Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Matthew 25 ad emphasizes Obama’s family, ‘Christian faith’

Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report: ... I’ve taken an interest in the “Matthew 25 Network,” a new religious political action committee spearheaded by Mara Vanderslice, who served as director of religious outreach for Kerry-Edwards in 2004, and who has been active in encouraging Democratic candidates to discuss matters of spirituality more openly on the campaign trail.
The group’s first ad was a radio spot, and the group unveiled its first TV ad today.

While the first spot emphasized Obama’s religion, this one highlights Obama’s role as a family man (after, that is, a pastor is quoted touting Obama’s “Christian faith”). The viewer is told, “As a pastor, I know you can tell a lot about a man’s character based on how he treats his family…. Throughout his entire career, Sen. Obama has stood by families — including his own — and as president, he’ll stand by yours.”
Now, I have no idea whether the ad was made after the recent unpleasantness surrounding John Edwards. For that matter, it’s hard to say whether there’s a subtle dig here at John McCain over the difficulties in his first marriage.
Either way, the simplicity of the ad works pretty well. It’s a straightforward enough message: Obama is a pro-family Christian. That’s it. That’s the whole ad.
I can think of worse messages for a mainstream audience to hear right now.

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