NED!

NED!

You go twolf1!

I’m seeing double and it’s not even time to go home from work.

Cookie Cutter!

mmmmmm… corn flakes

I love you FDL. You do more for me than the chocolate of my day.
In fact you are the chocolate of my day.

If you turn off the sound and just look at the picture, it is even funnier…like Colbert’s word of the day!

fitz…we need you.

Jane: title: “Perfectly?”

Energy sapping twaddle. No passion. No issues. No outrage.

Aargh

Twisted Martini @
7

If you turn off the sound and just look at the picture, it is even funnier…like Colbert’s word of the day!

…or someone’s turd of the day

I saw her on C-SPAN over the weekend and her speech was really, really good. I can’t view the ad; but, trust your judgment and hope there will be improvements. I an originally from Washington State and remember the days Slade Gorton was Governor.

OT: just moved on the AP wire, by Matt Apuzzo and John Solomon:

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.
Armitage’s official State Department calendars, provided to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show a one-hour meeting marked “private appointment” with Woodward on June 13, 2003.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has investigated whether Bush administration officials intentionally revealed Plame’s identity as a one-time CIA covert operative to punish her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, for criticizing the administration’s march to war with Iraq.
When contacted at home Monday night, Woodward declined to discuss his meeting with Armitage or the identity of his source in the CIA leak case. Instead, he referred to his statement last year that he had a “casual and offhand” discussion about Plame with an unidentified administration official in mid-June 2003.
A person familiar with the information prosecutors have gathered, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the material remains sealed, said Woodward’s meeting with the confidential source was June 13, 2003.
The calendar released to the AP is the first confirmation that Woodward and Armitage met during the key time in the CIA leak case that was the focus of Fitzgerald’s probe.
The identity of Woodward’s source remains one of the big mysteries in the case because the Post reporter is the first member of the news media known to have discussed Plame’s CIA employment with an administration official.

Very sad. Even the “so do we” (stolen from Ned’s ads) lack any impact because we don’t know who thsoe people are. The imperative this year should be to refuse any consultant who has not won a contested election in the last 5 years. That would eliminiate most of the Dem losers.

Painful. What should we do?

Contact Howie Klein maybe?

Other contacts/ideas?

I guess the Lamont campaign spoiled us with their ads. Sheesh.

darcy smells far worse than my cats’ litterbox.

It’s like a powerpoint presentation overlaid on video. Eeew.

Oughta go back to “My opponent’s an asshole”– those work.

Nice catch, EB.

I didn’t think it was bad at all. We have to consider what works with different parts of the electorate.

While I love you immensely, TRex, your perfect ad might not be what appeals to America.

It’s horrible. There is nothing that works in it.

But… it’s a 60-second spot.

Compare and contrast with Ned’s self deprecating “messy desk” ad. “i’m Darcy Burner and I’m a serious person.” No shit Dick Tracy, if you weren’t you probably wouldn’t be running for COngress. Why don’t you show us you are a human fucking being for a change?

On the flip side, those consultants should be charged with fraud for that pain by the numbers bullshit. Yes, I did mean pain.

I was kinda waiting for some godawful gaffe, or inappropriate bears or something. To my admittedly untrained eye it just looked like a typical campaign commercial, no better, no worse.

Eli @ 25

I was kinda waiting for some godawful gaffe, or inappropriate bears or something. To my admittedly untrained eye it just looked like a typical campaign commercial, no better, no worse.

Eli, that’s the point: it’s a waste of money and positions her as another neutered nobody.

Please, for the love of God, everyone: click on that MyDD link in the main post! This is polling based on the only swing dictrict contest of 2006.

I can’t figure out who the target audience is and there is no focus. And bad editing to boot.

Sorry guys, it’s not THAT bad, it’s just mushy.

A lot of old folks, moderates and “values voters” respond to this mushy stuff.

I live in the district that would be represented by Darcy Burner. She was also in my Camp Wellstone class last summer.

Please, firepups, if you have suggestions on how you think Darcy’s stuff should be improved, contact the campaign. If you can help them with the improving, even better. http://www.darcyburner.com

Darcy’s up against one of the troglodytes of the Far Right — Dave Reichert. He needs out. We need a progressive in that seat.

-S

It’s about as exciting as that Peoplesoft conference call I was forced to sit through, teaching us how to use the new payroll application at work.

All it needs is “Wind Beneath My Wings” playing in the background to make it more yawneriffic.

I agree with whoever said it may work in her district. The word “military” was used a bunch of times. I trust that sells in her district. Probably wouldn’t work in midtown manhattan, but when in rome………..

