Adwatch: Obama highlights newspaper endorsements in ad
By The Associated Press Sat Apr 19, 6:32 PM ET
 

TITLE: "Reason"

LENGTH: 30 seconds.

AIRING: Pennsylvania.

SCRIPT: Announcer: "There's a reason every major newspaper's endorsed Barack Obama. He knows how to bring people together, he's ready — says the Inquirer. The Post Gazette calls Hillary Clinton's attacks the 'cynical responses of old politics.' She'd 'further the deep divisiveness' in our country. The Patriot-News says 'Barack Obama offers real change in the White House.' 'He isn't tied to lobbyists and special interests' (and) 'He'll 'listen to and represent all Americans,' says the Morning Call."

Obama: "I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message."

KEY IMAGES: The mastheads of seven newspapers in Pennsylvania.

ANALYSIS: In the final days before the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, Obama is highlighting his endorsements from newspapers across the state in hopes of closing, perhaps completely, a polling gap with Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. She leads in polls, but her once-solid margin has narrowed considerably. By using a newspaper's criticism of Clinton, Obama seeks to put some distance between himself and the criticism that she represents cynicism and old politics, and that she is politically divisive. It's a third-party validation of characterizations Obama probably wouldn't dispute. At the same time, Obama essentially is telling voters not just to take his word for it that he's the best candidate but rather take the word of their local news sources.

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Analysis by Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti.