Backfire. The Clinton campaign needs some professional help. Is Carville available?

This is Obama's strength, I want him answering that phone call. We need a president with sound judgement and a level head in times of crisis.

If Hillary or old man John McCain/Bush hear the "red phone" ringing in the middle of the night they would start firing nuclear weapons before they even picked up the phone.

PS - old man John McCain/Bush can't hear anything anyway, his wife would probably pick up the "red phone" because she's usually up at 2am rummaging thru her pill box.

Clinton is using classic Rove fear tactics that will only serve to backfire.

"We've seen these ads before," Obama said. "They're usually the kind that play upon people's fears and try to scare up votes."

I believe the times they were used before were by democrats - LBJ against Glodwater and Mondale against Hart in 1984.

My suggestion is John McCain copy the ad and use against whichever pacifist the dems nominate.

Beautiful. Just a step short of that old Bud Ice commercial with the spooky penguin: "Those calls are coming from inside the house!"
Doo bee doo bee doooo...

Obama needs to put forth an immediate ad with that red phone ringing showing 3a.m., his HAND picks up the ringing telephone and we cut to parents in the night opening a bedroom door as they smile looking at adorable sleeping Susie and breath huge sighs of relief then we cut back to Obama on the phone as we pull back and then hear, "I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message."

“Now one of Clinton’s laws of politics is this: If one candidate’s trying to scare you and the other one’s trying to get you to think, if one candidate’s appealing to your fears and the other one’s appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope.”

-Bill Clinton, 2004

Obviously any ad that Senator Clinton runs will be received by the Obama camp and all of his fervent supporters as being "desperate","fear mongering", "unoriginal" or "offensive". Welcome to the world of politics. Get over it. Maybe it will resonate with voters and maybe it won't. I think it would have been more effective if someone was shown answering the phone for Obama and saying "not present". As far as the comment about the Iraq War vote being Senator Clinton's red phone moment, everyone should be reminded that Barrack Obama was not even a senator at that time so he couldn't vote...but yes, if he were there, he would not have supported the war. Hmmm, pandering to the the public tide of dissatisfaction toward the war, are we? How convenient. Add Monday Morning Quarterback to your resume.

Obama should consider a job in monitoring the fear/crisis/threat level of our country. Undoubtedly, it will always be red. That ad said, "which brand would you use when would get a wine stain?" He said, "the real question is what ingredients do the brands employ." "This is a fear tactic." Raise threat level. When a hostile state refers to him by his formal name. "Oh no he didn't!" "Fear tactic." Raise threat level.

Criiiiiiisis alert! Yes, this is Obama's strong point.

I will have to take Bill's advice on this one and vote Obama.

Clinton's Rules of Politics (Philadelphia 2000)

“Clinton’s rules of politics” when he said, “If one candidate is trying to scare you, and the other’s trying to get you to think; if one is appealing to your fears, and the other is appealing to your hopes — it seems to me you ought to vote for the person who wants you to think and hope.”

My suggestion is John McCain copy the ad and use against whichever pacifist the dems nominate.

Posted by: Terry | February 29, 2008 2:01 PM

Spelling Champ,

Yes, please copy the ad, we actually want you dumb GOPer's to do that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aidrahm53II

And she said Obama was the one using tactics out of Karl Rove's playbook. This has gone too far. I really liked her before this campaign begin. I'm so disappointed.

Ah, excellent research there, Jon. A little hypocrisy on the Clinton side. Who would have thunk it?

Backfire. A world where everyone hates Americans is not safe. That's the world we live in right now. That's a world where our foreign policy is based on flaunting our military power in everyone's faces to support our material needs at the expense of the rest of the planet. Real power, influence, and credibility is based on high moral standards, not on acting tough.

I'm sure Hillary knows all about the Red Phone. When a dinner party turned into a disaster, I'm sure she had a direct line to Martha Stewart. :)

Real power, influence, and credibility is based on high moral standards, not on acting tough.

