The ad

Trustworthy. Honest. Practical. Emotional. Empathetic. Hopeful. Understanding. Safe. Thoughtful. Knowledgeable.

Presidential.

Early media feedback on Barack Obama's 30-minute commercial American Stories, American Solutions:

A Chronicle of Despair, A Promise of Change - The Nation:

But, except for the theater of the live finish from Florida, this was not Obama the inspirational orator.

Rather, the Obama who came into the homes of tens of millions of Americans less than a week before election day was a calm, reassuring, dare-we-say presidential figure speaking from a room that looked vaguely like the Oval Office.

He was self-deprecating -- "I will not be a perfect president."

He was self-referencing -- "I know what its like to see a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken health care system."

But he was, most of all, a candidate who wanted the people who are about to decide his political fate to know that he understands that there is really just one issue in the waning days of the 2008 campaign: an economy that is now officially in crisis but that long ago stopped working for millions of working Americans.

Quick Take: Obama looks polished, presidential in 30-minute ad - Dallas News:

In his most polished performance yet, Barack Obama looked presidential, like a man who loves his family and country...

...Mr. Obama flawlessly used his 30 minutes. If he wins over only a handful of voters, it was millions of dollars well spent.

The Ad Campaign: An Obama Infomercial, Big, Glossy and Almost Unavoidable - New York Times:

But at other times, the infomercial appeared to serve perhaps a safer, workmanlike purpose. With no attacks on Mr. McCain or his running mate, it was largely in keeping with Mr. Obama's strategic imperative this year: Make voters comfortable with the idea of him in the Oval Office while at the same time presenting him as a candidate who can connect with everyday, middle-class voters struggling through the toughest economic times in generations.

Report Card: Did Obama's Primetime Pitch Make the Grade? - ABC News:

ABC News' Chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos said the infomercial, which cost more than $3 million, was worth "just about every penny."

ObamaVision: An Appeal to the Masses - Washington Post:

As political filmmaking, "Barack Obama: American Stories" was an elegant combination of pictures, sounds, voices and music designed not so much to sell America on Barack Obama as to communicate a sensibility. The film conveyed feelings, not facts -- specifically, a simulation of how it would feel to live in an America with Barack Obama in the White House. The tone and texture recalled the "morning in America" campaign film made on behalf of Ronald Reagan, a work designed to give the audience a sense of security and satisfaction; things are going to be all right...

...Although McCain was not seen during the half-hour, one could easily summon the contrasting image of the Republican while watching Obama. McCain has come across on television as relatively worried, whiny, fusty and falsely folksy. He brought bad news; he has come to epitomize and personify it. Obama brings you medication along with the list of symptoms; he has developed a great bedside, as well as fireside, manner.

It was the easiest thing in the world, watching the skillfully edited hodgepodge put together by his campaign, to picture Obama as president. That's one thing the film was designed to do, especially for the doubters and those scared, "undecided" voters out there.

"The Ad" - Report from a Philly Bar - Daily Kos:

When it was done, people applauded. Yes. Applauded a political ad.

Will Barack Obama's 30-minute infomercial influence your vote? - MSNBC Newsvine:

I looked through the first few pages of this poll a few hours after the ad aired. 43% of people said the ad would influence their vote, 53% said it would not. Of those who said it would not, the vast majority said that they had already made up their minds to vote - and many had already voted - for Obama. Of those who said it would influence their vote, the vast majority said it made them feel really good about the choice they had made - of Obama.

I counted only 13 anti-Obama comments out of the the 300 comments I reviewed. Not bad!

Technorati tags: American Stories American Solutions, Barack Obama, Barack, Obama, infomercial, commercial, 30 minute ad, Presidential, Presidential election, US election, video, YouTube, WebWeaver's World, webweaver.