Subject: RE: New CDA Scripts
From: "Anna Greenberg" <[email-masked]>
To: "Begala, Paul" <[email-masked]>, "Lori Lodes" <[email-masked]>, "Tom Matzzie" <[email-masked]>, "Tara McGuinness" <[email-masked]>, "Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza" <[email-masked]>, "Ari Rabin-Havt" <[email-masked]>, "susan" <[email-masked]>, "John Podesta" <[email-masked]>, "Stan Greenberg" <[email-masked]>, "ic2008" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:31:32 -0500

A New Model - I really like it.  Funny.

Just Like Us - I like the concept of average people saying McCain's
words, but I don't really understand the final line - I know it's meant
to be sarcastic, but just not sure it works.

Not That Into You - no, too close to Dating.

Straight Talker - l like Bus better.

Agree with Paul that Train Station, Check in, It's the Network are not
the message we want right now.

Repast - I don't think we're going to attack his wife's money.  It's not
particularly subtle.

Show Respect, Old Dog - I don't think we're ever going to make fun of
McCain for being old.

Hot Head - I would like this better if it also tied into bomb, bomb
Iran...hawkish.

Priorities - I like it a lot - it's a very similar treatment as the 87
billion ad.  Might be worth producing since I assume it can be made in
the editing studio.

My Friends- I like the creative concept, but I think the content is
wrong.  You could do the oil companies as his friends, etc.

Dollars - reminds me of the ad about money coming out the
wazoo....anyone remember that ad?

Bus - I wouldn't lead with abortion, I would lead with tax cuts.

Minimum Wage - I don't know if this is the right ad, but I do think we
should test a testimonial spot.

Gas Station - love it, it's also a way to get in a hit on him being old
without calling him old.

________________________________

From: Begala, Paul [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 9:10 AM
To: Lori Lodes; Tom Matzzie; Tara McGuinness; Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza;
Ari Rabin-Havt; susan; John Podesta; Stan Greenberg; Anna Greenberg;
ic2008
Subject: RE: New CDA Scripts

Quick Feedback:

TRAIN STATION - Fine, but I don't think we're ready to launch an ethics
attack on McCain.  In our strategy meeting we agreed that would come
later.  No need to produce an ad on it until we're more locked-down on
the research.

CHECK IN  - Same feedback as above.

IT'S THE NETWORK - Clever and original, but also premature.  (see above)

SHOW RESPECT - No.  It is rude, too frontal, too overt. The age issue is
more delicate than this script.

REPAST -- Not great.  The "first increase in min. wage in 30 years" is a
factual error.   I wouldn't give him credit for voting against the
congressional pay hike - better to say "When the Congressional pay raise
was delayed a year, he said..." 

OLD DOG -- No.   The pee thing is too gross (and if it's too gross for
me, that's bad,)  I don't like the dog sleeping thru a burglarly, as no
one thinks McCain is too lax on security.  Far from it, he wants to bomb
countries at random.  I do not like going at age this way.  We need to
be more artful, like Podesta's line that "it's not that he's old and set
in his ways; it's that he's old and set in Bush's ways."

HOTHEAD --I like quoting Cochran.  Anytime we can use exact quotes is
good.  Does the issue of temperament poll well?  If so, this is a good
execution...but perhaps voters want a quick-draw artist when bad guys
are coming into town, so I don't know.

ONE MAN REDUX -- Not as good as the other Bush = McCain ads. 

ARE YOU KIDDING? -- Great, but do not use 'BULLSHIT" or "BUSHIT" or any
variant thereof.  too over the top.

EYE TEST -- I like.  I think it's easy to paint McCain as clueless on
economy.  That, I think, is easire than saying he's evil.

PRIORITIES -- I like, but it is similar to the kids with the cards that
FTM did.

MY FRIENDS -- Okay if we're doing corruption.  But why does it say
Greenberg-Traurig was McCain's biggest supporters?  The press will say
it was McCain who blew the whistle on Abramoff -- and he leaked
copiously to the press to ensure he got full credit.

PARROT -- I love a flip-flopping parrot.  Like McSame, this has the
added advantage of being a recurring character, with spots on abortion,
immigration, falwell.  Could even have a guy in a parrot suit follow
McCain around.  This could be great.

DOLLARS -- Worried it's potentially weird to see dollars pouring out of
McCain's mouth.  I also prefer schools, healthcare, etc. as the cost of
war, rather than just dollars.

BUS --Love it.  Before the first u-turn, i want a shot of the bus with
the McCain logo and 'STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS,' then, after the U-turns,
the logo reads, 'DOUBLE TALK EXPRESS.'

MINIMUM WAGE -- Straight, simple, good.  Is the imagery too poor,
however, for folks to relate to?  Most families worry about making ends
meet.  Few voters, however, have actually had to put kids to bed without
heat.

GAS STATION -- great ad. 

begala

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] on behalf of Lori Lodes
Sent: Fri 2/15/2008 9:58 PM
To: Tom Matzzie; Tara McGuinness; Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza; Ari
Rabin-Havt; Begala, Paul; susan; John Podesta; Stan Greenberg; Anna
Greenberg; ic2008
Subject: New CDA Scripts

Hello all -

Attached are 18 new scripts from two of our production firms. I'm
expecting more tonight or over the weekend, which I will add in and
resend to you all. Please send me any of your comments or notes of which
ones you like.

Thank you,

Lori

--
Lori Lodes
m: 202.351.1147
[email-masked]