No celebrity reference. No charge that Barack Obama isn’t ready to lead, no inclusion of criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton. No more of the attacks the McCain camp has been bombarding the Democratic convention with all week.
In "Convention Night," released just hours before Obama takes the stage at Invesco Field to accept his party's nomination, John McCain gives kudos to his opponent. "Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America," McCain says, facing the camera. "Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say: Congratulations."
The Arizona senator goes on to acknowledge the significance of Obama speaking on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. "How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day," McCain says to his opponent. "Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, Senator, job well done."
The 30-second spot keeps things simple. McCain faces the camera in front of a nondescript background, and no text rolls across the screen. Brian Rogers, spokesman for the campaign, called the ad "unprecedented" in an e-mail sent earlier today alerting reporters. It will air in battleground states as well as national cable tonight as Obama speaks to nearly 80,000 supporters in Denver.