Script

Mom LOUISE, late 30s, and daughter EMMA, pre-teen, sit a kitchen table. Offscreen, a TV is playing MCCAIN's "Celebrity" ad. We hear the announcer intone "The biggest celebrity in the world."

Dad HARRY, late 30s, enters from left, holding three plates of spaghetti. As he puts the plates down and takes his seat, LOUISE picks up the remote and turns off the TV.

HARRY
What was that?

LOUISE
Another McCain attack ad.

HARRY
Why is John McCain attacking Britney Spears?

LOUISE
I know! I want to hear about the issues -- health care ...

HARRY
Gas prices ...

LOUISE
From McCain, and from Barack Obama. I don't want to hear about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton!

EMMA
Well you know, Mom, I happen to have Barack Obama right here. Maybe he can answer your questions.

HARRY and LOUISE look at her like she's gone nuts. BARACK OBAMA enters from right. He smiles and greets HARRY and LOUISE warmly, shaking their hands.

BARACK OBAMA
(Indicates the free chair) May I? (Pulls chair out and sits) So Louise, you're worried about health care?

LOUISE
(Overcoming her surprise)
Uh... Well, yeah. My brother lost his job last year, and now his family has no insurance. What are you going to do to help them, and to keep the same thing from happening to us if we lose our jobs?

BARACK OBAMA
I've heard stories just like that from so many people, all over the country. You know over forty million Americans are without health insurance. That's why under my health care plan, every family will be able to get the same insurance that I get as a Senator, at a really good rate -- and if you can't afford it, we'll help you with a subsidy.

HARRY
What about gas prices? Four bucks a gallon, it's killing me --

BARACK OBAMA
This is a real tough one. There's only so much we can do in the short term. Longer term, my energy plan uses conservation and alternative energy to bring prices down and help the environment. But I understand that millions of Americans are hurting now, and we can't wait ten years for fuel-cell cars or offshore drilling to solve our problems. That's why I'm proposing a $1000 tax rebate for every family right now, to offset higher gas and heating prices.

HARRY
Wow, a thousand bucks, that could go a long way.

BARACK OBAMA
That's the idea. Helping folks like you is why I'm running for President, and it's why I approve this message.

HARRY
What message? (To LOUISE) Who's he talking to?

LOUISE, EMMA and BARACK OBAMA laugh. FADE OUT to BLUE SCREEN showing http://www.barackobama.com/ as they continue to laugh and banter.