McCain’s “Obama forgot Latin America” (Web release): tries to appeal to a typically Democratic Latin American community. Racial tensions remain high between blacks and Latin Americans in the US, as many blacks accuse the immigrant populations of taking their jobs.

•July 30: Obama’s “Low Road” accuses McCain of low-brow tactics and lies, such as the claim that Obama refused to visit soldiers because there wouldn't be a photo-op.

McCain’s “Celeb” compares Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, uses his celebrity status against him.

To watch presidential campaign ads— in an organised forum —- from both candidates online, visit Stanford University’s Political Communication Lab website: .

Obama's team also established a website in late July called LowRoadExpress.com; it is dedicated to detecting and recording “low blows”. The whole Low-Road Express theme seems to have come from a New York Times editorial on July 30 of the same name, which itself was a play on the name of McCain’s tour bus, “The Straight Talk Express”.

Obama likes to focus on two things: McCain’s negativity and, indirectly, his agedness and homogeneity. For example, in his “Low Road” and “Low-Road Express” rebuttals, Obama ends his tirade against McCain with “John McCain. Same old politics. Same failed policies [italics added].” Low blows themselves which call to mind McCain’s age and his sameness— or ‘whiteness’, as is popularly expressed.

McCain likes to focus on Obama's outrageous positivity (shall we say) and, less discreetly than Obama, on his age. McCain paints Obama as inexperienced, and this theme works with the rockstar-saviour-idealist image he's been developing more recently.

... contd.