It all began with Republican Mike Huckabee, who kicked off the holiday season with a television ad that had secularists seething and rival campaigns applauding his shrewdness. The soundtrack: "Silent Night." The visual: Huckabee sitting next to a Christmas tree, wearing a red sweater, and reminding voters that despite all the campaign hubbub, "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ." The coup de grâce (or, perhaps, the coup de Christ): As Huckabee speaks and the camera glides slowly to the right, the dividers of a bright white shelving unit behind him form an unmistakable cross that seems to float from near the Christmas tree right into Huckabee's head.
Message: He gets it. He's willing to put the Christ back in Christmasâ even if it means visually impaling his skull on a cross.
Who can beat that? Well, no one has. And yet almost every candidate has tried, offering an array of visual Christmas cards that tell us a lot about what messages, subliminal and literal, they're trying to send to voters with less than two weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses.
So come sit near the crackling fire (because, almost without fail, these commercials showcase a crackling fire), and let's look at a few, shall we?
Barack Obama:
The setup is classic, with a well-decorated tree on the left of the frame, the Obama family in the middle (all wearing nice white tops), and behind them... a crackling fire. Barack, wife Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha crowd together, arms wrapped around each other, as Barack speaks to the camera about how "the things that unite us as a people are more powerful and enduring than the things that set us apart." Then the cute daughters say, in turn: "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays." Message: He's a uniter, not a divider, but he's also down with Christmas. Subliminal message: If you're racist and the thought of this black family living in the White House freaks you out, just focus on their white shirts and breathe slowly.
Hillary Clinton:
Opens with "Carol of the Bells" playing in the background as scissors slice through fancy wrapping paper, ribbon unfurls, and a gentle hand slides labels onto the gifts: "Universal Health Care," "Alternative Energy," "Bring Troops Home," "Middle Class Tax Breaks." Then there's Hillary, looking very Martha Stewart, seated on a cozy couch surrounded by her gifts to the American people. She's laughing at herself because she's misplaced one last label, which she quickly finds: "Universal Pre-K." She slides it onto a gold-wrapped box: "There it is!" All is well. Bells chime. Message: Hillary knows what you really want from a politicianâresultsâand she's got them right here in a gold box for you if you'll just vote for her. Subliminal message: She's warm, she can laugh, she's... human.
John Edwards:
No fireplace. Tree looks a little cheap. Expression is grim. Opening line: "One out of every four homeless people on our streets is a veteran..." What? John Edwards! Are you really going to tell us that Christmas is about compassion and not presents, about the 37 million Americans who live in poverty and not about Santa Claus, about standing up for the disadvantaged and not about being greedy capitalists? Yes, you are, and... good for you? Closing line: "In America, the chance to build a better life is a promise made to each of us, and the obligation to keep it rests with us all." Message: I am the man of the people and I will fight for you. Subliminal message: I am the man of the people and I will fight for you.
Rudy Giuliani:
He has two holiday commercials out, but let's skip straight to the one that talks about fruitcake, for obvious reasons. First thing one learns from this commercial: Even a red Christmas sweater is unable to make Giuliani seem either warm or fuzzy. He's stiff, the sweater's too big, and it all ends up looking like he's wearing a bulletproof vest underneath. Second thing one learns: Giuliani doesn't have time for your whining or your wish lists. "I'll be working to get everyone the same gift: a safe America, lower taxes, secure borders... and probably a fruitcake or something." An offstage voice challenges him on that last one. He replies: "What? It'll be a really nice fruitcake, with a big red bow on it, or something like that." Message: Do not question. Just vote for me. Subliminal message: Fruitcake. 
