I bet a lot of people outside of DC don't know what lobbyists are, or do. In which case Obama's

[Voice for Peace]

ads are going to go over many people's heads... people will see them and say, whatever, and it won't mean anything.

How about an ad saying really simply what lobbyists are, and do, and why it's bad that McCain's got so many?

[Voice for Peace]

1. ie, a simple education for the simple information-challenged people in America.

that might be an effective use of ad dollars.

[TTUBatfan2008]

2. Attacking him on lobbyists in the first place...

is kind of pointless. Lobbyists control every politician in the 2 parties, including Obama.

[Voice for Peace]

3. hmm. I've seen this ad playing over and over, about the lobbyists.

It seems like a waste of money.

[elkston]

8. Some of these ads are aimed at informed swing voters

But I still get the sense that many voters feel lobbyist = bad and special interest = bad, even if they don't grasp exactly how they function in Washington.

[quiet.american]

4. In what way do they "control" Obama? nt

[TTUBatfan2008]

9. Ever heard of AARP?

There's a lobbyist group that controls both parties. Both parties pander to the AARP. On the left, you have environmentalist lobby groups that control the agenda for the Democratic Party. On the right, you have the oil industry lobbyists controlling the agenda of the Republican Party. I don't know if you want to call them lobbyists, but unions definitely hold a shitload of power over politicians. I don't think Obama's getting an endorsement from the likes of SEIU for free. Their support gives them a seat at the table in terms of his political agenda.

[quiet.american]

10. Can't say I have. :)

As Obama's campaign has not taken any money from lobbyists, I wouldn't go so far as to say they control him. Do they exist, yes. Do they control him -- I wouldn't say so. Do they control other Democrats --probably.

[elkston]

11. The POINT is -- they are not visibly involved in his campaign ...

and he doesn't take money from them.

And the special interests you refer to are benign to many voters the Dems. want (AARP, Unions) whereas the Republican lobbyists are big business, oil companies, drug companies. The "nasty corporations" making huge profits while the middle class drowns.

[TTUBatfan2008]

12. You're naive if you think Obama's not getting a lot of money from those industries...

Some of his biggest bundlers are execs from Wall Street.

[elkston]

13. Perhaps, BUT we're talking about low information voters here.

Who is going to really dig in and try to figure that out? On a superficial level, he is free of lobbyist influence.

And whose side are you on anyway?

[TTUBatfan2008]

19. I'm on Obama's side...

but I am NOT naive here. He is a politician and has just as many ties to the same old crap that McCain's got ties to. Maybe I'm just cynical, but when you have the kinds of strategists that Obama has (ie veterans of the Democratic Party), that's not really much of a change from the way Washington has operated for years. The key here, however, is that even with a typical Democratic strategy for the country, it's a much better situation than with a Republican strategy. Bush has been an utter catastrophe on this country. And for some reason, people actually think Reagan was a good president, despite his ties to Saddam, Osama, and his idiotic economic strategies which only hurt this country. "Trickle down economics" doesn't work and the last 8 years have proven this fact. It's time to get rid of these assholes, no doubt about it. But make no mistake, Obama is not much different from Clinton or any other Democrat. He's not going to change things as much as he promises.

[Eric J in MN]

18. If environmental lobby groups control the Democratic Party...

...then why is the Democratic Congress about to pass a bill for offhore drilling which bans states from stopping drilling 100 or more miles from shore?

[quiet.american]

5. In that case, then "lobbyists" are simply a MacGuffin.

A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is a plot device that motivates the characters or advances the story, but the details of which are of little or no importance otherwise.

It's not important whether people actually know what a lobbyist is or not.

The important thing is that they know John McCain is talking out of both sides of his mouth when he says he will bring reform to the Washington lobbyist culture.

He could just as well be saying, "I will ensure that no one wears the color green in my administration."

And then you find out he is actually paying seven people on his campaign staff to wear the color green.

No credibility.

[IndependentDem]

6. I agree... I had to explain what they are to my mom, she had no clue. nt

[DefenseLawyer]

7. I think most voters know what lobbyists are.

At the very least even the lowest information voters have some vague notion that they are bad.

[Eric J in MN]

14. The ad says the super-lobbyist hired by McCain...

..."lobbies for oil companies, the credit card industry, corporate special interests rigging the system against hard-working Americans."

Even a voter who can't define the word "lobbyist" should be able to get the idea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjS5sjxTnwo

[Skwmom]

17. They think everyone is as dumb as Bush and the Neocons.

[Skwmom]

15. You really think people are stupid don't you?

[Voice for Peace]

20. no, I don't think people are stupid but I think a LOT of people are not paying much attention

to what goes on in Washington or in politics in general. Even with things as bad as they are. I don't mean to be gloomy. Just think that advertisement that is showing over and over on tv could be more effective.

[Overseas]

16. Trust me, the majority of voters know. That's why they vote. //nt

[Jennicut]

21. The lobbying thing is meant for intelligent independents, yes they exist

I used to be more of an independent but Bush made me a Democrat (I registered as one in 2004). Its also makes McCain look like a hypocrite as he is trying to "change Washington".

[DeepModem Mom]

22. IMO, the ad was a waste of money, as was the computer ad. Sorry to be negative. nt