[xkaydet65]

I understand the reasons for the ad, but I think this is the first time that McCain has been forced off message.He is now responding to Obama instead of the other way around.

The Obama people have planned this one carefully. He made a clear attack on Palin, but it can be plausibly denied that it was an attack. Just an old metaphor. The ad about the hit squad in Alaska only defends Palin against a nebulous, to the voters, threat.It has no effect on Obama.

I think this is a small detour, but McCain has to get back to being the jet jockey getting inside the haloed one's decision loop. And he has to be quick.

[paudio]

This ad, and others (education, lipstick) are part of this strategy: showing who 0bama is. I see it more as rapid response than off message.

Having said that, I notice that McCain hasn't really made any 'policy' ad, at least not recently. I suspect that's based on their strategy: attacking 0bama's divine image, bring him to the mud, and then start to introduce something just before the debates.

[jwalsh07]

Nonsense. Whoever is running the McCain ad campaign is the best the Republican Party has ever had. He is raising Obamas negatives on an almost daily basis. The sex education for kindergartners was beautiful, that alone will knock a few points off the Big O's fav ratings in flyover country.

[bushfamfan]

I do think one ad is not going off message too far. And I think an ad pointing to the dirty smear politics of Obama and his Demonrats needed to be pointed out to the people. Is this “The One” who is so positive and uplifting and will make the world one happy place? I think the dirty politics is an issue and one ad is appropriate because there have been slander after slander in an attempt to destroy Gov. Palin.