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Friday, July 18, 2008

ABC News: Is McCain Subliminally Linking Obama To Al Qaeda In His Campaign Ad?

Allegedly this screen capture from McCain’s latest campaign commercial is proof of a subliminal message the nefarious McCain advertising people put in to make people link Obama with al Qaeda.

image

Here’s the explanation from ABC News:

At the very beginning, the title—“The Obama Iraq Documentary”—flashes into place in a blaze of orange. And for a single frame—a tiny fraction of a second—Obama’s face is framed by the following prominent letters: “a l q D.”

Some caveats: “al qD” is meaningless by itself. The “l” is actually the capital “I” in “Iraq,” though in the typeface used in the video, it looks like a lowercase “L.” Other letters—at either end of the title—are simultaneously on the screen. And many editing programs do allow randomized letter placement.

But still. . . . For a brief moment, Obama’s face is framed by letters that the brain may want to play with and spell something that does make sense. If you type “al qD” into Google, you get this response: “Did you mean: al qaeda.”

Here’s the campaign ad played at full speed.

Stupid controversy ever?  You betcha.  But that won’t stop ABC News from using the hysteria over that now-infamous New Yorker cover to question why the McCain campaign let this “subliminal message” slip by them.

A McCain aide told ABC that it was primarily put together by an editor who had about 48 hours to throw it together in advance of Obama’s foreign trip.

Still, in this era of hyper-analysis — and in the very week that a non-subtle New Yorker cover was blasted as beyond the bounds of satire — should something like this have slipped by Team McCain?

Maybe it slipped by them because it’s just a random arrangement of letters that a) don’t even spell out al Qaeda direction and b) are on the screen for less than a second.

I guess that explanation makes too much sense or something.

Comments

Avatar for RebTex

How dare they?
How DARE THEY?!?!
Obama without a halo?!
That ain’t right.
.
.
.
.
.OK
That out of the way,I hope the McCain group hasn’t moved to sublim messages.
THat wouldn’t be Right.

RebTex on July 18, 2008 at 06:54 pm

I saw this before! I don’t get it, why any controversy at all. Sorry, even with your explanation I don’t see that link you are making and why is Mccain apologizing? McCain is being a weak sister ass to apologize to any degree for this video, it is an honest view of Obama flip-flops on Iraq, BFG!


No matter the age or state of health, for a military man it is always glorious to tilt at windmills, rescue a fair Dulcinea and be a gallant knight in armor in a glorious cause.

Neiman on July 18, 2008 at 07:03 pm
Avatar for Nunez

I don’t know if this is subliminal and if it is, I don’t think it will even be effective. I do know that the person that created the Willie Horton ad that did use subliminal submodality and anchoring manipulation is working with the McCain campaign to create ads. Now, I don’t agree that any campaign, whether I support them or not, should use techniques that I have extensive knowledge which were created to help people with psychological issues to be used to manipulate the public. Classless and shows that they have no trust in the American people which leads to undermining democracy.

Nunez on July 18, 2008 at 07:12 pm
Avatar for Drucilla

The thing is, I would have never even seen it if it would have been pointed out in the first place. Not a very effective message. I mean, who thinks up this stufff?

The excuse that it was hurridly put together makes the whole thing worse I think. Why are they putting out shotty work to begin with? Sad.

Drucilla on July 18, 2008 at 07:29 pm

It is a stretch at best.


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goon on July 18, 2008 at 07:39 pm
Avatar for Nunez

Drucilla,

The thing is, I would have never even seen it if it would have been pointed out in the first place. Not a very effective message.

I don’t believe this is subliminal or effective if it was. Now, the point is that you DON’T consciously notice it. With a subliminal message, you want only the subconscious mind of the viewer to register it so that it will pass any conscious resistance.

Nunez on July 18, 2008 at 07:43 pm

The truth will always come out in some way, like the “satirical” New Yorker cover cartoon.


Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

robert108 on July 18, 2008 at 08:21 pm

The Obama Iraq Documentary.

Shoot, one could pretent some of these letters mean many things as they pop up.  Let’s try a few on for size…

Obama Doc - kinda a nice way to call him a rabbit like Bugs Bunny.  Wait, rabbits breed like gold fish.  That is racist.  Besides, he probably doesn’t like carrots.

Obama ra cu n - Now that is just racist to call him a racoon.  Wasn’t the word coon used as a racial slur..?

Obama raq u et - Way overboard here.  This is a slap at his Chicago heritage.

Obama ra t - Now that is just like the racoon comment.  What were they thinking..?

Obama q u e r - Now McCain is questioning his manhood.  He is married for crying out loud.

I could continue here if I wanted, as this was sort of fun, but I hope I made a point.  This is more of Barry crying when some one points out the flaws in his character, campaign, wife, friends, clergy, smoking, house buying (here I go again..STOP please..).

atease


atease

atease on July 18, 2008 at 08:26 pm

Sad thing is they have peole going through things that McCain puts out or his campaign is repsonsible for, and they are going through it frame by frame.

Sloooowly.

Was that…

rewind it again

yes, it looked like it might be something....

rewind it again, and go forward slowly....

YES!! al qd

McCain is saying Obama is linked to al queda!!!!

Call a press conference!!!

{rolls eyes}

sanity on July 18, 2008 at 09:18 pm
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