This is a copy of a letter a friend (he thinks!} sent to me. I keep sending him info from FDL. Of course he doesn’t hear it. I am fascinated and appalled and angered by many of those letters. But I have to know what some of my neighbors are thinking.

Something to ponder for all Americans

When WWIII Started……..1979

This is not very long, but very informative You have to read the catalogue of events in this brief piece. Then, ask yourself how anyone can take the position that all we have to do is bring our troops home from Iraq, sit back, reset the snooze alarm, go back to sleep, and no one will ever bother us again. In case you missed it, World War III began in November 1979… that alarm has been ringing for years

US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. Here is a copy of the speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why this action is so necessary.

AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!
That’s what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed -AD) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been “Get Out of Bed!” In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world’s most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign U. S. embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 25 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America’s inability to deal with terrorism.

America’s military had been decimated and down sized/right sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued!

In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

Then just six short months later in 1983 a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.

Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.

Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in1988, killing 259.

Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.

The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York Cit y. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women.

A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively.

They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep!!!

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn’t know. But if you’ve read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don’t have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979.

I think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough! America needs to “Get out of Bed” and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor , Admiral Yamamoto said “… it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant.” This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.

This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.

Remember, Freedom is not free. There was a price to obtain it and a bigger price to maintain it. The enemy will not negotiate. The enemy is bent on killing every American they can – all of us if possible. The enemy is seeking world domination. The enemy will behead you, your children and your neighbors. You cannot negotiate or ignore a rabid dog you have to put it down.

If you understand and believe we are at a crucial point in our history please forward this to as many people as you can– especially to the young people and all those who dozed off in history class and who seem so quick to protest such a necessary military action. If you don’t believe it, just delete it and go back to sleep and learn to pray in Arabic!

“The joy of the Lord will make you strong.”

- Neh. 8:10 KJV

another apparently clueless commenter–me–who doesn’t think this ad is so bad

I understand if they want “positive message” ads, but this really is pretty blah. I’ve seen the “hunt em with hounds” ada and worse here, so I won’t call it the worst I’ve seen, but it doesn’t do her many favors. Elliot Spitzer had some great upbeat ads, not that he seems to need them much. Ned had upbeat and funny ads. What gives?

**********

Bush: See it’s like this, if I can touch my nose, they let me drive

I used to have to do this with my eyes shut, but now I’m President, I don’t gotta do it that way, I can do it anyway. Heck, I don’t even have to touch my nose - I can touch ANYWHERE and you know what they say - they say, Yes Sir Mr. President, not like that weenie in Israel, getting ready to get himself all investigated, just because he didn’t tell the people, those Israelians, that terrorists are bad and Syria won’t make them be good. That’s all he has to say - then there’s no investigation.

Now, what was I talking about. Oh yeah, If I can touch my nose . . .

I keep thinking of that hilarious fake Paul Hackett campaign commercial on The Daily Show, which may or may not be in this clip here (my laptop is a little finicky about embedded video):

http://www.comedycentral.com/m.....ideo=60271

Most of you above are missing one VOLUMINOUSLY IMPORTANT POINT.

LOTS of voters are VERY VERY DUMB, BUT they WILL respond to a better message than the ones they’ve been seeing.

The refuglicans only have FEAR and TERROR - Don’t vote for the other guy or the TERRISTS WILL WIN!

Other democrats can only make an attack stance, but have little to say about what they themselves have to offer. Not a contructive view, and it lacks depth of character.

Positive messages that spell out hope and the possibility of a working future BURN IN the idea of a USEFUL politician, something most voters have given up on for a long time.

THIS AD is a positive message for the dumbest, widest audience.

Looked okay to me. I don’t watch much T.V.

I think it needed more wolves.

Eli @ 25

I was kinda waiting for some godawful gaffe, or inappropriate bears or something. To my admittedly untrained eye it just looked like a typical campaign commercial, no better, no worse.

Gotta agree with you. It wasn’t a horror, but it wasn’t exactly inspiring either. There was simply no cleverness about it nor was any defining, dramatic point made for all the time it sucked up. Rather banal and sedate.

I guess her ad guys aren’t natural born killers. :D

Someone should tell captain ouimette that it won’t work when you’ve got imbeciles running the Pentagon. Sorry Cappn. Better come up with a new sales approach.

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

Millineryman @ 27

I can’t figure out who the target audience is and there is no focus. And bad editing to boot.

But wait! From the McMahon, Squire, and Associates website:

For more than 15 years, the team at McMahon, Squier & Associates has built our reputation on the unparalleled commitment, quality and dependability we bring to every campaign.

