The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.
Dean in 30 seconds
: The right is running an anti-Dean commercial in Iowa that’s every bit as subtle as MoveOn’s anti-Bush commercials. Equal time.
In the new Club for Growth ad, a farmer says, “Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading …,” as his wife finishes, “… Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it belongs!”
[via Kathy Kinsley]
Jeff,
Certainly this ad is distasteful, but let’s not forget that MoveOn’s ad conveyed the message: Bush = Hitler.
The 2 ads are not even in the same league of offensiveness.
I’d have to agree, J-Mo.
This transcript is all I’ve read, but it seems like the sushi-eating part might be the only part that isn’t true. I don’t know, does Howard drive a Volvo?
;)
Taking the wage caps off of SS, now that’s scary.
My husband’s a small business owner.It won’t be pretty.
Well, to be snarky, do the Deans own a Volvo? Does he read the NYT? Does he believe in hiking taxes (yes), expand the government?
Is it the form of the commercial? And it’s not like they superimposed Stalin in the background, did they?
Just goes to show how far creativity has fallen.
I saw that ad last nite on hannity & sub. It was kinda cute, the mom and pop had real nice dispostions, the setting was benign. The name calling included those things that those leftist ‘elitists’ seem to favor.
A rep from Club for Growth and a Dem Consultant of some sort were there to respond. Hannity pressed the DemCon to respond to his question of supporting reinstituting the taxes Bush cut to which the DemCon finally concurred that -no- he did not support raising taxes.
I believe this is over til ’08. That’s going to be a vicious one.
Hmm. OK, Sandy, how ’bout if some Democratic group countered with, “George Bush should take his lying, economically inept, overspending, war-starting, heavy-boozing, draft-dodging, AWOL-going, rich-friend-rewarding, poor-people-screwing, taxpayer-defrauding, stockholder-cheating, undercover-operative-outing, intelligence-fabricating, right-wing-nut-case-appointing, Constitution-shredding freak show back to Texas where it belongs!” Would that be OK?
I’m just askin’. And for the record, I’m a long-time Republican.
Because liking lattes (or straight bourbon), Volvos (or SUVs), sushi (or prairie oysters), The New York Times (or the Austin American-Statesman) does not make anyone a freak in this country. And for a candidate for president, or his minions, to suggest otherwise is just beyond surreal.
Suggesting that “barbecue” = dead cow over mesquite, however, IS surreal. “barbecue” = dead pig over hickory. Every school child knows that. :-)
The Dean commercial is pretty stupid mostly because when your opposition is imploding the best thing to do is slowly back away, not poke at it.
However, as dumb as this commerical is, it does not compare to the sickness of the lefty meme that Bush = Hitler. Utterly vile.
Well Lex, speaking for myself I don’t really see a problem with your suggestion. Both adds would be catering to the stereotypes that each opposing camp uses to describe it’s opponent. As far as political ads go a few days ago either one would have been pushing the envelope but now? Not so much.
What has happened in the mean time? Oh, the MoveOn.org incedent with the Bush=Hitler adds. That and the great pall of silence from the leadership of the Democratic party. The non-apology from MoveOn.org founder Wes Boyd that any ten year old could appreciate – actually it put me in mind of when I was ten and tried to blame a broken window on my brother because he’d dodged out of the way of the dirt clod I thrown at him. It’s all symptomatic of the madness that currently grips the Democratic party – BDS.
There is precious little of comparable equivalence between this ad and the Hitler=Bush ad, and attempting to divine any equivalence between the two is a fool’s errand. Had the Club for Growth ad compared Dean to Mussolini or Mao or Stalin, then there’d be a valid argument. But to rail against this ad because it dared to *gasp* evoke the common stereo types most people associate with our liberal friends on the left and east coasts? That dog just won’t hunt.
BTW, everyone knows that pig is roasted, BBQ is brisket over mesquite – nothing more and nothing less.
I think the labelling is funny and likely self-defeating… but, of course, I’m speaking as two-Volvo-owning, gulash-gulping, Yuengling-swilling, blog-reading Buckeye turned Tarheel.
I agree with those who say the “Bush=Hitler” is *much* more offensive and corrupting to public discourse. Having said that, I hate this ad and I wish whoever is responsible for it would quit, right away. It will not help our country to have the coming campaign degenerate into who can sneer the most at the other side. We have the gravest questions of national security at stake and we need to act, talk & advertise like it.
The Volvo stereotype is so 90’s. Those people all drive Subaru Outbacks now — the SUV for people who hate SUV’s.
That said, this ad is stupid and pointless, and only benefits Dean’s fundraising. Still, it’s not remotely on the same level as casual comparisons to Hitler, and it’s not like the Club For Growth is a media darling like MoveOn.
I think we need to borrow the add and run it in New York. :-)
The stereotyping in this add is not just the characteristics of liberals, it is the inference that no one in Iowa would be any of these things…I mean they are just a bunch of farmers who care about corn or something.
