Elitism Watch

How does this ad not display a condescending contempt for average Americans? Comparing Obama supporters (at least half the electorate) to hysterical Beatles fans? Poking fun at Midwest supporters for eating fast food, or implying they're stoners, or both? Portraying young women as ditsy girls with schoolyard crushes? Flashing "So Act Now" and "Don't Delay" like we're watching some late-night infomercial? (Not to mention mocking a grown man for showing some emotion. Nice touch, Sgt. Schmidt.)

So, now we have three separate McCain ads that assume American voters will be swayed more by charges of celebrity than 8 years of Bush, soaring energy costs, a recession, two wars, etc. Of course McCain people will say, "Lighten up! It's just a bit of fun. And there's a real policy argument here: Obama will raise taxes on people earning more than $42K." Except that's a lie, thus illustrating an even greater contempt for voters and their role in an informed democracy. (When Clinton used that kind of deceit, Publius called it the rube strategy -- "we'll say what we want and most people will be too ignorant to ever figure out the difference.")