Obama's Ad Campaign

All eyes are on Barack Obama as he has geared up for his 30 minute advertisement this evening on three networks. At 8 p.m. EDT, Obama will fill 30 minutes of airspace on NBC, CBS, FOX. Each priced at close to one million dollars, the advertisement will also air on the subsidiary networks Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One. Several networks turned down Obama's proposal to keep original programming, a risky decision given the popularity Obama's advertising will generate, both negative and positive.

In a bold move, Obama has fronted the cash to buy into already scheduled air time and give one last 'horah!' for his campaign before the general elections next Tuesday. Obviously, Obama's hope is to state his platform in a clear and concise statement. A motive could be to clear any misconceptions about his past, about his stances on key issues and declare his hope for the future without rival John McCain offering rebuttal. A wise move.

This is a good move on Obama's part, and he will probably take the presidency with this effort. It will be the final straw in those undecided voters on just who they decide to support. An unfortunate truth for his opponent, who lacks the time, finances and avenues to sell himself in similar ways.

Part of the other programming tonight will feaure Obama being interviewed by an undecided major network news anchor, and an appearance with former president Bill Clinton. The majority of the 30 minute block will run in an infommercial format, educating the viewers on platforms and showing the stark contrast between Obama and McCain. Expect a non-stop run of everything Obama.

A potential downfall for Obama and one that should not be undermined will be his negative persuasions against Senator McCain. Obama is at a very delicate point in the election, and while most of his voters are secured, he should be very wary of alienation and negativity in tonight's advertisement. An overtly, disrespectful and negative portrayal of his rival McCain could prove very damaging to his own campaign. McCain has increasingly become the star of Obama's ads, only in negative light.

Studies have shown that oftentimes, negative campaigning against other candidates can have a withdrawing effect on voters. Many wish to pull away from the 'drama' altogether, some are even drawn to the opponent as a result. This type of damaging campaigning has already been seen in this election process and expect a great deal more even this evening. It is important to remember even McCain will be receiving air time through Obama's advertisements as he refers to him, time and time again in some negative connotation. This could turn off hundreds, even thousands of voters if Obama does not maintain dignity and respect for his opponent.

Overall, the advertising will generate enough interest to pull Obama into the Commander and Chief position. In at comes down to how he handles it. Will it be a mature, objective portrayal of his beliefs and those of McCain, or will it be an attempt to cut out the legs of his adversary. If Obama follows this self-defeating route, he could potentially find himself cutting his own legs out from under himself.

Well, may the best man win.