I guess we know where McCain's pledge to run a clean campaign went!

But why did Obama have to have such a lame duck response for the reporters?

You know, the McCain campaign is still within striking distance of Obama, especially considering the high negatives that Republicans are carrying. Why they're resorting to these hysterical and childish ads is baffling. Me thinks this campaign is going home to rough up the usual suspet, because nothing is worse for closing the deal at 2:00am like the stench of desperation.

"For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness."

Maybe it is that that McCain existed. I think the fall is going to get very ugly from McCain, and of course the media will try to be "fair" and blame both sides. I saw last week on CNN reporters talk about how negative the campaign has gotten without once alluding to the fact that all of the negativity came from McCain.

Meanwhile, these ads have a chance to be very effective. All the cable news shows are leading with them and having commentators comment on how accurate it is to portray Obama as a person without substance. Hmmm. I think this is exactly the type of news cycle that McCain's team was trying to generate. No one has a thing to say about McCain's lack of substance. It's all about Obama, and the vector of investigation is negative: Is this guy really a loser? Just asking the question wins McCain some points, doesn't it?

I'll reprise what I posted on a closely related thread at The Plank:

I don't think McCain has found the right tone either.  

If somebody is going to mock Obama, it ought to be third parties.  

They used to use vice president candidates to do the hatchet jobs.  Nixon not Ike.

What they forget is, at the end of these spots, they show a film clip of McCain and we hear him in voiceover saying "I'm John McCain.  And I approved this message."  

Which is a problem.  It's definitely cutting down his dignity and not brillaint enough on the front end to do Obama any damage.

They need "A Bear in the Woods" level campaign (which was done b,y the late and brilliant, Phil Dusenberry of BBDO.  Who also did "Morning Again in America").

McCain has yet to rise above a B- in advertising during this campaign.  Somebody in addition to WEaver needs to intervene.