It's 3 a.m. in America ...
About a month or so ago, Hillary Clinton came out with a political ad featuring a phone ringing in the middle of the night at the White House apparently due to some major event taking place in the world and the President being notified of it. Not long after, the Barack Obama campaign came out with their own version of the ad, using some of the same stock footage video in it. Both of these Democratic candidates’ “qualifications” for being competent to answer the red phone in the wee morning hours were stated in their respective propaganda pieces by announcers, concluding with each candidate stating in their own voice that they approved the message, required by the FEC. But did either ad carry any messages of substance? Or were they both nothing more than desperate efforts to bolster the appearance (to an untrained, unknowledgeable observer) of national security credentials?
Below, I will provide the actual transcript of the Clinton and Obama ads and then re-write the ads to tell you the way I heard them. And while I admit my interpretations to be highly editorialized, I believe they will serve the purpose of informing concerned Americans that neither of the Democrats in this race has what it takes to take office as our next President. Additionally, because Republican candidate John McCain never came out with one of these “3 a.m.” ads, I will write what I would say in such an ad if it were to be created.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY)
(Announcer): It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call. Whether it’s someone who already knows the world’s leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world. It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone? (Clinton): I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approve this message.
And now for the meaning of Clinton’s ad the way I heard it.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Shouldn’t who answers that call be a woman who’s long been ambitious to lead? Whose husband loathed the military and had the conviction to slash its forces? Someone who’s open to an afternoon tea with the world’s evildoers? One who slept for eight years in the White House and has been re-elected to the Senate from one of the most liberal states in our union? When that phone rings, only Hillary Clinton would have the unique qualifiers to take charge from Day One.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL)
(Announcer): It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be the one – the only one – who had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start? Who understood the real threat to America was al Qaeda in Afghanistan, not Iraq? Who led the effort to secure loose nuclear weapons around the globe? In a dangerous world, it’s judgment that matters. (Obama): I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
And now the truth – I mean – what I heard in the ad.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be one – just one of countless Democrats – who wishes for retreat in Iraq and who turns a blind eye to the progress made to spread freedom and democracy abroad? One who understands that there are few anti-American terrorists in the world and that those that exist voluntarily remain stationary in one region of the globe? Whose vision of hope and change transcends the tired notions of freedom and liberty? One who can lead after not even completing his first six-year Senatorial term? When that phone rings, only Barack Obama can speak the platitudes necessary to defeat worldly unrest.
SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ)
Here’s how I would write McCain’s 3 a.m. ad if I was asked to. Solidly national security-themed throughout.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be a leader who’s not afraid to back down in a time of global conflict? Someone who advocated for the surge strategy in Iraq and who understands the meaning of victory? One who once wore the uniform and served his country honorably? In this time of war, America needs someone who won’t just be prepared to answer the phone, but someone whose actions can prevent it from ringing in the middle of the night. It’s 3 a.m. and America is safe.
CONCLUDING WORDS
While I could talk much about the policies of all three of these candidates, since we are dealing with national security-themed ads, I’ll only delve into the national security subject here, and will do so briefly.
Many factors will go into determining who is our next President. But when it comes down to what is going to be the most important of these factors this election year, national security and keeping America safe in this time of war is surely going to be the apex issue, regardless of whether Americans know or chose to recognize it as such. While economic issues have ascended to the top of the list as the most important issue to voters in many recent polls, when it comes down to it all, we cannot have a stable and bustling economy if we cannot first assure the security of the nation whose economy we are trying to improve.
It is of great importance to put a commander-in-chief in the White House whose policies do not traverse the security of the nation and whose policies can strengthen our defenses against insurgency and uncertainty. The outcome of the Iraq war is often underestimated as a factor in global security. But winning on that front contributes to the betterment of the world by spreading democracy to those who have never before known the power of participation, and by preventing the region from being used as a breeding ground for the types of evildoers who if they got their way would make “Death to America” a national motto. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have pledged to retreat in Iraq, although they don’t like to consider it a retreat. Neither Democrat is wishing for another great tragedy on American soil, but their naïve and irrational policies only encourage our enemies to act upon their thoughts of killing us, the “infidels,” the champions of freedom. The fact that Obama claims to be someone who “had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start” is, in my mind at least, a reason to dismiss him from Presidential consideration because he has clearly shown that he does not understand the world in which we live.
In November, Americans from coast to coast will cast their ballots to determine our next President. I will be one of them. It will be up to us all to decide whether to elect someone who will have the experience and judgment necessary to answer a ringing phone at the White House or to elect someone whose policies may have caused that phone to break the silence of the night. But it is even more essential for us all to elect someone whose actions and strength can keep that phone silent while America is at rest.
Who will you vote for?