Campaign communications constantly evolve, and our work drives many of those changes. But our promise remains the same: we will reach the audience you need with the story you want.

(Emphasis added)

Their list of clients is long and has some big names on it, including a number of folks spoken of well around the Lake, but the key question remains: What audience does MS&A think Darcy needs, if this is what they came up with?

The ad firm that did this knows nothing about her district. They have been Dem consultant losers for god-knows-how-long.

Required reading:

http://mydd.com/story/2006/8/21/13049/0725

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/8/17/16551/9414

These consultants are trying to do for Darcy Burner what they did for Howard Dean in 2004.

When the ads were launched in Iowa, Dean was the frontrunner and cruising to the nomination. After the ad campaign, Howard Dean roared into the Iowa Caucus and . . . um, . . .

nevermind . . .

Followed your link over to Matt’s place. He asked for opinions and if you have a background in advertising, lead off by saying so. This was my comment over there:

Ad guy here. Five years newspaper, several political campaigns etc.

It doesn’t matter what medium you use, but what I learned is one-third to one-half of the space is the dominant theme. Why should you use something you are not using right now? Advertising is about new customers. If you are going to swipe somebody elses customers, you better give them a damn good reason for doing so.

Try this: Spring and summer sale. Come see us.

Vote for me because I’m rilly sweet.

Both are fragile budget breakers.

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

By the time election day rolls around, and the electorate has been saturated with TV, direct mail and robo calls, people will be saying her name in their sleep.

It will have no bearing on her election chances.

in 2002 our progressive Congresslady was under big-bucks attack by the GOP — bigtime mudslinging. She refused to go negative nevertheless. Finally she made a memorable spot quoting Winston Churchill “While they do their worst, we shall do our best.” Very successful. When first I saw it, I told her she was comparing her opponent to Nazis bombing England. She just smiled sweetly…

Jane,

I think you need to calm down a bit and don’t go overboard with WEB groupthink—there’s simply nothing wrong with that ad—it can help introduce the candidate, it emphasizes her military roots and ties–and let’s see what ads this one is combined with throughout the campaign.

I understand the latest cause in the blogoshere is to diss the Dem political consultants, and I saw Spitzers ads and think they are great—but calm down a bit on this one.

I’m in the not-so-horrible camp. In some races, just appearing to not be a frothing at the mouth rightie waiting for the Rapture is enough.

Still, anyone else wonder why the emphasis on her experience with Microsoft? Given how many people — like me — have to suffer through that company’s products all day, it might give a reason for some not to like her!

The worst series of campaign ads I saw were for some PA state-level Democratic primary, where the incumbent aired these commercials with very obvious actors stating very vague objections about the challenger like, “I don’t understand why he’s even running”, and “I have a real problem with Joe Challenger on a trust basis”. Never a single word about what either the incumbent *or* the challenger supposedly stood for; absolutely no substance at all.

I was very disappointed that I wasn’t in the right district to vote against the incumbent just for having shitty commercials.

I don’t really have a point here, other than to note that this Darcy Burner commercial does not, IMO, achieve the level of shittiness that makes you want to vote *against* the candidate just as a matter of principle.

Just back from a cocktail party where I met 3 people from Texas who are reformed Bushites.

Yowsah!

the quality of the ad speaks for itself, but Bob Squier and McMahon are both giants in the industry. Although I know little other than that–and I got it from a New Republic piece from a couple years back–it would be helpful to know what we’re talking about before we trash people. i mean, whoever directed Burner to these guys was connected and knowledgable…but the obvious lack of knowledge on our part, coupled with a kneejerk hatred of consultants, would make it awfully difficult for anyone who is in the know to take us seriously. and at least for now, these are the people we’d like to influence. so let’s do the requisite research before mouthing off, eh? that goes double for the guys at MyDD who should know better.

Strategerie @ 29

I live in the district that would be represented by Darcy Burner. She was also in my Camp Wellstone class last summer.

Please, firepups, if you have suggestions on how you think Darcy’s stuff should be improved, contact the campaign. If you can help them with the improving, even better. http://www.darcyburner.com

Darcy’s up against one of the troglodytes of the Far Right — Dave Reichert. He needs out. We need a progressive in that seat.

-S

My Strategic comrade,

What can you tell us about the demographics and voting patterns of the district? Is there a miltary base? She certainly seems to sretching to show a connection to a military life.
Is there a big blue collar vote? A big part of that add had to do with high prices for basics and demonstrating how she knew what it means to sruggle financialy.
Is she a Microspft millionaire? and has her opponent accused her of being such?
it seemed like a piece meant to counter a charge of elitism.

