John McCain “Chicago Machine�
McCain’s ad targeting Obama’s past and his previous associates receives a lukewarm overall response.  Republicans found the message to be very strong and gave it high ranking’s across all categories.  Democrats were less than impressed, giving the ad rock-bottom ratings across the board.  Independents found the ad underwhelming but were not repulsed by it.

Brave New PAC “Medical Records�
Brave New PAC’s “Medical Records� was widely panned by Republicans and Independents.  While voters from all parties found it more memorable than average, they also found it to be very unappealing.  Both Independents and Republicans also gave the ad lower than average credibility ratings.  Democrats thought it had a strong message, reflecting their concerns about McCain’s age.

Tim Bee “Giffords Votes With Pelosi�
Voters  found Tim Bee’s new ad to be underwhelming.  Republicans dutifully gave the ad higher rankings than normal, but both Democrats and Independents were unable to give the ad anything higher than an average rating.  Even Republicans reported that they would probably not talk about the ad.

Tom Feeney “Honest�
Tom Feeney’s straightforward approach in his new apology ad, “Honest�, received extremely high rankings across the board.  Republicans gave it higher rankings than we’ve seen in recent surveys, including an incredibly high credibility rating.  Independents were also moved by the message, finding it to be very appealing, memorable, and credible.  Even Democrats gave the ad higher than average ratings incredibility, memorability, and effectiveness.

DCCC against Chris Shays (R-CT) “Shays says the economy is fundamentally strong�
Overall this recent effort from the DCCC faired decently well.  While voters found it to be less than appealing, they also thought it had a strong message, which is the reception the ad was intended to create.  Democrats were impressed by the ad’s credibility and its effectiveness.  Republicans considered the attack to be less than credible and equally unappealing.  Independents were unimpressed but not hostile, giving the ad average or slightly below average rankings in all categories.

The clear overall winner is Tom Feeney’s “Honest�.  The ad’s direct appeal to voter’s sense of responsibility engendered powerful empathy from all parties, especially Independents.  While Republicans thought McCain’s “Chicago Machine� was the most effective ad, Feeney’s ‘look you in the eye’ approach stole the show, with both Democrats and Independents thinking it was the most effective ad tested.

While 66% of voters thought Sarah Palin would help the GOP ticket in early September, only 42% feel that way today.  This decrease occurred across both parties and among Independents.  On the eve of the vice presidential debate, Sarah Palin’s stock has declined significantly.  Voters were also generally opposed to the $700 billion bailout bill currently having difficulties in Congress.  48% of respondents are outright opposed to the bill, and only 36% support it.  Democrats are generally in favor of it, though a not-insignificant 32% are opposed.  Independents and Republicans are equally opposed to the bill by large majorities.

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