past those who know real when they see it because they define it. Like me. And my people. We have deep roots in this firmament. We know the answers to questions you’ll never even get close to having the perspective to conceive of contemplating.” It’s the lazy lion stretching idly in the sun with just the tiniest flexing of its lethally powerful claws. There’s a hint of true crocodile delight in his respectful, congratulatory smile.
Nothing like laughing at the pretenders in a language they’ll never be able to speak and don’t even know exists. The freeze shot at the end of the close-up of McCain’s face – the kind of face that we know and trust and can read at a cellular level – and the stone cold confidence and deep-roots ownership of the true, lapidary upper hand that lies behind his smile and in his eyes – it’s all just good. It’s a smile that shows the kind of teeth that chew up and spit out dilettantes and poseurs before breakfast without breaking a sweat. It’s owned power.
EDB, what a terrific writer you are.
However, I have to tell you that your analysis of the McCain congrats ad reminded me of certain long ago classroom discussions from which I developed a permanent poetry disability.
All McCain is doing here is attempting to take the high road and impress the public with his putative bigness. A good antidote to some of his smallnesses delivered to Mitt Romney in those debates, you know the one in which he spitted out the P word (profit).
Exetaz: “At one point there’s the tiniest shift in the artful shadow on McCain’s face…”
When he says the word “perfect” there’s a massively subtle head-tilt/cum shrug and an almost indetectable glance to the side, as if to say “but not, if we are to be perfectly honest.”
He does have really subtle yet clear facial expressions. It’s as if he spent years using his eyes to say things to his fellow captives that he couldn’t say aloud.
Dhimmi, I would respectfully disagree. Don’t doubt that every aspect of the overt, the covert, and the subliminal messages in political ads is considered and engineered and controlled and fine-tuned to an astonishing degree.
Why do you imagine that the full weight of the complex and arcane art and science that goes into getting you to buy even the most trivial consumer product would be casually left aside when the leadership of the free world, rather than dish-soap sales, is at stake?
Well, you didn’t have to tell me, MND — especially since I wrote it all just for you.
I never heard about that debate moment — did McCain accuse Romney of being a profiteer, or insult him in some way? What was the context?
Your “permanent poetry disability”, Me No Dhimmi, seems to have left you tone deaf to the central point of EBD’s essay, which I agree is brilliantly written, even after Exetaz re-expressed it in an alternative formation (which I think was also brilliantly written), and that point is that while Mr. McCain was, as you put it, “tak[ing] the high road and impress[ing] the public with his putative bigness”, it is not the case that was all he was doing, as you claim.
Indeed, he was doing much more than that, but since I’m nowhere near as as good a writer as EBD or Exetaz, instead of me trying to explain it again, why not just try re-studying their work, and, importantly, the video itself, and see if that doesn’t make it more clear.
It seems to me that the beauty of this kind of exquisitely-crafted spot is that, as intended, it functions on many levels, and successfully communicates at least an aspect of its plethora of layered messages to even the most naive and simple-minded viewer.
I enjoyed that. It was done so as to confuse the opponent – throw him right off guard. He only thinks he is being praised and congratulated – playing to his rather large ego. What is really being said here is a bit of sarcasm with humour. To me McCain is praising BO with tongue in cheek and a glint in the eye that tells me he is enjoying this subtle poke he is giving BO. Course, Obama won’t understand what is really being said because he is so full of himself. The music is soft and tranquil and gives the impression of sincerity. This is one of the best I’ve seen. And that beautiful gleeful smile at the end – which of course would seem to be sincere to most, pretty well sums up what McCain is truly saying. Course I’m Irish – what can I say. LOL
Yeah, I’m kinda weak on subliminal advertising too and interesting cloud formations don’t scare me much either, I have to confess ….
Just having some fun Vitruvius.
BTW, a belated thanks for my very favourite Python Cheese Shop skit! Have you ever tried this: 6 month-old Baby Duck and some Imperial Sharp on a triscuit. Yummy. I used to prefer Velveeta, but, ahem, I advanced.
I’ll re-read the post, but again I don’t think that ad can support the full weight and enormity of EDB’s analysis here. In short, I think he’s seeing things.
Which reminds me, way way back I had a quite bitter debate with a foolish friend about the Beatles’ Fool on a Hill. I thought it had a religious subtext and that the fool was God. My foolish friend thought it was just a fool on a hill (lower case mine).
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of EDB’s contributions here, and yours too Vitruvius.
After giving this add a second view paying more attention to the lighting, I would have to say that the setting is within a very solemn place. A church with the lights dimmed or better still a confessional box. Ha What better environment to praise the lord Obama. That’s what I see in this.
Sorry to post again, since I know you always like to get
the last word in, Me No Dhimmi, but it’s EBD, not EDB.
“What is really being said here is a bit of sarcasm with humour.”
That’s what I see, too, Dolly. And “gleeful” is the perfect word to describe that smile at the end — it’s not a contrived expression, it just kind of busts out.
I think it’s a great ad because McCain is a fairly mediocre public speaker, in terms of reading from a teleprompter and giving convention speeches and so on, but that ad gives voters more of a sense of his true character than you could ever get of, say, Obama in fifty ads or speeches.
McCain is being everything to everyone here and at the same time he is being nothing.The nuances are astounding.This delivery is in a class that Obama could only hope to aspire to.