What can you tell us about the race?

Millineryman @ 41

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

It’s actually pretty hard to forget the name “Darcy Burner”, no matter how bad the commercial…

Hi America– I wannna introduce ya to my FAMULY- cause it’s the most important thing in my life- Here are my kids- notice that they all have braces on their teeth AND their legs- pathetic little suckers ain’t they? Now here’s my spouse- taken at last week’s “Save yer marriage” weekend- sweet eh?
OK- so that’s my family- so vote for me- I’m in favor of a stronger, fairer america-where everyone does better than average.”

Millineryman @ 41

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

I took your quiz and all I could come up with was “Darby Brown.” Oh, well, close, but no cigar. Good thing I vote straight “D”.

I would ask everyone who thinks it’s “not that bad” (personally I don’t pay for “not that bad” but to each his own) to look once again at this ad and tell me it is not more effective:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....search=Ned Lamont

Hillsman can’t get arrested at the DCCC because these clowns are making ads like the one above.

I rest my case.

certainly not a very inspired ad, but I was distracted looking for the pictures with goats in the background…..

The ad is a missed opportunity. It’s nothing. Worst bit of bad acting is the man shaking his head sadly as he pumps gas into the tank. I can’t say I have any faith that a focus group would have made a difference though (in my experience, this is the kind of shit they eat up). It’s really up to the candidate to have some judgment here and raise the level of discourse.

a chicken in every pot!

lina @ 46

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

By the time election day rolls around, and the electorate has been saturated with TV, direct mail and robo calls, people will be saying her name in their sleep.

It will have no bearing on her election chances.

Television advertising, if it’s good, moves poll numbers. Period.

Dem Political advertising consultants are universally derided by advertising pros who actually have to sell product or get canned in the private sector. But the same few advertising firms make the rounds for Dems over and over, they never win, and they never lose their jobs.

Dem advertising consultants get paid as a percentage of the ad buy, so their incentive is to waste campaign funds with more expensive ad buys. Their incentive is volume and expensive placement, not results. The GOP moved to paying their ad people a flat fee a long time ago, changing this perverse incentive system. And so the GOP wins.

Unless we pull up this rock, that will not change.

Millineryman @ 41

For those who don’t think it’s was that bad, did it make enough of an impression that you would vote for her? Or even remember her name?

Well, if it ran as a counter to some frothy Republican ad trying to paint her as some rabid left-winger, yeah. She comes off as sweet, sincere, patriotic, middle-stream and concerned about families and vets. It would be a good ad against any Repub-implied fringiness.

Of course, I’d vote for the Dem anyway, so maybe I’m not the best judge. :)

Jane,

I’m going to weigh in with a different opinion. Yeah, the ad is artless. And it’s “ducks and bunnies.” And it makes no mention of the mess in Iraq or six years of lies, or any of 50 issues it could raise. Darcy speaks softly and carries a small stick.

BUT - she’s clearly, and I think effectively, aiming a tailored message at the very people the Democrats need to win over. “I’m one of you. Not a raving, defeatist, pacifist, wine sipping, French speaking elitist. I know you’re hurting, and that the folks in Washington are helping themselves, not you. You need me, you can trust me.”

I’ve watched it several times now, and knowing nothing about the woman, I LIKE her. As a filmmaker, I cringe at the production values, but as a viewer, I don’t care. The message comes through: she’s real.

Robin, if you want to tell Jane to calm down, that’s your business.

(backing away from the computer screen)

Strategerie, if you’ve met or seen Darcy Burner, is she really as soft spoken as in the ad? She sounded as if she’d been drugged with knockout drops.

I agree that ad is not as pathetic as Liberman’s baby bear ad, but it’s really a sleeper. ZZZzzzzzz…

sandlin @ 32

What always disgusts me is that the people who say “Freedom isn’t free” expect somebody else to pay the bill for them.

What is with this defense of the ad on the basis it does not show her saying macaca?

You pay for warm spit?

And by you pay, I mean you! Netroots paid for this.

Hey guys, relax. And recognize that this is presumably part of a campaign and will not stand on its own. Here’s what I posted on MyDD earlier.

“Hi Matt, my first comment here. I’ve been an ad weasel for over 20 years, and I think you’re being a litle harsh on this one. It’s an introductory ad-a little soft- but does an okay job of going “this is who I am-this is what I believe in.”

A little broad and vague, but not terrible. What we’d call an umbrella ad for a campaign, summing up overarching themes, and setting up a context for more specific messages.

