'Willie Horton' Ad Aimed at Obama Misses Mark

[southern_belle]

Summary
Conservative activist Floyd G. Brown, who had a hand in the 1988 "Willie Horton" attack ad, is seeking funds to show a new spot accusing Obama of being "weak" on Chicago gang killers in 2001 and suggesting he'd be weak on terrorism, too. Brown bases the claim on Obama's vote against a bill to make gang killers automatically eligible for the death penalty.

We find that the ad misses the mark. The anti-gang activist who sponsored the death-penalty bill tells FactCheck.org that she doesn't consider Obama weak on crime despite his opposition to her proposal. Chicago state Rep. Susana Mendoza said the ad makes her "sick to my stomach" and "completely mischaracterizes Senator Obama's position against ruthless criminals."

The record shows that Obama, while not a cheerleader for the death penalty, has supported it for a number of crimes – including terrorism. He voted for an Illinois law in 2003 that includes the death penalty for convicted terrorists.

Analysis
The ad is the product of a new group, formed last year, calling itself the National Campaign Fund. It has raised just over $50,000 this year and spent most of it on lists of conservative donors, for fundraising purposes. As of March 31 it had only $14,028 in the bank. But on April 16 it posted the 60-second anti-Obama spot on YouTube and started seeking donations via its Web site, ExposeObama.com, to finance the purchase of broadcast time. One of the main figures in the group is Floyd G. Brown, a conservative who is considered a bogeyman in Democratic circles for his role in airing the famous Horton attack ad in 1988 against Michael Dukakis.

More at http://www.newsweek.com/id/133611

[David__77]

1. Backfire.

I don't think it will work. Obama is pro-death penalty, unfortunately. Plus, it is indeed true that some people will be uncomfortable with this tactic against a Black man who loved it against a white guy.