As the anniversary of Osama Bin Laden’s downfall was celebrated yesterday, a mild controversy has begun over President Obama’s newest presidential ad that highlights the President’s decision to implement the attack that lead to Bid Laden’s death. Individuals have said that this event shouldn’t be one to polarize the American people, but in the often times messy business of politics is this ad really crossing the line? The Obama TV ad calls into question Romney’s ability to make the same tough choices if he became President this tactic of the hypothetical is not new and has been used by Republicans and Democrats alike, additionally highlighting an achievement of a political term especially one that was popular with the American people is expected during presidential campaigns so is the outrage justified?
President Obama’s approval ratings were at their highest point after the killing of Bin Laden, and making the most of a presidential achievement that was favorable on both sides of the aisle is a smart political move. This ad is a direct response Hilary Clinton’s 2008 viral “3am video” which questioned whether Obama had the experience to answer and make the right decisions when the tough call came, this video was later used by the McCain campaign to instil doubt about Obama’s experience. Obama’s “one chance” video shows he has made the tough call when the fateful phone call came and has even spun it to question Mitt Romney’s ability to make those same kind of decisions. This tactic in itself is not out of line but rather a normal part of presidential elections. Name calling and negative political ads have been running throughout the 2012 Republican primaries, and they aren’t going to stop til the ballots are cast in November. The latest presidential polls show Obama vs. Romney in a dead heat, playing up individual successes and casting doubt upon your opponent is part of the political game.