What they need to do now is take that “putting our priorities first” and make it specific and meaningful.

How does getting out of Iraq “put our priorities first”? Protecting social security? Holding Bush accountable?

I’m thinking that just about every issue out there could be put in terms of “putting our priorities first”.

If she can do that and move from the general to the specific, that’s a pretty good framing device, especially for an “outsider”.”

Of course, everything depends on what she does to follow up, but as a starting point, this isn’t bad. I like her, I empathise with her, and I’m prepared to listen to her.

Sorry, but some of the comments here remind me of the worst clients I ever had, trying to squeeze in every copy point imaginable. And I know there’s too much copy here, but the overall takeaway here is that this is a decent, involved person, not at all unlike me.

Trust me, you can do a lot worse.

marc @ 52

the quality of the ad speaks for itself, but Bob Squier and McMahon are both giants in the industry. Although I know little other than that–and I got it from a New Republic piece from a couple years back–it would be helpful to know what we’re talking about before we trash people. i mean, whoever directed Burner to these guys was connected and knowledgable…but the obvious lack of knowledge on our part, coupled with a kneejerk hatred of consultants, would make it awfully difficult for anyone who is in the know to take us seriously. and at least for now, these are the people we’d like to influence. so let’s do the requisite research before mouthing off, eh? that goes double for the guys at MyDD who should know better.

Oh good god. The ad is an amateurish piece of shit, it has nothing to do with a “knee jerk hatred of consultants.”

If you want to be “taken seriously” by those in the know, what are you doing commenting on blogs? I hear they don’t think much of us.

Pachacutec @ 62

Dem advertising consultants get paid as a percentage of the ad buy, so their incentive is to waste campaign funds with more expensive ad buys. Their incentive is volume and expensive placement, not results.

It begs the question, then: Who makes this decision? Personally, if I don’t think a given brand of toothpaste cleans my teeth well, I buy another. It’s one of the great things about capitalism. When does someone ask for some kind of performance measure?

It’s 29 seconds of her history, a little about current issues, and we don’t hear her speak until 38 seconds in. Yawn. It’s not horrible, just boring as hell.

Whoever is making her ads need to read some of her speeches, if she’s as good as Bonnie @12 says. (never seen her, can’t say.) Make the ads sound like HER.

Robin @ 48

Jane,

I think you need to calm down a bit …

…but calm down a bit on this one.

Robin, duck, you’re gonna get a big ole pail of STFU thrown at you if you tell Jane to adjust her meds. I’m just sayin’…

Pachacutec @ 62

Dem advertising consultants get paid as a percentage of the ad buy, so their incentive is to waste campaign funds with more expensive ad buys. Their incentive is volume and expensive placement, not results.

kind of like Halliburton’s (and Parsons, and Bechtel, et al) open-ended cost-plus contracts. The more you spend, the more you make. No incentive to be efficient. What’s not to like!

Robin @ 48

Jane,

I think you need to calm down a bit and don’t go overboard with WEB groupthink—there’s simply nothing wrong with that ad—it can help introduce the candidate, it emphasizes her military roots and ties–and let’s see what ads this one is combined with throughout the campaign.

I understand the latest cause in the blogoshere is to diss the Dem political consultants, and I saw Spitzers ads and think they are great—but calm down a bit on this one.

Hey Robin, I think you need to kiss my ass in Macy’s window, ‘kay?

So, can Howie get Darcy to come visit some Saturday in the near future? Or is that now a recipe for disaster?

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York Cit y. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Yes it is.

And what about the Oklahoma City bombing? Act of war? Do we send Cruise Missiles through America on a search and destroy for skinhead hangouts?

Sometimes, for well armed criminals, there are military aspects of a response. But bombing countries that are composed primarily of non-criminals, because of the acts of criminals who happen to be there, that sounds like the reasoning of—–

—-the guys who performed all those activities he listed.

Very few thought we shouldn’t go in after Bin Laden - we tried to get him turned over, it didn’t happen. We did something similar with Noriega. Appropriate contexts for military responses and, if it had been handled competently by Franks, we could have had a return. Not a “win” because you will never “win” over violent ideology with more violence — or with pacifism.

Have we “won”over skinheads here? Over racists? Over anti-Semites? Over misogynists? Over anti-Catholics? Over anti-Immigrants? Over …

No - you combat the ideology with a combination of tolerance and prudence, with working to guarantee that certain minimum life needs for most are met and equally working to ferret out the criminals who attack the innocents.

