CNN Covers for Biden: 'Terrible' Anti-McCain Ad 'Only Ran Six Times'

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CNN.com on Tuesday covered for Democrat vice presidential candidate Joe Biden's comment that the Obama campaign ad making fun of John McCain's inability to use a computer "was terrible." 

According to CNN's Alexander Mooney, "Joe Biden can rest easy" for making this remark during his interview Monday with "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric because the ad "only ran 6 times" (video embedded right, full report on Couric's interview by my colleague Brent Baker available here).

Well, that's six times more than 1964's "Daisy" ad -- which historians believe helped President Lyndon Johnson defeat Barry Goldwater -- initially aired. In fact, even the liberal Wikipedia views it that way:

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

"Daisy," sometimes known as "Daisy Girl" or "Peace, Little Girl," was a controversial campaign television advertisement. Though aired only once (by the campaign), during a September 7, 1964, telecast of David and Bathsheba on The NBC Monday Movie, it was a factor in President Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide defeat of Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election and an important turning point in political and advertising history. Its creator was Tony Schwartz of Doyle Dane Bernbach. It remains one of the most controversial political advertisements ever made.

Furthermore, in this day and age of 24-hour cable news networks, websites, blogs, and YouTube, a controversial ad that runs just once can be seen by millions of people.

Although Mooney touched on this, he still appeared to be covering for Biden:

Joe Biden can rest easy.

That Obama campaign ad mocking John McCain's computer illiteracy only ran 6 times, according to CNN's ad consultant Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG.

The ad, which Biden called 'terrible' Monday in an off-the-cuff comment to CBS News, also appeared to only air in the Washington, DC area, though it was heavily reported in blogs and news reports.

The 30-second spot was released by the campaign 10 days ago and sought to portray McCain as out-of-touch with most Americans.

For the record, here's the related exchange between Biden and Couric:

COURIC TO BIDEN: Are you disappointed with the tone of the campaign? The "lipstick on the pig" stuff, and some of the ads -- you guys haven't been completely guilt-free, making fun of John McCain's inability to use a computer.

BIDEN: I thought that was terrible, by the way.

COURIC: Why'd you do it then?

BIDEN: I didn't know we did it and if I had anything to do with it, we would have never done it. And I don't think Barack, you know. I just think that was-

COURIC: Did Obama approve that ad? He said he did, right?

BIDEN: The answer is I don't think there was anything intentional about that. They were trying to make another point. That's very different than deliberately taking a vote Barack Obama had to teach children about how to deal with child-predators and saying he was teaching them sex education in kindergarten. Very different in degree.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.


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funny

"That's very different than deliberately taking a vote Barack Obama had
to teach children about how to deal with child-predators and saying he
was teaching them sex education in kindergarten. Very different in
degree."

The difference being the bill doesn't specify solely teaching kindergarteners about predators, but does specify COMPREHENSIVE sex ed for K through 12?

The difference being that McCain was beaten and battered so badly that he can't use a computer for that reason?

The degrees of difference are vast.  On one hand you have someone who votes for infantacide, and of the children who survive he wants to teach them about sex (and not about marriage or abstinence) at the age of FIVE!

And on the other hand you have a man who was beaten for his patriotism, and has served the country even when it meant crossing party lines to get things done.

I'm sorry but there is no way Obama should have even gotten through the primaries.  The media has NOT vetted this man.

Palin has accomplished great things, while Obama has continued to make empty promises that the world owes you a living.

 Only ran six

Only ran six times

Which is six times too many, of course. 

“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)

6 times on CNN, 285 on

6 times on CNN, 285 on MSNBC, 43 on Fox, 166 on ABC, 143 on CBS, 35,643 on YouTube.........

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

I really believe Biden

I really believe Biden thought it was terrible...he just slipped up and told the truth...

Then tried to blather his way out of it after sweetum's Katie said Obama approved it. 

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

Hi, bt.

LOL-You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear that Biden is deliberately trying to sabotage Barry-O's campaign. I mean, it is almost as if Hilary hand-picked this clown to run as Obama's VP.

About the only way Obama could have made a worst choice is if he had picked Robert "Cryin' Towel" Byrd.

Biden is a bigger idiot than I had previously thought. And that is saying something.

-Dave

Hi Dave... Just real

Hi Dave...

Just real quick...yeah Rush had a thing today about SOB...save our Biden or somesuch...I should look it up and put the link on here, may later after I catch up here with what all the blog spots have going...it is hilarious! It's in the same realm of his Operation Chaos for Hillary...too much fun. 

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

bt, I heard Rush's S.O.B. spiel, too.

I was driving home from a lunch date when I heard it. I nearly had to pull over I was laughing so hard!

-Dave

Be careful what you wish for...

...conjecture has been flying all over the left wing blogs ever since Palin was nominated that Biden should develop some unexpected medical conditional or say something really stupid, and then graciously bow out of the race so Hillary could step in as Obama's running mate. In my opinion, despite all the negative reactions there might be, once the shock wore off, that would be an unbeatable combination.

There wouldn't be time to flesh out for the electorate all the scandals surrounding her, and most of the women who have deserted the democrats for Palin would go running back. They'd be smirking about how much payback she'd be able to extort from him for the next four years for saving his butt. And the media would be falling all over themselves proclaiming Obama's brilliant tactics.

If that happened, someone could find a video of Obama and Farrakhan swapping spit at the Communist party convention and they'd still win. 

Oh, the ad that made fun of

Oh, the ad that made fun of John McCain's debilitating war injury handicap only ran six times? Well then it's OK, isn't it?

How many times did George Allen say "macaca" again? Gosh, it must have been far more than six times.

*****

"People only insist that a debate stop when they are afraid of what might be learned if it continues." - George Will 

Excellent point, Hero Squad

If you took a poll at that exact moment Allen used that word, I bet the majority of Americans wouldn't know that they should be offended.

It took the MSM to stir the frenzy.

 

I am proud to address the Midgets for Democrats Convention. Stand up you little people! C'mon stand up! You are? Oh, what am I saying? Let's have you midgets on the dais stand up for the little people. C'mon, stand up! Oh, what am I saying?? - - - Joe Biden

Check program logs

CNN better check the program logs.  I sit in the middle of Wisconsin.  I saw the ad!  I thought at the time it was one of the lowest ads imaginable....especially from a campaign taking the "high road" (their words not mine).

deleted

deleted

Only six times...

...the most famous negative attack ad in history, showing a little girl in a field picking daisies, and then a mushroom cloud, only ran ONCE, yet many people give it credit for turning an entire presidential election because of the image conjured up of a candidate who was supposedly so dangerous he could end the world.

Do I even need to mention which party ran the ad?