Christmas and Politics

I was putting something together on the annual liberal/progressive "War on Christmas" which usually kicks into high gear right about now and I came across this holiday message from the Obama family which was televised in the early primary states back in 2007 and not (to the best of my knowledge) televised here in New York. I found the holiday ad to be pleasantly refreshing insofar as it contained no politics and no campaign rhetoric; just a simple message stated by the family's daughters - "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays." I have previously stated in my November 8, 2008 blog, "The President Elect", that Senator Obama had run a great campaign and this holiday message is just one example of what I was talking about. This particular type of ad is referred to as a "comfort" shot by media and p.r. staff and was, in this instance, exceptionally executed. Keep in mind that back in 2007 during the early primaries there was a lot of discussion about the possibility that Obama was a Muslim. Suddenly, there he is with his family in front of a fire place with a beautifully lit Christmas tree in the background, wishing all of us a "Merry Christmas." This 30 second spot was a jewel and and played very well out west in the early primaries and did much to counter the rumors surrounding the Senator's faith. I guess even Christmas can prove useful to a politician.