THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS: ELECTION CONTEST!

Obama's ads aren't good enough. If they can get Ken Burns and Spielberg to make videos for the convention, can't they get a 30 second spot? What are they afraid of? Republican filmmakers fighting back? I thought Spike won the war-of-words over Clint (we'll see if he can back it up with Miracle at St. Anna, which comes out the same day as McCain/Obama debate number 1), so let's roll!

If the Obama campaign doesn't want to get too negative, that's fine, I'll do its job... Or should I say, WE'LL do its job. Today marks the beginning of a contest! All filmmakers or aspiring filmmakers out there, it is your challenge to create a 30 second Pro-Obama ad, tackling one of the following softball topics:

1. McCain as the Original Maverick. If you're referring to yourself as "original," it means you have self-doubts. Look at The Original Ray's Pizza in NYC or the Original Pat's King of Steaks in Atlantic City. Neither are the first! The original Maverick is James Garner. So here's the task: Question this "original maverick" myth. You can call upon James Garner or the starting lineup of the first Dallas Mavericks team in 1980. Or you can also do a compare and contrast with how McCain's 2008 views are much further right than his 2000 views. Would an original maverick who hates George Bush hug him so convincingly? Don't think so. Feel free to mention how Sarah Palin wasn't a MAVERICK move but a PANDERING move to the RIGHT.

2. POW. Get some psychologists to offer their views about how 5+ years of torture can affect someone's decision making abilities, especially in situations that involve war and torture. Actually you can approach this one any way you want. It just must involve being a POW and how it scars you! Feel free to mention that surviving the POW thing would make you great at giving inspirational talks to schools. I'm not trying to make a negative out of his bravery.

3. Play up McCain's Daddy Yankee endorsement. Mix Gasolina with McCain.

4. Somehow tie the fact that he left his crippled ex-wife to how he'll treat Sarah Palin's baby Trig and then use both to question his capacity.

If you have any other ideas for ads, that's fine, provided you e-mail me the idea and I sign off.

I'm expecting zero submissions, so even one will make my century.