Posted by: David | February 29, 2008 2:58 PM

This is an interesting thought, David. Care to flesh it out a bit? For instance, if the U.S. were to achieve high moral standards, whose moral standards might those be? What if someone else disagrees with those moral stances, or says, "Don't force your morality on me?"
And what role does the military play in your worldview? Is it necessary to maintain a strong, credible threat of force if our moral standards are high? (I am not being sarcastic. I wish to hear your answers.)

"Get Premier Kissoff on the Hotline!!"

This is a good ad. Plouffe raises a straw man--Senators do not wield the red phone. As for the tired canard about Hilary voting as Bush wanted--Hilary would no longer be Senator Clinton had she not voted to authorize action based upon Bush's statements. The Prez is not allowed to lie. He and his people did so. Sen. Obama would have voted the same darned way and he KNOWS it. Had he been in the Senate,he would have HAD to vote with Bush. But he wasn't. So there's 2 straw men.

The ad speaks to me of Clinton's desperation. This was not an ad they just made, this was made months ago for use in the event that their back was against the wall. So much for civility, so much for reasoned discourse. It has certainly backfired with me. If there is anyone who should be ashamed, it is Hillary Clinton for running such a dreadful campaign.

The majority of Senators that have endorsed Obama got the "red phone call" moment wrong, if this is how he is judging it.

Obama supported John Kerry for President, and Kerry voted Yes on the war.

The latest Senator to come out for Obama, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay Rockefeller, voted for the war.

So, in essence, all these supporters and surrogates, with the exception of Durbin and Kennedy, got it wrong as well, yet Obama isn't hammering them.

Hypocrite.

Uggh! Enough already with Hillary, looking like Ms. Bernstain Bear in that ad. Sheesh. That's probably what she looked like at 3 in the morning around the time Bill was wandering DC streets looking for midnight nookie.

Where was that sound judgment when he was snorting cocaine?

What a pathetic commercial. It showed Hillary fully clothed , makeup and jewelry. How unrealistic. The only time she would get up at 3:00 A.M. is to find out where Bill is.

VOTE OBAMA !!!!!!

Backfire.

First, I drive my children to soccer practices in an actual minivan, and an ad that implies "vote for Hillary or your children will die in their sleep!!!!" doesn't win my vote.

Second, I want someone with good judgment answering that phone call. That's Obama.

Third, put this with today's "we'll sue Texas if they announce who won the caucuses" nonsense, and today's "it all comes down to Rhode Island" goal post swipe, and it's clear they think we're stupid. Never vote for people who think you're this stupid.

The majority of Senators that have endorsed Obama got the "red phone call" moment wrong, if this is how he is judging it.

Obama supported John Kerry for President, and Kerry voted Yes on the war.

The latest Senator to come out for Obama, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay Rockefeller, voted for the war.

So, in essence, all these supporters and surrogates, with the exception of Durbin and Kennedy, got it wrong as well, yet Obama isn't hammering them.

Hypocrite.

How many of those people are attacking Obama and saying that he couldn't handle a crisis situation?

Oh, yeah, that's right. None of them are. The only person he's lambasting for making the incorrect decision is the one who's running smear campaigns.

I'm not supporting Obama, but please. Your argument is insanely flawed.

Classic straw clutching, TR. Obama admitted to sniffing some blow decades ago, oh my! A man with real world experience in his past, who needs that? Keep drinking that Ovaltine and praying for guidance, TR. You'll be fine.

I am an interested Australian bystander who has just recently tossed out,in no small measure, like the majority of Australians, the failed and aggressive, war-mongering policies of GWBush along with our EX PM John Howard.We saw the Light! These politicians are the ones who create and stir up an UNSAFE world by scarring up FEAR on its own people to gain political power and dominance. They should be discarded into rubbish bins for the sake of our planet. They belong to the cold-war period and cannot be allowed to ever prosper again for the sake of our future generations. Any candidate who offer HOPE and sensible MORALITY of leadership will prevail. I sincerely hope the American peope will know the RIGHT CHOICE in 2008. Best of Luck.

