Subliminal Santorum Ad Flashes Obama’s Face When Talking About ‘Sworn American Enemy’

A paranoid Rick Santorum campaign ad, “Obamaville,” briefly replaces a picture of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad with President Barack Obama’s face, as the narrator talks about a “sworn American enemy”:

VOICEOVER: Every day, the residents of this town must come to grips with reality that a rogue nation and sworn American enemy has become a nuclear threat.

Watch a ThinkProgress analysis of the “sworn American enemy” appearance of Obama in the “Obamaville” ad:

After this subliminal editing was noted by Politico, the Santorum campaign professed confusion about Obama’s appearance.

“Obviously I’m not trying to say anything about Obama and Ahmadinejad,” Rick Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said.

“The intent was to show that there will be a constant threat back and forth between the United States if they have nuclear capability,” John Brabender, the media consultant who made the video, claimed.

“Despite their sanctimonious protestations to the contrary,” liberal blogger Digby comments, “that quick cut in the ad that juxtaposes Ahmadinejad and Obama is a very creepy, underhanded trick.” She continued:

“The Republicans love to do this. (Recall the famous RATS ad.) But this one is especially low because it’s obviously aimed at the none-too-bright right wingers who believe that Obama is a Muslim usurper — which is just another racist dog-whistle with a little xenophobia and religious intolerance thrown in for good measure.”