Clinton’s ‘Red Phone’ Ad

In the waning days before the crucial electoral contests in Ohio and Texas, Hillary Clinton’s campaign has released targeted advertising emphasizing her readiness to handle the most dangerous security threats to the nation and suggesting that she would be better prepared than Barack Obama to pick up the dreaded “red phone.” That prompted Obama’s team to come up with, yup, a red phone ad of its own.

The New York Times:

“It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep,” says a narrator as threatening music surges over dark black-and-white images.

There’s a world crisis and the White House phone is ringing. “Your vote will decide who answers that call,” the narrator says. “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 ends with a photo of Mrs. Clinton wearing glasses and picking up the phone.
Mr. Obama, responding to the ad during a stop in Houston, said it raised “a perfectly legitimate question.”

But, he said: “We’ve seen these ads before. They’re the kind that play on people’s fears to try to scare up votes.”

Later the Obama campaign released a new ad to respond directly to the one from Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. It says in part: “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.”

Read more

Watch Clinton’s ad:

Watch Obama’s response:

youtube.com

Looming danger: A still from Clinton’s ad, which Obama said was designed to “play on people’s fears.” Later, his campaign released its own “red phone” spot.