McCain “Original Mavericks”
Overall the ad performs very closely to the Air Was averages. Republicans, of course, have very high opinions of one of the first McCain/Palin joint advertisements. Democrats remain unimpressed, finding the ad to be less than credible. This will become the case more and more as the political environment polarizes.
Obama “No Maverick”
The Obama campaign’s response to the “Original Mavericks” goes after not only McCain but also tries to beat back the Palin sensation. Democrats respond very well, giving the ad high rankings for credibility, appeal, and effectiveness. Though they find it less appealing, Independents do give the ad higher than normal ratings, indicating the Obama campaign’s success in rebutting the “Orginial Mavericks.” This is Obama being reactive, they know Palin motivated the base Republican voters and bolstered the chance for a McCain presidency. The Democrats are scrambling to find an effective hit, but I’m not sure this is it.
DSCC against Elizabeth Dole
A very workmanlike effort from the DSCC gets slightly lower ratings overall. Republicans tend to reject no only it’s message, but also its memorability, while Democrats feel the opposite. Independents give the ad low rankings across the board, demonstrating the failure of the ad to reach into the middle.
Freedom’s Defense Fund against Obama
The harsh no commentary approach used by Freedom’s Defense Fund in their ad linking Obama and Kilpatrick gets mixed results. Overall it’s strong message left impressions, despite the fact that it was not thought to be very appealing. While Independents agreed with Democrats that it wasn’t a very appealing ad, they also agreed with Republicans that it had a strong message.
Keith Fimian
Virginia CD 11 candidate Keith Fimian’s second foray into tv meets with mixed results. While voters thought its message wasn’t very strong or memorable, they also ranked it as very appealing and credible. This indicates that voters are beginning to know and like Fimian despite a less than effective message.
Overall, Freedom’s Defense Fund’s attack on Obama narrowly edges out Obama’s “No Maverick” for the most effective overall ad in voters eyes. John McCain’s “Original Mavericks” finished a close third and Keith Fimian’s “Someone” took a respectable fourth. Republicans were particularly impressed by Freedom’s Defense Fund’s ad, while nearly half of all Democrats voted for Obama’s response to McCain “Original Mavericks.”
Voters almost entirely agreed that Sarah Palin’s addition to the Republican ticket would help McCain in November. Democrats were the only group that was unsure whether her effect on the race would benefit or harm McCain.
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