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Barack Obama qualified as Story of the Day by throwing his money around. He spent at least $3m on half an hour of primetime television on three of the four major broadcast networks and three cable channels to an air an infomercial. ABC, the lone exception to the advertising sale, gave the Democratic candidate prominence on its newscast instead, as anchor Charles Gibson traveled to North Carolina for an interview. NBC and CBS both led with John McCain on the campaign trail in Florida.

The timing of the infomercial, just six days before Election Day, was "designed to infuse some new enthusiasm into the waning days of this race," Obama's aides told CBS' Dean Reynolds. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell relayed the response from a jaundiced McCain camp--"a gauzy feelgood infomercial paid for by broken promises," a reference to the Democrat having reneged on his intention to abide by the less affluent federal financing system. O'Donnell's colleague Lee Cowan noted that this was the first time since 1992 that a Presidential candidate had purchased a primetime half-hour of television. He reminded us of Ross Perot's charts and graphs.

No one evoked the name of Lyndon LaRouche.

As for his interview with ABC anchor Gibson, Obama pledged an administration of "modesty and humility" if he happened to win, in an echo of the incumbent President's pledge prior to his election in 2000 about a George Bush foreign policy. In response to McCain's accusation that his support for the graduated income tax amounted to a policy of wealth redistribution, Obama reminded us that "the biggest promoter of the early progressive income tax was John McCain's hero--Teddy Roosevelt." What has Obama missed most during his 20 months on the campaign trail? His daughters and "fixing them some waffles" for breakfast.


Andrew Tyndall 10/30/08 11:55:44 pm

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