When campaign ads backfire
Becoming the second cute ad girl apostate in this campaign, the sleeping child from Hillary Clinton's much-maligned TV spot says she supports Barack Obama. It turns out that the Clinton camp bought old stock footage for the ad (probably a common enough practice) and that adorably endangered little girl is now of voting age:
[Casey] Knowles, a senior at Bonney Lake High School who turns 18 next month, has been campaigning for Obama.... If she plays her cards right, she could go to the national convention.
Not to mention that she could be in another ad. After her identity became known, Obama's campaign contacted her.
Until the Knowles turnaround, the phone call ad seemed like an almost fortunate distraction from Jack Nicholson's endorsement for Hillary, released at about the same time. Getting a plug from a definitively cool actor (even if he's starting to show his age) seems like pure gravy, unless, of course, the plug strings together clips of said actor's best-known roles, like The Joker, Jack Torrance (as in, all work and no play make...), and Col. Nathan R. Jessup.
Does Clinton really want Jack Torrance saying "things could be better," and suggesting she's the one to make them so? (By the way, that line's referring to a problem with his wife, whom he refers to later in that scene as "the ol' sperm bank".) And what about Jessup's quip that there's nothing hotter than saluting a chick? Way to alienate those uptight Clinton-loving feminists, Jack! Using two homocidal maniacs and one cruel Gitmo-stationed officer in an endorsement doesn't seem so smart, especially when Obama has will.i.am stringing together pretty young celebs.
The Clinton campaign could use a better ad-star/candidate match, like that cutest of campaigning couples, Chuck and Huck. Oh wait, Norris screwed up too. And though the troops in Iraq may love him, there's one Norris fact that probably rubs war supporters slightly the wrong way: "There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma."
Even if L.A. times is one sided, Hillary is by no means a stranger to scandals.
Posted by: Jake | March 11, 2008 at 02:54 PM
First, ads and spin aside, Hillary is a divider, not a leader. A policy geek who actually is probably in a perfect position for her talents right now, if not her ego. And McCain runs much better against her.
My solution is that the candidates go into the convention very, very close in popular vote with Obama ahead in delegates. The Supers try to push him into VP. He says, NO (given the real VP will be Bill and he might be tarnished by any Clinton administration given their history)
and if the party establishment that favors the Clinton machine force the issue, he will either endorse Nader or tell his backers not to vote for the same old lies, scandals and Washington politics....McCain wins and Obama tries again in 2012.
Hmmm. a compromise..Al Gore the Nobel, Oscar Green guy gets even for 2000, and can choose either Hillary or Obama as VP..a real dream ticket
Posted by: Partrick | March 11, 2008 at 11:51 AM
The only thing I have to say is that is time for a change.... but not so dark and sudden like the runner. We need someone who cares about this country like a mother cares about her child. Who's better than Hilary Clinton. A true woman.
Posted by: CM | March 11, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Los Angeles Times has lost all credibility and respect from the readers because its acting like the stooge of Obama. The coverage is so one sided that it appears that the chief editor is on Obama's payroll. Shame on your paper it is turned it worse than the washington times.
Posted by: Tracy | March 11, 2008 at 05:20 AM
Did Hillary Clinton have this young lady's (or her parents' ) permission to use her photograph on that 3:00 am ad? If not, they ought to sue Hillary for using her to advance a negative ad for Hillary's purpose. I am interested to know how HIllary got hold of that photo.
Posted by: NinaK | March 11, 2008 at 03:14 AM
The rest of you sheep can watch the spectacle of a fake election process, when the next president has already long-ago been decided by the evil powers-that-be. More difficult-to-get passports, Americans losing their homes, and higher gas prices mean people will have no choice but to stay in one pitiful spot... good luck fleeing America when it becomes obvious to do so. Meanwhile, the current president continues to bankrupt the nation, to pay for his crazy trillion-dollar war...