Hillary wouldn't get the call anyway. Bill would be tying up the line with his calls to 1-900-MONICA!

I thought it was the Genesis video for 'Land of Confusion' - a puppet answered the phone....no that's Billary. Uuuuhhhh

I don't want a man-hating, shrill Hillary answering that phone call.

I want Barack Obama in the White House before Billary, for sure.

"'It's 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep, but there's a phone in the White House and it's ringing,' says the narrator in Clinton's ad.

"Something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call, whether it's someone who already knows the world's leaders, knows the military -- someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world.

"'Hello, White House?'"

"'Yes?'"

"'Who is this, please?'

"'Monica ...'

"'Who?'

"'Monica ...'

"'MONICA?!?!?!?!'

"'Yes, remember me?'"

TALK ABOUT AN ANATOMIC, ER, ATOMIC NIGHTMARE SCENARIO ...

HEY, LITTLE CHILDREN OUT THERE, IF THE RED PHONE RING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND OBAMA WAS PRESIDENT""HE SURE WOULDN'T BE ANSWERING IT"" HE CAN'T EVEN BRING HIMSELF TO ANSWERING TO THE NEWS MEDIA ABOUT HIS LONG TIME INDICED FRIEND TONY REZKO IN CHICAGO OR ABOUT ALL THE MONEY HE TOOK FROM LOBBYIST?? OH YEAH,HE'S FLIPPED FLOP ON THAT NOW THAT HE'S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT??? JUST LIKE HE'S TRYING TO FLIP FLOP ON TAKING PUBLIC MONEY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION,,,,OR WHAT ELSE HAS HE FLIPPED ON?? WHY DID HE HAVE TO VOTE PRESENT ON PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION??? HE WAS THERE, WHY COULD'NT HE VOTE YES OR NO??? MR.OBAMA SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM MAKING A DECISION.....I CAN JUST HEAR HIM ANSWERING THE RED PHONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SAYING ""PRESENT" NO" NO" SIR I' I' I' CAN'T DECIDE THAT NOW,,,,CALL BACK IN A FEW MONTH'S, SO I CAN TALK WITH MY HOLLYWOOD FRIENDS AND SUPPORTER'S..(GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS)..HEY VOTER'S THIS IS JUST A TINY PREVIEW..hA,,hA

That was a surefire ad until Obama turned on her with lightening speed. At that point it became a backfire. Lookout John McCain.

This is why I will not vote for Senator Clinton. The Clinton's are just like the Bush's. They're are really taking a special time in american history. And making themselves look really STUPID. Good-Bye Clinton's and Bush's. And don't come back.

Clinton II claimed at one point she didn't know about her husband's White House philandering.

If Clinton II can't even find out what's happening in her own home, then no, I don't want her in charge of anything.

Hillary's comments are like fossilized material of yesteryear from a fossilized brain ~
Time for a freah approach ~JoMo ~

Obama says that "There was a red phone moment and that was when we invaded Iraq" That was intirely untrue. It just show how little Obama knows abou the Presidency. The Red Phone is used for time sensitive last minute decisions, not planned operations.

Obama keeps saying he was right about Iraq and that qualifies him to be President. Well a lot of us were right about Iraq, but that doesn't qualify us to be President. What makes Obama so special? Hillary's ad was on target. Obama knows nothing about national security. When Obama said Hillary and McCain already had their "red phone" moment, I thought that was a dumb comment. The last time I checked, neither one was the President. Obama supporters can spin it all they want, but the answer will always be the same. George W. Bush authorized the war in Iraq. Iraq is George W. Bush's war. Not Hillary's and not McCain's. History will give Bush the credit.

Something to really worry about - with McCain's red hot temper, if he was the one answering the phone in the middle of the night, he might just cuss the caller out and hang up.

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