McCain would be my choice in a volatile situation where veiled diplomacy was required.
As for OB…I think he’s still learning how to sit up, never mind crawl.
I tend to miss most subtle messages. For instance, when I listen to the background music of the congratulation ad, it only reminds me of Final Jeopardy music underneath and a piano playing nursery music over top. Maybe a product of working for too many years with people who were anything but subtle.
I am disgusted by the antics of all parties in both N. American races.
However, I am slowly coming to a realization about democracy in 2008.
Let’s see, McCain is Hilton, Obama is Spears, Harper is Pitt, Dion is Clooney, Layton is Simpson, the MSM is the paparazzi and those lapping it all up are the same as those who keep the National Inquirer is business.
And people wonder why voter turnout is so f*cking low? I am starting to ponder the theory it is actually those who vote who are the problem.
I believe it is called ‘enabling’.
I’m a bit slow, Canadian Observer, so perhaps you could be so
kind as to explain to me what that has to do with the topic here?
Be happy to help you get up to speed, Vit.
I was sarcasticly commenting on the irrelevence of 90% of the media and blog coverage on both federal elections. It is hardly any more impressive than witnessing a schoolyard dustup.
Democracy is in deep trouble in the west and this infatuation with partisan politics as a team sport is smothering us. There are serious problems to solve yet all I usually find is partisan circling of the wagons and a confrontational mentality of “I’m right, you’re stupid!”
Just trying to find a thread where some actual policy is being analyzed.
My apologies if I didn’t contribute to the quality of the discussion.
Yes, point taken, Canadian Observer, yet it seems to me that the topic of this thread is the relationship between that video and the nature of Mr. McCain’s character, and in particular the topic here is not your personal interest in “a thread where some actual policy is being analyzed”. Though there always is, of course, Reader Tips, indeed, that is explicitly what it is here at SDA for: link dumps and off-topic discussions. You may find that useful, do try it out.
Observer, when you said `Layton is like Simpson` you did mean `Homer Simpson` right?
DOH!
It is subtle. Surface, it is a very Senatorial thing to do…my honorable opponent etc etc….but the point of the ad is the question it puts
“How nice of him to congratulate him on his accomplishments….what are they again? and how come Obama is congratulating McCain on his significant accomplishments”
Might be too subtle, if you miss the point then you just think McCain is a nice guy. But if you get the point you see the damning by faint praise shiv that is delivered.
The ad from what I can see, is pure satire. To some McCain comes across as a sincere and nice guy who is able to humble himself in praising his opponent. But, that is not what McCain is doing. He is purposely belittling Obama in a very shrewd way. So shrewd that no one can come back on him and accuse him of being mean spirited. Those who do not get it see only the praise and congrats coming from a great guy. Those that do see the undertone of a fight about to take place. Of course and I said before Obama would not really see the subtle tone of this praise because his sole purpose in life is to draw adulation. It’s going to be one hell of a fight to the finish line, and McCain looks to me like he has lots of ammunition up his sleeve. McCain uses his very expressive face and eyes to send his true thoughts and message. In the words of Rev. Wright “Words just words”. I am not good at poetic language, am not able to express myself or thoughts with an extended vocabulary, but I have lived long enough that I can read anothers’ eyes – they talk. It is the the mirror of the soul.
To see what McCain may have up his sleeve – check out http://www.obamacrimes.com. BO was born in 2 separate hospitals in Hawaii, born in Kenya, also a birth certificate from British Columbia. he travels with an Indonesian passport making him also a citizen of Indonesia. Something like Dion. The difference being, to run for POTUS you must have been born in the USA – must not have a passport from another country. In other words you must have allegiance only to the US. Mr Obama has a problem. He refuses to produce any documentation on his past and to me he is a fraudulent pretender to the throne. That and much more is out there for anyone with an ounce of computer savvy to find. Also, a court case is coming up in October. This is the October surprise everyone is talking about. I believe he is a plant and a smoothie to say the least. The reason I am interested in this I will have my vote November.
“Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed”
That is the best line . . . . . . .
Also, please note that BO’s nomination was on August 28th, which was the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
That is the meaning behind McCain’s “How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day”. Yes, how convenient, indeed.
Obama was the overestimated candidate – McCain was the underestimated candidate.
Obama is not as competent as he appears; McCain is more competent than he appears.
Obama promised compassion but was glib; no one expected compassion from the Republicans
and found it in Mac.
Obama floated like a butterfly; McCain stings like a bee.
Obama talks about empathy; McCain’s eyes well up with tears over a KIA.
Obama imitates Kennedy and sounds like a preacher; McCain is just himself, like Ike was Ike.
If it comes to a fight, Obama looks like he’ll try and talk the guy out of it and he’ll have
already lost. McCain will punch him in the nose and make sure he doesn’t.
Obama is Precious Pup; McCain is Charlie Brown.
Obama is Road Runner; McCain is Wily Coyote.
Obama is Hollywood; McCain is Yankee Stadium.
Obama is chewing gum and joking on the poop deck; McCain is aiming the Cannons at Iwo Jima.
Obama is an easy Lay; McCain is the wife that sticks by you for no good reason.
Obama is Roger Rabbit; McCain is Jackie Gleason.
Obama is going to flatter you; McCain will give you the news.
Obama is like Infatuation; McCain is the one you’ll marry.