In the 1 pm hour on Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh expressed amazement at the new Obama radio ad targeting black Americans. This is probably not a topic the political media will emphasize -- liberal and Democratic ads aimed at minority voters have at times been scurrilous and outrageous attacks on Republicans. But this ad uses old-time soul singers and a black announcer urging blacks "have to show the president we have his back."
Limbaugh found this bizarre, since he hasn't exactly had their back -- he pointed out black unemployment is 13.6 percent. Black unemployment of those aged 16-19 is 36.5 percent. But have his back, says the ad (Weasel Zippers video as well as a transcript below):
OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message:
NARRATOR: Four years ago, we made history. Now it’s time to move forward and finish what we started together. We have to show the president we have his back.
SOUL SINGERS: We’ve got your back!
OBAMA: We can’t afford to spend the next 4 years going backwards. I‘m running to make sure that by the end of the decade more and more citizens hold a college degree than any other nation on Earth.
SOUL SINGERS: We’ve got your back!
OBAMA: I refuse to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut by kicking children off of Head Start programs! Or asking students to pay more for college! or eliminating health insurance for millions of poor and elderly and disabled Americans on Medicaid!
SINGER: Mr. President -- we’ve got your back.
NARRATOR: Have the President's back and register to vote. Go to gottavote.org to register now. That’s gottavote.org.
SINGER: You know we’ve got your back.
OBAMA: Paid for by Obama for America.
At NBC-owned The Grio, former Obama campaign operative Joy-Ann Reid reports:
Reach Media, which handles advertising for the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” among the most popular national programs reaching a primarily black audience, confirms to theGrio that the ad is slated to begin running [Tuesday, June 12]. A source tells theGrio the spot will also run on the nationally syndicated “Steve Harvey Show.” A campaign official said the ad buy is “national,” but would not confirm the amount of the buy or where, or how long, it will run.
