Barack Obama Campaigns in Iowa

Senator Barack Obama released two biographical television ads geared towards Iowans, according to the Associated Press. The Iowa caucus is a good indicator of the presidential election and which candidates will be selected for each party.

The advertisements released by the Obama campaign are aimed towards Iowans and the midwest in that the focus seems to be more grass roots and midwest friendly. Being a midwesterner himself, Obama can relate to the working class, or so the advertisements will indicate.

The 2008 election is a bit unique compared to previous elections because the race itself is seemingly premature. Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Bill Richardson have already been running ads in Iowa, and their poll numbers have jumped. This is reason enough for Obama and other presidential hopefuls to advertise in Iowa in order to keep their ratings high.

Obama's advertisements are likely the beginning of an overabundance of campaign ads on Iowa television. Obama has millions of dollars to spend on advertising, and avoiding Iowa would be a campaign mistake. It is only a matter of time before the rest of the leading candidates begin targeting Iowa and midwest voters as well.

The commercials feature Kirk Dillard, Republican state Senator who worked with Obama in the Illinois legislature. Dillard backs Obama's candidacy in the ad. Dillard also illustrates Obama's ethics, independence and a bit of the maverick spirit that lends hope to this nation.

The other commercial called "Choices," highlights Obama's life and the decisions he has made after graduating from Harvard. Because Obama turned down generous offers from law firms and moved to Chicago to be a community organizer, his choice was aimed towards improving the city for the sake of its citizens, rather than getting rich quick.

Senator Obama is also recognized in the ad for working on some of the deepest and most important issues of the city. His success is also displayed in the advertisement.

Obama's inspirational life is highlighted for the decisions he made and the success he has had as a senator and citizen. By choosing to make others' lives better for much of his career, Obama's candidacy for presidency follows the same path. While Obama could have succeeded on Wall Street making millions, or in a variety of other high paying positions, the Senator chose to make a difference.

The campaign is spending a modest amount of money on Iowa. The latest polls indicate Obama and Clinton and Edwards are all at comparable spots. His appearances in Iowa have drawn large and noisy crowds.

Obama's campaign has also recently completed an extensive mailing, also according to CNN. The mailing included a biographical DVD on the senator's life. The ads are in continuation of a campaign focusing on Obama's accomplishments and successes as a senator and global citizen.

Interestingly enough, the senator's campaign seems to be more rooted in his past accomplishments, rather than his intentions as president. The campaign has a nice touch and is refreshingly different from typical politicians. Rather than making empty promises, the campaign thus far aims at letting Americans know who Obama is, what he stands for and has stood for, and the differences he has already made.

One stand that Obama is certainly taking in his campaign, along with Clinton and Edwards, is his stance on the war in Iraq.

Obama's unique stance is that he opposed the war from the beginning. He claims to have warned his rivals and others serving in Congress back in 2002 that the war was a mistake. He also felt it was unnecessary and dangerous.

At this point, most of the democratic presidential hopefuls are opposed to the war in Iraq, however, their intentions to end it vary a great deal. It is certainly apparent that the war is the major issue of the upcoming election, and the nation's citizens will determine the next president based on their stance and intentions.

For more information on the Obama advertisements, as well as to follow the his campaign trail, visit www.cnn.com on the politics tab. The specific article which discusses Obama's campaign may be found at http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/26/obama.ads.ap/index.html.