When you let the criminals be the ones who provide the minimum life needs for the oppressed; when you meet intolerance with more intolerance; and when you lose your mind and punish a whole nation, or whole region, because someone who committed a crime against you has ties there (or not, in the case of Iraq and Bin Laden); when you address crime by choosing to become a more frightening criminal; when you have to repeatedly call your enemy “the enemy” because you cannot be bothered to learn enough about them to identify them or because in your heart you have an indiscriminate bloodlust that needs no descriptions or thought, just targets and destruction; then you can pretty much forget the “joy of the Lord.”

That’s not JMHO either.

Fight smart or die dumb.

I’m not sure the ad is compelling enough to successfully promote a PTA bake sale, much less get much attention for a candidate for Congress. I’d certainly switch channels.

The visuals say “Republican” all the way.

AND…sorry for my ignorance about how local campaigns are conducted… but do people really haul cozy sofas onto manicured green lawns to discuss the state of the union with their good neighbors? What if it rains? I see that in lots of ads and it always looks transparently manipulative to me, but maybe I’m just out of the loop on these things.

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

Jane Hamsher @ 79

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

I’ll be taking pictures in NYC on the day before Labor Day. Just say the word and I’ll make a side trip to Macy’s.

Eli @ 35

I keep thinking of that hilarious fake Paul Hackett campaign commercial on The Daily Show, which may or may not be in this clip here (my laptop is a little finicky about embedded video):

http://www.comedycentral.com/m.....ideo=60271

Oh My God - that’s a devastating clip. It helps to explain the pathetic response Lamont has gotten. That consultant (didn’t catch his name) represents everything that’s wrong with the party. Reid & Schumer are bad news.

Robin 48-

Darcy Burner is running in WA-08, not Ohio.

Jane is not 28 (although she looks it).

When being patronizing, it’s usually more effective when you know what the fuck you’re talking about.

AND…sorry for my ignorance about how local campaigns are conducted… but do people really haul cozy sofas onto manicured green lawns to discuss the state of the union with their good neighbors?

I live on the third floor…

ummm … Jane … Robin doesn’t live here anymore …

MAry at 77

“Fight smart or die dumb” what a great slogan for the Dems on the war. When asked what OUR plan for Iraq is (ya know, so they can accuse us of being all cut and run) is

We believe that Amrican troops should be allowed to fight smart. (implying “rahter than die dumb”)

Jane Hamsher @ 57

I would ask everyone who thinks it’s “not that bad” (personally I don’t pay for “not that bad” but to each his own) to look once again at this ad and tell me it is not more effective:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....search=Ned Lamont

Hillsman can’t get arrested at the DCCC because these clowns are making ads like the one above.

I rest my case.

Oh hell, Jane, it’s definitely not as good as any of the ads that Hillsman produced for Lamont, but that doesn’t make it an abomination either.

Could she have a more effective ad? For sure.

oh-no! apparently bird flu has not scared us enough! now the local news is reporting on… RABBIT FLU!!!

quick! we better kill every form of nature!

Jane Hamsher @ 79

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

You never do, Jane! :)

Jane Hamsher @
78

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

does that mean it’s safe to come out from behind the davenport now?

Oh My God - that’s a devastating clip. It helps to explain the pathetic response Lamont has gotten. That consultant (didn’t catch his name) represents everything that’s wrong with the party. Reid & Schumer are bad news.

I couldn’t believe he was for real. He was like a parody of a mindless business-as-usual professional loser Democratic consultant, but, of course… he wasn’t.

Reformed Republicans–my Ohio mother decided only last week to vote for Strickland (D) over Blackwell (R)-Diebold. Eeek!

But for local offices, Ohio mom will vote for “any Democrat that can brush his own teeth.” She is disgusted by the results of single party control. She has friends.

Still working on getting her to understand voting integrity issues and the need to have a Democratic Secretary of State. She thinks that voting is mostly clean, with reservations about Cleveland. Hmm. Work to do here.

Lifelong Republican, voted Democratic for the first time for Kerry. A friend of mine noted her father was in the same category. All these people voting for Kerry in Ohio, and yet…sparing you my usu egregious rant :)

WhoTF is Veritas78 at 49? Did you get lost on you way somewhere?

Sandlin @32-I got that very same email in Sept or Oct of 2004 from a very misinformed friend. It’s just another piece of slop recycled by the GOP spin machine.

When hiring people to produce ads, doesn’t anyone ask to see some samples - “show us what you’ve done” kind of thing?

