Candidates' Olympics ads take different approaches

WASHINGTON -- Millions of TV viewers are seeing negative political ads during the Olympics, a gamble by Republican John McCain that the sheer size of the audience outweighs any potential backlash against sharp rhetoric during a feel-good event.

Democrat Barack Obama, the target of the two McCain ads running with the Olympics, is taking a different tack. His Olympics offering is a gauzy spot about new types of energy jobs. But he's getting tough on McCain in lower-profile settings such as national cable, local radio and TV ads targeted to a single state.

Political advertising analysts say both candidates are doing what they need to do: McCain raising questions about Obama's readiness to lead, Obama trying to preserve his positive brand of "new politics."

Still, says Ken Goldstein, head of the Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin, it was strange to see a McCain "attack ad" during the Olympics opening ceremonies — especially since the footage used to deride Obama's "celebrity" was of Obama being cheered in Germany.

Given that the spectacle was all about "the world and fellowship and the parade of nations," Goldstein said, "going after your opponent for being of the world seemed a bit jarring, a bit odd."

The Obama campaign suggests McCain's move will backfire. "Their campaign really seems pretty out of touch with what the American people want to see and hear during the Olympics," says Obama adviser Anita Dunn.

Evan Tracey of the Campaign Media Analysis Group says McCain's strategy is risky but could pay off. "They're using a gigantic stage to make their national case against Obama," he says. "It doesn't seem to be causing any uproar. They may have guessed right."

Tucker Bounds, a McCain spokesman, says McCain is "focused on ensuring that voters have the best information possible to make an informed decision on Election Day."

The claims in both ads, that Obama voted to raise taxes on lower-income people and will raise them as president, have been labeled false or misleading by PolitiFact.com and FactCheck.org, non-partisan fact-checking groups that say Obama proposes tax cuts for lower-income people.