I'm loathe to post too much stuff on the primaries because I'm far from neutral and I don't always trust my "gut" as things heat up. But, as Kos has shown in two posts, here and here, the Clinton camp has crossed a line, delving in tactics that I doubt even John McCain would want his operatives to stoop to. Using footage from their debate, Clinton's people have not just darkened Obama's face but have "broadened" his features. I work in media production and I know (a) how easy it is to do this stuff and (b) that it doesn't "just happen." Forget that the content of the ad itself was distorted - that's to be expected in rough-and-tumble politics. The manipulation of Obama's picture - with a clear exaggeration of his "blackness" is out of bounds and, without casting any aspersions on folks with darker complexions and broader features than Barack, utterly cynical.
Today the Clinton campaign has charged Obama with engaging in "Karl Rove" tactics because he's asked for her recent tax returns to be disclosed. Frankly, I don't doubt for a minute that Karl Rove would do something on the order of this image manipulation to any opponent, but I have a feeling he'd not want his fingerprints on it. I welcome tough tactics on the part of both candidates for the Democratic nomination because they'll have to face worse in the fall. Obama, in particular, needs to show that he can deal with this stuff - not necessarily by stooping as low, but with a sharp and effective response that neutralizes it. But it's sickening to see a "fellow Democrat" do stuff that's so demeaning and such stark evidence of a "win at any cost" attitude in our own primaries. Combined with comments like Hillary's "I've got a lifetime of experience - John McCain's got a lifetime of experience - Obama gave a speech in 2002", she seems willing to do whatever damage she deems necessary to her opponent and the party, with her personal ambition becoming the central rationale. Hillary lost me with her war vote, but I've never "hated" her. At this point though, I have absolutely no respect left. She may be a "fighter" but so is Karl Rove. I'll vote for her as a "lesser evil" in November should she become the candidate, but rarely has that term been more descriptive of my feelings.
Update and "correction" - The Clinton campaign actually accused Obama of using "Ken Starr tactics", as he was asking that she release her tax returns (something she made a big issue against Rick Lazio in her Senate campaign.) Ken Starr - Karl Rove - distinction without a difference. FURTHER UPDATE: "Bystander" has provided some useful links that raise questions about the degree to which this Obama image was manipulated. Check them out in the comments, along with my reply. Short version is that there's reasonable evidence that the "widening" was an artifact of a shift in "pixel aspect ratio" when the ad was uploaded to Youtube, but it's impossible to believe that the "darkening" effect wasn't deliberate.
This story has gotten no traction in the MSM, for some reason. Olbermann talked about the NAFTA thing, but not this, today.
Posted by: Kevin | March 07, 2008 at 01:08 AM
God help us. Reg, you need to check out this Kevin Drum post on the subject. I'd also encourage you to consider the comments, some of which are made by professional video editors and artists; here and here.
Posted by: bystander | March 07, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Pixel aspect ratio is something I hadn't considered in terms of the "widening" question and it could be an artifact of the transfer to the Youtube version. As for the "darkening" by desaturation, it's not an "artifact" or accident. It might be in the bounds of what some consider "acceptable" manipulation of an opponents image for use in an attack ad. I don't. They aren't under obligation to use a smiling picture of Obama, but deliberately making him look more "black" - which is what you achieve by desaturation - is creepy and "Rovian" IMHO.
Posted by: Reg | March 07, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Obama should pull out that old Democratic ad of showing George Bush's purported friends dragging a black man to his death behind their truck--but, substitute Hillary Clinton as the driver.
Posted by: Woody | March 07, 2008 at 05:12 PM
More proof of Clinton manipulating Obama's picture: Here
Posted by: Woody | March 10, 2008 at 10:19 AM