Most of the broadcast focused on economic issues. Obama said Americans were caught in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and outlined his plan to lower taxes on the "middle class," freeze home foreclosures and increase subsidies for alternative energy.
Advertisement
The political infomercial featured struggling middle class Americans, from battleground states, who claimed they could not pay their bills. The first was about a woman named Rebecca Johnson who opened the inside of her fridge in a well-to do looking suburban house to show how she had to stretch her children's meals. Her husband was a tire retreader who suffers from knee problems. Their family put off his surgery because they could not afford it.
Another couple, Larry and Juanita Stuart, were highlighted as well. Juanita has rheumatoid arthritis and complained about having to take 12 pills per day they could not afford due to her husband's retirement. The film showed Larry, 72, being forced to work at Wal-Mart to make ends meet in a way that seemed undignified.
The rest of the broadcast mixed clips about Obama's upbringing with messages on education, his universal healthcare plan and foreign policy vision. Surrogates like Sen. Claire McCaskill (D.-Missouri), Sen. Dick Durbin (D.-Illinois) Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also discussed Obama's various credentials.
His wife, Michelle, briefly spoke of her husband's commitment to his children even while in the middle of an intense presidential campaign. Then the infomercial profiled a Louisville couple who were going through layoffs, but somehow found time to phonebank for Obama and segued to discussing the war in Iraq.
Advertisement
The broadcast ended with a promise from Obama and a call to action.
"I am reminded every single day I am not a perfect man, I will not be a perfect president, but I promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand," he narrated.
Then it cut to a clip of him speaking before an effusive crowd in Florida.
"Florida and America, if in this last week if you will knock on some doors for me, if you will make some calls for me, if you will go to BarackObama.com and find out where to vote, if you will stand with me by my side and fight I promise you we will not just win Florida, we will win this election! We will change this country and change the world!"
Join the conversation as a VIP Member