Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Questioning a NY Times McCain story (Updated)

Readers Alert: After this post was published a commenter called my attention to a link to the ad referenced in the post.

If you go to the NYT story I linked to you'll see as the commenter said:

"there is a little box under the first paragraph of the story that says:

Related
Video The Caucus: New G.O.P. Ad for McCain on Energy (July 6, 2008)

This appears to be the same ad referenced in the story."
I thank the commenter for pointing out something important I missed and helping make it available to all of us.

After viewing the ad, I stand by everything I say in the post. The ad confirms the concerns I had about what the Times was saying.

But you can read my post, view the ad and decide for yourselves.

John
_____________________________________________________


On July 7 the Anything for Obama NY Times carried a story headlined: “New Group Linked to G.O.P. Unveils Ad Attacking Obama.”

Let’s take a closer look at the story which begins:
A newly formed Republican group broadcast its first commercial Sunday in four battleground states as part of a $3 million advertising campaign aimed at Senator Barack Obama.

The advertisement opens with images of gasoline prices flying upward at the pump as a narrator says, “Record gas prices, a climate in crisis.” It then highlights Senator John McCain’s differences with his own party on energy policy.

The commercial closes by summing up Mr. Obama’s positions on energy as “just the party line,” a reference to his opposition to suspending gas taxes or drilling in the Gulf of Mexico as he and other Democrats contend that a McCain presidency would represent a third Bush term.
It’s hard to judge the truth of what the NYT’s is saying because it didn’t provide a link to the ad video or even a print transcript.

Why not? How else can readers judge the ad for themselves and the NYT's story in light of the ad?

When the Times says the ad, “highlights … differences with his own party,” what does that mean?

Most, but not all, congressional Republicans favor offshore drilling in some form. So does Sen. McCain.

Sen. Obama opposes offshore drilling (at least he does as of noon today). So do most Dems. But not all Dems do.

Many Dems say they favor wind energy programs, But Sen. Ted Kennedy opposes such programs or at least the ones proposed near his oceanfront home in Hyannisport and oceanfront property other Kennedy family members own along the coast of Long Island's Hamptons.

So what’s a party position on energy policy?

And how did the Times determine the ad started with McCain's differences with his “party on energy policy.”

Did McCain's ad say something like, "I differ with the Republican Party on energy policy?"

That doesn't seem to be the way McCain would begin an attack ad on Obama.

We all need to see that ad. Or at least those of us who think for ourselves do.

The entire Times story's here.

3 comments:

zonga said...

Just following your link, there is a little box under the first papagraph of the story that says:

Related
Video The Caucus: New G.O.P. Ad for McCain on Energy (July 6, 2008)

This appears to be the same ad referenced in the story.

The video, title: Balance, is also available at

Youtube.com
Balance
Added: July 06, 2008
Republican National Committee Ad on Energy
Category: News & Politics
Tags:
RNC Energy McCain Obama Alternative
Gas Tax Solar Wind Nuclear

Anonymous said...

John -

Saw the ad, and while I thought most of it was good, I was put off by the statement, "a climate in crisis" and the phrase "climate change." With regard to the phrase, I keep pointing out that it is without a scintilla of informational content. The climate is always changing, has always been changing, and will always be changing, and there is precious little anybody can do about it. As to the climate being in crises, I direct you and your readers to a chart of land and sea temperatures for the last 10 years at the following site:
http://planetgore.nationalreview.com/

It can be found in the piece by Edward John Craig titled: "As Soon Seek Roses in December." (Currently, the second story there.) Does anyone see any warming, or any crises or anything that merits such a description? Note, this chart should also eliminate any thought that is there is a correlation between carbon emissions and weather.

So, while I will vote for Sen. McCain in November, I continue to be troubled by some of the things he says.

Jack in Silver Spring
PS Thanks to zonga.

Anonymous said...

The ad was produced by the GOP and in keeping with the election finance laws, the producers cannot consult with the candidate. The ad wants us to believe that a temporary lifting of the gas tax is a major accomplishment. This on its face is a joke. The ad wants us to somehow find comfort in the fact that McCain is trying to move his party toward embracing global warming and the restrictions and rights violations pending in addressing that fallacy.

What could possibly turn down gas prices more than waging peace, not war? What could possibly help our economy more than stopping the borrowing of money from China to finance the wars? Almost 25% of our money has been borrowed from China. Don't look now, but we are heavily in debt to Japan as well.

The ad simply does more damage to the GOP and McCain's candidacy. Apparently we are to accept McCain's insane belief in global warming as an asset toward his appeal to our ignorant voters. People might say 'WOW! War AND a temporary relief from gas taxes AND moves against global warming - this is not my father's GOP!"

Total bunk.