I think this add will backfire badly…I think people in Iowa probably like lattes too or at least will resent the implication that they are not as sophisticated as Democrats in the north eastern states.
One other difference…this add is actually running on TV not posted on a web site.
mmmm – goulash and yuengling
When the bumper stickers that read “I’m a latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading American and I vote” come out, I’m buying a dozen.
As a rather unhappy Democrat, the ad doesn’t surprise me. It plays to Dean’s image as someone who thinks American culture revolves around Cambridge and Marin County.
If he’s nominated, I expect the bigget Democratic debacle since McGovern. There’ll be standing room only at the “Democrats For Bush” rallies.
Prof.,
Dean/Clark vs. Bush/Cheney,
http://www.haloscan.com/comments.php?user=polipundit&comment=107349274541202521#36620
AKB
The “lefty meme” was just one boneheads submission to a contest, and doesn’t represent ANYTHING but thst.
Exactly. This whole ‘Moveon’s ad compared Bush to Hitler’ is utterly dishonest. Moveon didn’t make the ad, didn’t promote it, and its membership rejected the ad before Moveon pulled it from its web site. Shame on all of you for continuing the lie, and shame on you for descending to moral equivalency attack politics.
Lex’s re-write of the ad as an anti-Bush ad is much more vicious than the original. The original ad did not accuse Dean of anything immoral (lying, cheating, defrauding.) It merely mixed some policy positions with some pointers to cultural differences.
I mean, seriously, what is the big deal about this ad?
The accusation that Dean/the Dean campaign:
1. Wants to raise taxes?
2. Wants to expand government?
3. Drinks latte?
4. Eats sushi?
5. Drives a Volvo?
6. Reads the New York Times?
7. Loves Hollywood?
8. Is left-wing?
9. Is a freak show?
10. Should go to Vermont?
11. Belongs in Vermont?
OK, I can see how #9 might be considered a little offensive, but in the annals of political rhetoric, that’s got to rank as a pretty mild insult.
A re-write using the same tone against Bush would be something like this:
“George Bush should take his war-starting, deficit-expanding, iced-tea-drinking, barbeque-eating, pickup-driving, Fox-News-watching …,” as his wife finishes, “… NASCAR-loving, right-wing freak show back to Texas, where it belongs.”
And if MoveOn were running ads like that, who would care?
Yeah, I’m sure MoveOn.org’s got no connection at all to the Bush=Hitler claim, what with its recent benefactor George Soros saying that George Bush reminded him of the Germans in World War Two and Janeane Garofalo calling the Bush administration the 43rd Reich.
Come ON.
The CfG ad would be more effective if they dropped the ‘g’s:
tax-hiking, government-expandin’, latte-drinkin’,
sushi-eatin’, Volvo-drivin’, New York Times-readin’ … Hollywood-lovin’…”
…and so on.
–f_a
I’m surprised, Jeff. You’re usually quite level-headed. There is no comparison between the two ads. None whatsoever. I’m astonished you attempt to draw one.
Eric Stone’s comparison is exactly right – that would be an equivalent anti-Bush ad, NOT the obscene Bush=Hitler crap. Nevertheless, it’s a dumb, offensive ad. The worst bit is “freak-show” – that in particular gets my dander up – but ads like these merely destroy the tone. I wish I could say they’re counterproductive as well, but history has shown that negative campaign ads WORK. Which is why they continue on and on.
And MattS, one of the Bush=Hitler had indeed made it to the “15 Finalists” round – selected by MoveOn! – before it was pulled due to protest. Furthermore, if you don’t believe a public political organization has a responsibility for the things it allows people to say in its name and publish on its site (leaving aside the fact that MoveOn WAS complicit in allowing the ads to pass muster up until this most recent round), then you simply don’t believe in public responsibility.
I agree with Bill.
Name-calling and silly Soros conspiracy theories aside, Moveon didn’t run the ad, didn’t produce the ad, and put it up on its web site as ONE of ONE THOUSAND entries. It was rejected and taken down, and only got this attention because of the RNC’s promotion of how offensive it is.
The Club for Growth ad was produced by and is being run on TV in Iowa. It’s ridiculous and plays on stereotypes of liberals and farm staters, but whatever, it’s not that dishonest, merely stupid. Still, the CFG ad represents that organization’s point of view, whereas the ‘Moveon’ ad does not.
So stop pretending they are the same. They aren’t.
Do people really take political ads seriously? Aren’t they more entertaining than informative? Am I alone here or are people actually making descisions about who to vote for based on television commercials?
Is this on the web? I’d like to see it.
Lex, we are both republicans, we both agree about both adds, but you have gone off of the deep end when you say Barbecue is dead pig over hickory… That is “BAR-B-Q.” “Barbecue” is from the word barbacoa, a good American/TexMex/Spanish word so it HAS to be dead beef over mesquite. ;-)
Other than the above misSTEAK the rest of your post is on the mark.
Re the above post: Oh, do I need to mention I’m from Texas?
Jeff B.
Source on that?
Jarvis, how dare you betray your conservative brethren by criticizing this ad! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a closet liberal.
