Waging the image campaign overseas

Tag : and golf cart

He even found time to sink a three-point basketball shot beforecheering U.S. soldiers.
John McCain?
His most memorable picture of the week was riding a golf cart withformer President George Bush at Bush's Kennebunkport vacation homein Maine.
If the image campaign means anything, it's been a tough week forthe Republican presidential candidate.
"It's not even a close call," said Larry Sabato, director of theUniversity of Virginia Center for Politics. "This week at least, itlooks like incumbent President Obama running against challenger BobDole. That's exactly what it looks like, the future versus thepast."
CNN cut away Wednesday from live coverage of McCain's town meetingin Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to cover Obama's news conference in Israel(although it later showed McCain highlights). MSNBC and Fox NewsChannel briefly showed pictures of McCain's meeting but didn't stayto hear what he had to say, and covered Obama in full.
The TV executives made that decision even though Obama's trip hasraised the issue of whether the news media is giving adisproportionate amount of attention to the Democrat. McCain'scampaign on Tuesday released a video mocking a media love-in withObama.
Obama has traveled like a president, ferrying aides and reportersto the Middle East in a white 757 charter plane that displays themotto "Change We Can Believe In." He brought along a large group ofaides, including campaign strategist David Axelrod.
The overseas trip was designed to hold meetings with people "who Iexpect to be dealing with over the next eight to 10 years," saidObama.
Every stop seemed designed with symbolism in mind. He lit amemorial flame at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial andstopped at a house under reconstruction after it was hit by Hamasrockets. He met with both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert andPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and heard Israeli PresidentShimon Peres say "God bless you."
"If it continues to go well, Obama has passed a certainpresidential threshold," Sabato said. "It's just been perfect. He'seven been in Oval Office-like chairs. It has helped him. I thinkthat image will linger."
This week it's simply impossible for McCain to compete, he said.
But Sabato noted the calendar — it's still July. There aremany more campaign images to come. CBS News' Jeff Greenfield saidhe "has a certain skepticism about whether these pictures in Julyare going to mean much in November."
Obama's confident basketball shot — the only real image thatcouldn't be planned ahead — may be nice, but will it beforgotten as quickly as his sorry attempts at bowling?
A week like this is probably most important in the eyes of eachcampaign's supporters, particularly for McCain, Greenfield said.
"It can encourage grumbling, it can encourage backbiting and itcould have an effect on fundraising," he said.