But Talking Points Memo's Erik Kleefeld sees a more sinister message in the ad:
"We know he doesn't have much experience, and isn't ready to lead, but that doesn't mean he isn't dreamy," says the announcer, followed by footage of two women at rallies -- both of whom are white, mind you -- complimenting Obama's looks. How long until "Barack, call me" ends up in a McCain paid TV ad?
So, what would happen if the McCain campaign had only used video of black men and women voicing their support for Obama? Would that also be "evidence" that Republicans are trying to scare the electorate by portraying Obama as a purveyor of racial identity politics? This seems like another sad case of some Obama supporters taking any opposition to his candidacy as de facto racism.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first or only time TPM readers and authors have overreached in recent weeks to accuse McCain of fanning the racist flames. More recent examples here, here, here, here and here.
Jake Tapper also sees racial implications in the McCain ad.
UPDATE: Marc Ambinder resists the racist clarion calls as well, both from factual and strategic points of origin:
Well, the view that McCain hasn't gone there is shared by Barack Obama, for one. And those who see racial imagery in these web ads (black woman, white man, older white woman, younger white woman, white woman, white woman, white man, Wayne and Garth) are racializing the web ads and drawing attention to them.
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