This new Obama ad, Book strikes me as a largely welcome messaging departure in several ways.
First, it's an attack ad — but on substance. And it's not a rebuttal ad, either.
Second, it alludes (dog whistle anyone?) to the Responsible Plan to End the War, without of course actually endorsing it.
Third, and least delightfully, although probably wise tactically, it offers what may become a campaign mantra if it catches on “the middle class first” (i.e. before those rich lobbyist and GOP beneficiaries of Haliburton largess). I preferred Edwards's focus on the poorest among us, but this is how you win elections.
I dunno. I suspect it's not the single most demeaning ad ever put out by a major party presidential campaign, and I'm prepared to believe it's not the most stupid (although I wonder), but is this new McCain (web only) ad Fan Club the most simultaneously demeaning and stupid ad ever put out by a major party Presidential candidate?
I think “Anonymous Liberal” at Crooks & Liars got it just right when he wrote what he'd have Obama say in response to all this rot,
My opponent has taken to calling me a “celebrity” in all of his commercials. The suggestion, I can only assume, is that all of you (gesturing to the crowd) show up at events like this and donate your time and your money to this campaign because you’re all adoring groupies who are obsessed with me. Now, that would certainly be flattering if it were true, but I’m not going to delude myself. The reality is I can’t act, I can’t sing, and my personal life is incredibly boring.
The truth is that no one would be paying any attention to me at all if I wasn’t talking about things that really matter to a lot of people. You’re not here tonight–and you’re not watching at home–because you want to be entertained. Lord knows there are plenty of things that you could be doing with your time right now that would be far more entertaining than listening to me. No, you’re here tonight because you love your country and you’re concerned about the direction it’s been heading over the last eight years.
You’re not here tonight to see what kind of outfit I’m wearing or to hear my latest hit single–and if you are, I think you’re probably going to be disappointed. No, you’re here because you want change, you want a government that fights for people like you and not on behalf of powerful special interests; you want a government that keeps you safe by pursuing a rationale foreign policy abroad and keeps your family secure by creating jobs, ensuring access to affordable health care, and fighting for energy independence.
That’s why you’re here. That’s why you’re volunteering your time at record levels. That’s why you’re contributing your hard-earned money in record amounts.
So remember, when John McCain and his surrogates call me a “celebrity,” they’re not insulting me; they’re insulting you. They’re insinuating that you are a mindless groupie rather than a concerned citizen, a fan rather than a voter.
But it’s not going to work. You know why you’re here, you know why you’re watching, and you’re much smarter than they give you credit for.
The airline yesterday said it would annul all bookings made through third party websites. In a move described as “totally unreasonable” by the Consumers' Association, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said the new policy would apply to anyone travelling after next Monday.
The hardline stance affects anyone who booked their Ryanair flights through websites like lastminute.com, v-tours, tui and Opodo.
About 1,000 people use these websites to book Ryanair flights every day, which means 20,000 passengers will be affected by the clampdown if bookings are made an average of 20 days in advance.
Ryanair will give refunds to all of the websites involved, Mr O'Leary said, but passing on those refunds to intending passengers would be a matter for the websites.
“We want to cause as much chaos for the [websites] as possible,” he said.
Is the airline about to go bankrupt? Would any lesser reason cause an airline to hurt its customers in this manner?
I would guess that Ryanair argues it can rescind the tickets because, just being e-tickets, they're not real contracts. I wonder how long that legal theory will survive this sort of behavior.