I can’t view the ad from home - will have to do it from work - so am just guessing based on some of the comments…

There’s a point at which an ad will be seen not for the message embedded in it, but for the production values, which will scream either “Did they pay someone to put THAT together?” or “Way too SLICK!” I realize there’s a number of levels between the Lieberman bears-type ad, and New York Slick, but this ad sounds like it isn’t even solidly into the middle to where the ad doesn’t get in the way of the message.

That has been the genius of most of Ned’s ads - they are well put together, but they aren’t over-produced, and they allow him to get his message out without having to “fight” the ad itself. The beauty part, the home run, the bulls-eye, there is that it makes people feel good, allows them to bond with the candidate - they’re not seeing an ad, they’re having Ned into the living room for a little chat.

I notice that everyone is simply talking about the ad, and not what she says, or the message she is trying to get out, and I think that probably means it doesn’t serve her well.

Not sure if any of that makes sense, but maybe someone knows what I mean…*g*

Old Sow @ 92

WhoTF is Veritas78 at 49? Did you get lost on you way somewhere?

I think Veritas has been in the vino.

tweez @
28

Sorry guys, it’s not THAT bad, it’s just mushy.

A lot of old folks, moderates and “values voters” respond to this mushy stuff.

Well, I’m an old folk…and I’m mad enough to chew lead and spit bullets. That ad was a nothing. If I hadn’t already read about her, seen clips, etc. I would still have no idea how she stands on the issues that I care about. In my opinion, it was a waste of good campaign money.

Hey Robin, I think you need to kiss my ass in Macy’s window, ‘kay?

I’ll hold it in escrow.

pach at 62:

If it’s good? Or if it’s negative?

if they liked ned lamont’s tag line “and so do we” enough to use it, why the heck didn’t they use his great ad people?!!! i don’t get it–i’m so sick of this lame DLC inspired middle of the road crap. the first thought i had was—what about iraq? like a vague nod to “accountability to our troops and veterans” is supposed to evoke that subtly for interested voters–while not offending other potential voters? you’d never even know we were at war or that we have a president regularly breaking the law…
i’m disgusted….
let ‘em have it Jane
please

Jane Hamsher @ 78

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

LOL

Jane Hamsher @
57

I would ask everyone who thinks it’s “not that bad” (personally I don’t pay for “not that bad” but to each his own) to look once again at this ad and tell me it is not more effective:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....search=Ned Lamont

Hillsman can’t get arrested at the DCCC because these clowns are making ads like the one above.

I rest my case.

What I’m saying. How about an ad with some scary music, the FEAR font, and aominous sounding voice over telling about the “monster” dem, and then come out from behind the curtain. “If you are tired like I am of living in fear, then vote for me. Bla bla bla.” Something to cut through the clutter.

The messy desk ad did that in spades.

how about someone sends darcy the name of lamont’s ad people?

Eli @
54

It’s actually pretty hard to forget the name “Darcy Burner”, no matter how bad the commercial…

it is a cool name, evocative of Speed Racer and the like. Somehow that energy didn’t translate into the ad….

DEPU’d

The Matt Stoller piece rang true for this Washingtonian. Climbing the social ladder, hanging out with the Big Guys, just costs a little money and a tiny piece of your soul…each time. Pretty soon you belong to them, how could you work against your Friend?

It’s called Potomac Fever, and it’s contagious.

Jane Hamsher @ 78

BTW, 74 was for the crowd. I hate to disappoint ;)

thanks much! ;)

Urban Pirate @ 82

Robin 48-

Darcy Burner is running in WA-08, not Ohio.

Jane is not 28 (although she looks it).

When being patronizing, it’s usually more effective when you know what the fuck you’re talking about.

So sorry, that was aimed at 49 - veritas something or other. (another latin troll, mwahh)

There’s no shortage of opinions here, but I haven’t heard anyone ask, “what’s the purpose of this ad?”

Sorry, but if you don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s kinda hard to comment on the efficacy, isn’t it?

IMO the main reason that ad is bad is because 2 min. after you watch it you won’t remember her name or have any idea what, if anything, she stands for. And then after it’s played a few times a person could get very irritated at the sheer banality of it.

And Tweez, I’m an old folk and I don’t appreciate mushiness in my politics. Getting old doesn’t necessarily mean losing one’s mind. If anything we like a little snap in our commercials and there isn’t one bit of originality in that ad.

Urban Pirate @ 81

Robin 48-

When being patronizing, it’s usually more effective when you know what the fuck you’re talking about.

I’m a little scared to take you on Pirate, but I think an argument can be made the other way. *g*

A consultant:

Someone who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is.

Fatal flaw:

BLAND.

