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We speak in code. Hillary Clinton and John McCain are millionaires many times over, McCain by way of marriage to an heiress. They are aristocrats, and usually our elections are a choice among such people.
Why are we now told that a man from a common background who doesn’t have a lot of money, who made it on smarts and guile, is all the things that are really more like Clinton and McCain? Why are they using words like “arrogant” and “pompous” and “elitist” against Obama now? It’s easy to understand once you break the code. Barack Obama is
uppity
There’s even more going on with the McCain ad above, and thanks to Rachel Maddow for pointing this out last night on Race to the White House on MSNBC. (Her comments elicited exasperated sighs from her colleagues). Why did the McCain people use Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in the ad, juxtaposed with Obama? Why not Ophra Winfrey, with whom he really has a relationship? She’s famous. She’s a really big star.
It’s not hard to see once pointed out – it’s “Harold, Call Me” all over again. It’s a black guy with white chicks. White guys hate that. It’s an archetype, something embedded deep in our minds. Advertising is a science that persuades by subtle manipulation of the senses, and not by reason. There’s latent racism in all of us – McCain needs to nurture it and exploit it. But he’s got to be careful to avoid a backfire. Our outer, or public selves reject racism, but our inner selves, which is where advertising is aimed, harbor it.
It’s starting now. I thought they’d wait until Labor Day, because as Andrew Card reminded us, you don’t introduce a new product in August. It’s going to be a long campaign. And there’s really very little that Obama can do about it. How do you defend yourselves from advertising professionals?
There are two defenses against a professionally done smear campaign: Engage them on their own turf, or stay above the fray. Neither works.
Piece of Mindful 