Obama's Infomercial- A Strategic Mistake?

I have no doubt that Obama will be terrific tomrrow. If the race was close, or if Obama was behind, his infomercial would have the potential to be a real game changer. But given his lead, the upside is minimal and the risks are large.

One of the few areas where Obama can be legitimately crticized of old-school political cynicism is his broken pledge to accept public financing for his general election campaign. His campaign realized Obama could vastly out-fundraise McCain and calculated that going back on his word to accept public financing would not be punished by the voters.

Up until now, the campaign has been dead right. Obama has used his financial advantage to drastically outspend McCain in a host of battleground states. Possibly because spending disparities are targeted to strategic states, the source of Obama's financial advantage has fallen under the radar as a national political issue. Yet, with six days until the election, the campaign will bludgeon the public with a $3 million advertisement, aired nationally, in prime time. If McCain is smart, he will use this opportunity to make Obama's refusal to accept public financing a central issue in the final days of the campaign. I almost hope he does; because 6 more days of Joe the Plumber would be unbearable.

-Law Dude