Obama Airs 30-Minute Spot

Eager to cement his case for the presidency in voters' minds before the campaign's frenetic final weekend, Sen. Barack Obama blitzed the television airwaves and deployed one of the Democratic Party's biggest names to deliver his message of change. Obama's campaign spent more than $3 million to air a 30-minute infomercial on seven networks simultaneously. In part, the show was designed to prove Obama understands voters, that he can connect with the problems of workers and retirees. But it was also designed to help voters understand him, to become comfortable with the idea of him as president. Reassurance was not just the point of the biographical tidbits and the recorded testimonials; it was the point of the entire broadcast. Reviews of his infomercial say the candidate managed to pull off a strong half-hour of political messaging. The campaign also unleashed its first advertisement critical of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The day was capped with a taped interview on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."