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Conservative PAC Starts Running New Anti-Obama Ad On BET

A conservative political action committee is running a new ad decrying the first term of President Barack Obama in one of the most unlikely places.

The 30-second black and white ad, which features two young African-Americans criticizing the president, is sponsored by Pivot Point and can be seen on Black Entertainment Television (BET) in both Seattle and Cleveland.

The piece cites Obama’s 2008 election as “thrilling” and “historic” before switching its focus to what they consider to be the President’s lack of support for the black community.

“What has he done as president?” asks the female member of the pair in the ad.

“Cut aid to black colleges,” says the male. “Cut aid to black businesses.”

“And his support of gay marriage is a slap in the face to people of faith.”

Pivot Point needed less than $15,000 to air the ad in the metropolitan Seattle and Cleveland areas. In both markets, it’s playing on BET for next to nothing.

The ad could prove harmful to the president’s re-election chances in the key swing state of Ohio, where the outcome is expected to be close on Nov. 6.

Dave Shemwell, who runs the PAC in his spare time, said the ad aims to make the most of the conservative nature within the African-American community on social issues such as crime, religion and education.

“I’ve been working with a fellow named Wayne Perryman, a local black evangelical pastor in Washington state who’s been active in gang outreach and various religious outreach programs,” said Shemwell said, who is white.

“Since he’s also a Romney supporter, I said I wanted to reach out into communities that are not Republican. I started talking about jobs, and all the things that people have in common, and he said: ‘You’re not going to reach anyone that way.’ ”

So they cut a more personal ad, thinking of what might appeal to black voters who think that “despite being the first African-American president, Barack Obama hasn’t done anything to help the African-American community.”

One of the focus groups on Fox News had a black guy who said: “Nobody is even talking to us. And that’s the problem. There are people who are exactly like us in their conservative stances, but who we can’t get to vote our way.”

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