Just kidding. Everything CFG does is over-the-top, and this ad is sadly no exception. It sounds more like a bad right-wing comic routine than real political commentary.
I just saw the CFG add on the News. Cute, looks better than it sounded. On the other hand, political discourse is always nasty and goes back much farther than the real life evil ones. Too bad!
I’m stunned really, stunned and almost shamed.
Sounds like he Michael Moore of the right :(
Um, Lex? Haven’t we been hearing various pieces of that for about 3 years now? Dressed up a little prettier, but out there. Maybe Tony Foresta should register his word to cover most of it.
I bet if all this was translated into the King’s English, it would have a flair, and sorry to say, 1/2 of America wouldn’t know what was being said.
Maybe we should take a note out of Parliament’s page. They’re certainly more entertaining.
I also want ask Matt about the MO ad.
As I wrote on Dailypundit, What’s the timeline?
As MO stated in its press release, Gillespie was on FoxNews SUNDAY. The ads were not removed until MONDAY (afternoon?).
At least what, 15-18 hours AFTER it was brought to MO’s attention?
How long was it there before the RNC noticed it? Did MO’s staff not review any ads since Friday eve? They don’t work Sat/Sun?
In what alternate universe would a savvy political animal leave that up for that long? The nine dwarves and the DNC and other parts should have been all over this like a cheap suit and the crickets are chirping, aren’t they?
And one did say sponsored by MO. And MO’s apology was defiant, like a 10 y.o. They got busted and they know it. This is the 2nd bad press they’ve had, the first encouraging overseas donations in violation of US law. Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out how many times their judges equated W to Hitler?
Actually, Sandy, Byron York did that very thing:
http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york200401070805.asp
Bottom line: you’ll always find people eager to excuse an excess, whether by making claims of conspiracy theories or saying “The higher-ups didn’t know,” but an excuse is an excuse.
JeffB: …one of the Bush=Hitler had indeed made it to the “15 Finalists” round
Fact: They were voted down by our members and the publi|c
The question one has to ask oneself is if this was a malicious lie, or an uninformed lie. Either way, add Jeff B. to the list of people who are not allowed to make assertions of fact.
You are absolutely right! Describing Dean as your typical, liberal arts college educated, elitist, white, big city liberal is every bit as vile as saying Bush is Hitler. And to think someone would question you being a Democrat.
Robert, Eric, Sandy:
I posted earlier on this subject (http://home.earthlink.net/~lex.alexander/2004_01_01_archive.htm#107343931276465935) and don’t really think I need to say anything else.
Gmroper: Dead cow = good. Dead cow over mesquite = excellent. But dead cow over mesquite != barbecue.
Cheers.
George Soros a major contributor to MoveOn compares Bush Administration to NAZI Germany. Michael Moore, a judge of the MoveOn bash Bush ads compares Bush to Hitler. Janine Garofalo, another judge, compares Bush to Hilter. And according to Drudge, the finalist of the contest is also involved in another Bush is Hitler video. Who would ever dare to think MoveOn.org would be associated with this Bush is Hitler falp? I sure don’t see any connections. The fault should lie with the Republicans for bring it to light.
Hipocrite, it is an uninformed mistake. A lie presumes intent and foreknowledge of untruthfulness. I had read what I claimed elsewhere, and now gladly retract, with more than a little sense of embarrassment. I apologize for asserting something that simply wasn’t true – a real failure on my part.
Lex writes: “But dead cow over mesquite != barbecue.”
I agree ;-)
I accept your retraction. Who was it that so tarnished their and your credibility?
I had one of them ephiphany-thingys last night while reading about a recent Deanie “home party.” It was in line with other stories I’ve read about Deanies recently – these people are getting something emotional, almost spiritual, from Dean’s candidacy; for many of them, whether they acknowledge it or not, this is not about a political election. They’re finding other people to bond with, they’re finding purpose in their lives – something almost religious, and certainly evangelical. This explains a lot, especially the way the Deanies will find a way to explain anything he says, and to reconcile things he’s said before that don’t mesh with things he’s saying now. It also ties in nicely with Dean’s evident God complex (he’s a doctor – of course he has a God complex). I know that people on the right do that with politicians, too, it’s just really pronounced in the Dean campaign. I’m not the first one to notice the evangelical fervor of the Dean supporters. I just think it’s interesting. And I am sure some Dean supporters will jump on me with all their teeth and claws, and I don’t want Oliver to start haranguing me – I just think it’s interesting.
Regardless, I can’t vote for someone who looks like a thumb.
at writes: “Regardless, I can’t vote for someone who looks like a thumb.”
How wonderful a description. I have been staring at my thumb off and on now for hours with an occasional chuckle escaping my lips, and my beloved red-headed bride looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. I love it. Vote for the Thumb, It’s important! ROFL
Sorry – comment 42 re: evangelical Deanies and Howard’s unfortunate Thumb resemblance was from me. Guess I forgot to identify myself. I mean, I’m anonymous, but I’m not that anonymous…