This is the best explanation I've seen for this ad.  If you know any of the people at whom this ad is directed, you know the ad sounds a lot less far-fetched in Kempsville or Chesapeake than it sounds in Northern Virginia.

it reminds me of the time Leslie Stahl did a piece very critical of Reagan and Mike Deaver called up to thank her.  She said she had just savaged him, but Deaver pointed out no one would pay attention to her words, the pictures had shown Reagan against a backdrop of American flags waving in the breeze.

Despite the deliberate taking out of context of quotes and trying to use bad focus, they should Obama in the context of being a powerful presence, confident.  The Heston image does not really connect with anyone much under the age of 50, and since NO COMPARISON is offered with McCain, the answer to the question might be,  "well, maybe" which absolutely undercuts what the ad is intended to do.

Just my thoughts.

My first thought when I saw it was it was enough to make me embrace atheism.  And that's really saying something.