Obama 2012 'Occupying' Des Moines Register Homepage
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Des Moines Register website homepage is poised and ready for the results of the caucuses later tonight, complete with photos of each Republican candidate looming over "0%"s, numbers that will quickly change and determine the candidates' fates as the caucuses report back.
Right now, however, it's the banner above that's getting all the attention: A noticeable and not coincidental Obama ad reminding Iowans that the Obama campaign is out in full force.
"The Republican candidates are leaving Iowa. But their terrible plans are here to stay," the Obama 2012 ad reads in print as big as the faces of the GOP candidates themselves, reminding Iowans that the focus will soon turn to other states, and urging them to get involved in Obama 2012.
"While the Republican candidates didn't build a lasting ground organization in Iowa to boost them in November, they did leave a legacy of proposals that Americans will overwhelmingly reject, like returning to the policies that led to the economic crisis and leaving our troops in Iraq indefinitely," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in an email when asked about the ad.
Continuing on Twitter, LaBolt tweeted out "Check out the homepage of http://DesMoinesRegister.com for a message from OFA. #iacaucuses #bracketing."
And #bracketing may be the best way to put it, with the ad appearing both above and on either side of the articles in what seems to put an almost metaphorical parenthesis on the caucus coverage itself.
Obama re-released a 2008 video Monday in which he reminded Iowans of all he had promised them, and tonight he will appear in a live video address to all Iowans attending the Democratic Caucuses, despite his status as the uncontested Democratic candidate in the state.
Although the real "occupy" movement has vowed not to disturb the caucuses tonight as they convene state-wide at 7 p.m., this "occupation" has vowed no such thing. And it's not going down, at least until the ad buy runs out at midnight.