Posted by: William Lah | March 11, 2008 at 02:19 AM
i think clinton is careless as she didnt make sure of the position of the girl when the ad was made, thus enough message to americans that she makes haste decisons.just look at iraq war she supported it.ha ha haha ha
Posted by: jk | March 10, 2008 at 11:53 PM
In his first major public address since a cancer crisis, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world" that the U.S. will change for the better.
The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator.
"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said. "This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."
HOPE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD?
Farrakhan compared Obama to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.
FOUNDER OF BLACK MUSLIMS HAD A WHITE MOTHER AND BLACK FATHER LIKE OBAMA-
"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," he told the crowd of mostly followers. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."
Farrakhan also leveled small jabs at Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, suggesting that she represents the politics of the past and has been engaging in dirty politics.
Farrakhan's keynote address at McCormick Place, the city's convention center, wrapped up three days of events geared at unifying followers and targeting youth.
It had a different tone from a year ago, when Farrakhan made what was called his final public address at a Saviours' Day event in Detroit. The 74-year-old was recovering from complications from prostate cancer and months earlier had temporarily passed on leadership duties of the organization's day-to-day activities to an executive board.
© 2008 Associated Press.
Since when was now the only time the American people have ever been "hungry for change"? Barack Obama is not the center of the universe. Newsflash: The Obamas did not invent "change" any more than Hillary invented "leadership" or John McCain invented "straight talk.
Posted by: Jerry Chui | March 10, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Ohhh what a blunder, can you say "yes we can"?
Posted by: Subhan | March 10, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Ego ? Ego ? Tribal ,Tribal.
Show me Jewish religion AS mosses said
Show me Christianity AS Christ Said
Show me Islam AS Allah ( The God in English translation) said
America deserve what they vote for ... is that correct !
it is not a football game , who you support
DO Not lie to your soul
Fact ... All human souls are good , Until they make choice
American Way Of Election is a choice
Think with your head for USA in relation to all Americans, and to the world
Think about the past and what you want America to be in the future
Remember ...
IT IS NOT A Football team that you vote for .
Think & Vote ..Obama..
Posted by: nabeel | March 10, 2008 at 10:29 PM
It's shocking to see how the American news reporting industry have sunk to the tabloid level. I can tell you as a Canadian citizen that this story does not help Americans choose their next President. Two words for this article would be "trivial" and "scurrilous".
It's as if the American media have decided to replace this woman's dedicated experience with a celbrity of their own making.
For shame, L.A. Times! First you lost money, now you're losing repect.
Posted by: Sidney Lovas | March 10, 2008 at 09:53 PM
Of all the stock footage in the world, Hillary's people ironically feature a girl who's grown up to be an exceptionally smart, beautiful, civicly-engaged Obama supporter? A precint captain and delegate no less?
Serves Hillary right for all the dirt, kitchen sink tactics, gross exaggerations about her background and flat out lies.
After the me-and-McCain crap she pulled last week, those two should get a room and check out of the election. She sounded like she forgot what party she's running with and decided to lobby for his VP spot. Clinton's tactics have been divisive and destructive that I cannot vote for her, ever again.
As much gender-baiting as she's done, she's actually let women down with her arrogant misjudgments and lack of integrity. Not that I expect politicians to have much integrity? She's simply lacking even that little bit.
Happy to vote for Sen. Obama. He'll make a great Commander in Chief even if the political landscape remains mostly same, some great steps up from our current administration.
Posted by: Sarah in Burbank | March 10, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Hitllery will say and do any thing to steal the nomination from the people. Yes she cares less about the party and the country. The Clintons have no integerity, loyalty they will use the fear card, the race card and the religion card to win.
Posted by: ted | March 10, 2008 at 09:09 PM
I doubt that girl knows anything about Obama. It's a blessing that the youth don't vote. We might end up with Britney Spears running this country.
Posted by: Andrew | March 10, 2008 at 06:45 PM