Friday, July 18, 2008

Fear and Loathing in the US?

At an Ad Age event Liberal Internet publisher Arianna Huffington is challenged to build a campaign for McCain despite her obvious support for Obama. The interesting thing is that Huffington seems to be unable to be original and instead caricatures the current McCain campaign, spreading fear about the un-American, untested, pro-Muslim/Hammas nature of an Obama presidency. In fact her comments about Obama and his wife virtually replicate the inferences offered by the much criticised cartoon on NY Post front page. Her analysis is fear versus inspiration, the big question is what will US voters find most persuasive? If they accept the McCain arguments, see them as potentially true, they may well be drawn away from Obama; to support Obama is actually a bigger step as they have to believe that the change he offers is deliverable and deliverable by him. Of course the negativity could undermine McCain as the sender, but it will be interesting how the campaign will play out in the minds of voters.

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