Obama gets back to black voters with his 'We've got your back' radio ad

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/12/obama-back-to-black-voters-radio-ad

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Who

No matter what he has or has not done in office, President Barack Obama's place in history was assured at his inauguration simply for being America's first black president. But in more than three years of governing, Obama has rarely ventured into the topic of his race. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is, to put it mildly, a very complicated matter that will supply a generation of political scientists with rich material for research. But we do know that on the rare occasions where race has reared its head – such as the Henry Louis Gates arrest, the Trayvon Martin case or the "birther" conspiracy movement – it has rarely been much fun for anyone involved.

Yet here is a radio advert that is that rarest of beasts: an Obama campaign ad specifically targeting black Americans.

What

Called "We've got your back", it is a 60-second radio spot – the first ad of the 2012 season to specifically target black voters. One does not imagine the Romney campaign will follow suit (though I wish it would).

When

It begins Tuesday 12 June.

Where

It is being placed nationally to run on radio stations with a predominately black audience. Unlike most ads, which are targeted geographically, this ad is aimed demographically. That means in some swing states with a large African-American population, such as Virginia or North Carolina, it could serve as a boost to win a battleground. But in other states, it will serve as a morale-booster for core supporters: helping fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts.

That is vital in the sheer numbers game. After all, Obama got a 96% level of black support in 2008. Those figures have slipped slightly, to 88% in one recent poll. This is still a huge lead, but that study also showed that such a fall would have been enough to cost Obama both North Carolina and Virginia last time around.

How

Listening to this ad, it is remarkable to think how segregated US politics can be. Obviously, this would hold true for Hispanic-friendly ads too, but those are often the same as other campaign ads, just dubbed into Spanish. Here, we have an ad aimed solely at a black American audience, containing language, style and messaging that would never feature in any other campaign ad.

First, take that title: "We've got your back." You might think that would refer to the Obama campaign seeking to reassure black supporters that it has worked to help them. But, no: the campaign clearly sees black support as being so loyal that, instead, it is urging black voters to have the <em>president</em>'s back. Obama could not try that tack with any other group of voters. Safe to say, this ad is not airing on any conservative radio station (well, maybe Rush Limbaugh would do it, but not for good reasons).

The ad is also a good deal more funky than might be expected to be heard elsewhere, with a rhythm-and-blues backing singers chorusing: "We've got your back!" It is hard to think of equivalent cases where the music is so specifically targeted. (Conceivably, Mitt Romney might release an ad aimed at white working-class voters with Kid Rock's "Born Free", but the demographic targeting would not be so blatant.)

The ad puts together a "best of" compilation of Obama rally clips – "We can't afford to spend the next four years going backwards" – with statements promoting education, slamming tax cuts for the wealthy and hailing health insurance for the poor and elderly. The R&B singers reprise their chorus: "Mr President, we've got your back!" The voiceover urges listeners to register to vote. Final chorus: "You know we've got your back!"

The ad is clearly aimed at reminding black Americans of the euphoria and delight with which they greeted Obama's 2008 victory. It is nostalgic and upbeat – an exercise in shoring up the most loyal part of the Obama base.

Cynics might argue that if the Obama campaign has to spend valuable dollars rallying its African-American support, how much does it need to spend elsewhere? Defenders would say that's nonsense: at 88%, the black vote is still solid; it's not likely many will be swapping to Romney's side any time soon.

In the meantime, it is hard to get that R&B chorus of "We've got your back" out of your head once you've heard it. Perhaps that's the real point.