UPDATE (April 21, 2008): You can now view all three of the ads that I wrote in a YouTube video. Click here to view the video.
© 2008 Justin Margeson for A Forum for Freedom. All rights reserved.
Below, I will provide the actual transcript of the Clinton and Obama ads and then re-write the ads to tell you the way I heard them. And while I admit my interpretations to be highly editorialized, I believe they will serve the purpose of informing concerned Americans that neither of the Democrats in this race has what it takes to take office as our next President. Additionally, because Republican candidate John McCain never came out with one of these “3 a.m.” ads, I will write what I would say in such an ad if it were to be created.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY)
(Announcer): It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call. Whether it’s someone who already knows the world’s leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world. It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone? (Clinton): I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approve this message.
And now for the meaning of Clinton’s ad the way I heard it.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Shouldn’t who answers that call be a woman who’s long been ambitious to lead? Whose husband loathed the military and had the conviction to slash its forces? Someone who’s open to an afternoon tea with the world’s evildoers? One who slept for eight years in the White House and has been re-elected to the Senate from one of the most liberal states in our union? When that phone rings, only Hillary Clinton would have the unique qualifiers to take charge from Day One.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL)
(Announcer): It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be the one – the only one – who had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start? Who understood the real threat to America was al Qaeda in Afghanistan, not Iraq? Who led the effort to secure loose nuclear weapons around the globe? In a dangerous world, it’s judgment that matters. (Obama): I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
And now the truth – I mean – what I heard in the ad.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be one – just one of countless Democrats – who wishes for retreat in Iraq and who turns a blind eye to the progress made to spread freedom and democracy abroad? One who understands that there are few anti-American terrorists in the world and that those that exist voluntarily remain stationary in one region of the globe? Whose vision of hope and change transcends the tired notions of freedom and liberty? One who can lead after not even completing his first six-year Senatorial term? When that phone rings, only Barack Obama can speak the platitudes necessary to defeat worldly unrest.
SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ)
Here’s how I would write McCain’s 3 a.m. ad if I was asked to. Solidly national security-themed throughout.
It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone ringing in the White House – something’s happening in the world. When that call gets answered, shouldn’t the President be a leader who’s not afraid to back down in a time of global conflict? Someone who advocated for the surge strategy in Iraq and who understands the meaning of victory? One who once wore the uniform and served his country honorably? In this time of war, America needs someone who won’t just be prepared to answer the phone, but someone whose actions can prevent it from ringing in the middle of the night. It’s 3 a.m. and America is safe.
CONCLUDING WORDS
While I could talk much about the policies of all three of these candidates, since we are dealing with national security-themed ads, I’ll only delve into the national security subject here, and will do so briefly.
Many factors will go into determining who is our next President. But when it comes down to what is going to be the most important of these factors this election year, national security and keeping America safe in this time of war is surely going to be the apex issue, regardless of whether Americans know or chose to recognize it as such. While economic issues have ascended to the top of the list as the most important issue to voters in many recent polls, when it comes down to it all, we cannot have a stable and bustling economy if we cannot first assure the security of the nation whose economy we are trying to improve.
It is of great importance to put a commander-in-chief in the White House whose policies do not traverse the security of the nation and whose policies can strengthen our defenses against insurgency and uncertainty. The outcome of the Iraq war is often underestimated as a factor in global security. But winning on that front contributes to the betterment of the world by spreading democracy to those who have never before known the power of participation, and by preventing the region from being used as a breeding ground for the types of evildoers who if they got their way would make “Death to America” a national motto. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have pledged to retreat in Iraq, although they don’t like to consider it a retreat. Neither Democrat is wishing for another great tragedy on American soil, but their naïve and irrational policies only encourage our enemies to act upon their thoughts of killing us, the “infidels,” the champions of freedom. The fact that Obama claims to be someone who “had judgment and courage to oppose the Iraq war from the start” is, in my mind at least, a reason to dismiss him from Presidential consideration because he has clearly shown that he does not understand the world in which we live.
In November, Americans from coast to coast will cast their ballots to determine our next President. I will be one of them. It will be up to us all to decide whether to elect someone who will have the experience and judgment necessary to answer a ringing phone at the White House or to elect someone whose policies may have caused that phone to break the silence of the night. But it is even more essential for us all to elect someone whose actions and strength can keep that phone silent while America is at rest.
Who will you vote for?
UPDATE (April 21, 2008): You can now view all three of the ads that I wrote in a YouTube video. Click here to view the video.
© 2008 Justin Margeson for A Forum for Freedom. All rights reserved.
Labels: 2008 Presidential Election, Barack Obama, Conservatism, Democrat, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, National Security, Politics, Republican
posted by cptsteel31 at 2:02 AM
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