New Obama ad hits McCain's computer illiteracy Nick Juliano

Published: Friday September 12, 2008





Print This Email This Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has a pair of new television ads out Friday, including one that sharply portrays his Republican opponent John McCain as an out-of-touch product of Washington unfit to lead America in the 21st Century.



"Things have changed in the last 26 years. But McCain hasnt," an announcer says. "He admits he still doesnt know how to use a computer, cant send an email."



McCain pronounced himself "illiterate" on computer use in an interview earlier this year, and the admission has caused problems for the 72-year-old candidate, particularly among younger voters some of whom have been online for more than half their lives.



The Obama ad also features footage of such 80s icons as the Rubik's cube and a huge cell phone like the kind Michael Douglas's character carries in the movie Wall Street.



A second Obama ad released Friday features a softer approach, with the candidate himself speaking directly to the camera about changing the country.



"Weve heard a lot of talk about change this year. The question is, change to what?" Obama says. "To me, change is a government that doesnt let banks and oil companies rip off the American people."



He directs voters to his Web site for more details.



McCain also released a new ad Friday, continuing with his sneering "celebrity" attacks on Obama.



"He was the worlds biggest celebrity, but his stars fading. So they lashed out at Sarah Palin," an announcer says.



"Then desperately called Sarah Palin a liar. How disrespectful."



Aside from raising questions as to whether anyone at McCain headquarters has access to a thesaurus, the ad seems to suggest that calling a candidate on her lies is worse than the lies themselves. As the Obama campaign, Democratic surrogates and scores of independent observers have noted, Palin and the McCain campaign have spread an array of untruths in recent weeks about Obama's record and their own, particularly their oft-repeated lie about Palin telling the government "thanks but no thanks" on the Bridge to Nowhere.



FactCheck.org, which evaluates campaign statements for truthfulness, even said the latest ad itself of distorting quotes to make its case.



The three ads are reproduced below.