Bland is not beautiful.

think that old mush Shrumer likes it?

i wish someone would mistake me for 28. (sigh).

sorry — Robin is still here — it’s Veritas78 that has been rendered to Venezuela for questioning …

Veritas78,
Thanks for the insight into Jane’s age. I had no idea she was 28. Wow.
Jane took down the graphic you mentioned, almost immediately after it posted. It’s old news, let’s move on. Bringing it up only hurts Ned and all the people who worked so hard for him.
Can you get specific on the ad on THIS post?
I realize that’s not as much fun as taking unnecessary and gratuitous shots at Jane, but that’s what the post is about.
What was successful and what wasn’t in your opinion?
Also Veritas, the 28-year-old Jane “without common sense,” is one of the principle reasons Ned won the primary. So in your next comment, please thank Jane for all her hard volunteer work and apologize for insulting her.

Steve D @ 106

There’s no shortage of opinions here, but I haven’t heard anyone ask, “what’s the purpose of this ad?”

Sorry, but if you don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s kinda hard to comment on the efficacy, isn’t it?

Votes. I hear there is an election coming.

Steve at 106, I’m pretty sure she’s trying to get elected.

SharonW @ 85

Jane Hamsher @ 57

I would ask everyone who thinks it’s “not that bad” (personally I don’t pay for “not that bad” but to each his own) to look once again at this ad and tell me it is not more effective:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....search=Ned Lamont

Hillsman can’t get arrested at the DCCC because these clowns are making ads like the one above.

I rest my case.

Oh hell, Jane, it’s definitely not as good as any of the ads that Hillsman produced for Lamont, but that doesn’t make it an abomination either.

Could she have a more effective ad? For sure.

It makes it a waste of money and a wasted opportunity.

This tolerance for “just okay” is also why Dems lose. I’m surprised to find it here, though.

Steve D @ 106

Sorry, but if you don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s kinda hard to comment on the efficacy, isn’t it?

I’m not frothing over the ad, and am not an ad/marketing person, but I think that’s really tritely,

um

wrong.

If you can’t tell from watching what the purpose is, hasn’t the ad been kind of a waste? Unless there’s a subliminal “buy a snickers” message the want to bury down deep.

Mary 109 –

Ooooh , you got me gooood. ;)

Sorry again, Robin.

I don’t know what’s more shocking…how boring that ad was, or all of the people that materialized out of the woodwork to defend it lol.

PEOPLE IT WAS BORING!

I’m not even talking about whether she got the right talking points in. Or whether she should challenge BushCo more pungently. Or whether she should be channeling Miss Cleo and chanting “Iraq, Iraq, Iraq”.

Completely ignoring the CONTENT, the PRESENTATION was dull! The music was dull. The people in the ad looked dull!

This is not even a political complaint, it’s just pointing out that in a television setting, where someone was most likely watching vampires, and explosions, and car chases just before seeing this ad, this ad is a yawner.

lina @ 97

pach at 62:

If it’s good? Or if it’s negative?

Good, as in, effective.

If the ad is not meant to move poll numbers, then what’s the point, other than funneling money to consultant losers from donors - that is, from you and me?

Jane, or Pach or ?? are you still reading? I want to post something that is OT to this post, but very interesting. If you are reading, I will put it in mod com. VG

the ad kinda reminds me of something you’d see on an airplane. like when you’re going to a different country & they show you the little video before you land that tells about the customs forms & shows happy tourist sites.
not a campaign ad…

Kurt @ 120

I don’t know what’s more shocking…how boring that ad was, or all of the people that materialized out of the woodwork to defend it lol.

it was a pretty quick response… interesting.

I’m suddenly craving a Snickers…

someone was most likely watching vampires, and explosions, and car chases. . .

you mean Dick Cheney’s constituency?

The majority for the CNN poll think is a liar who doesn’t inspire confidence

Just the guy to put in charge of your Department of Crimes and Ommission - or make President. Either Or.

Eli @ 126

I’m suddenly craving a Snickers…

Dayum, that was good.

Eli @ 125

I’m suddenly craving a Snickers…

Happy peanuts soar, over waterfalls of caramel!

Now see, that was an effective commerical. I don’t even watch much tv, but I remembered it hehe.

Mary at 76, this is so good:

“When you let the criminals be the ones who provide the minimum life needs for the oppressed; when you meet intolerance with more intolerance; and when you lose your mind and punish a whole nation, or whole region, because someone who committed a crime against you has ties there (or not, in the case of Iraq and Bin Laden); when you address crime by choosing to become a more frightening criminal; when you have to repeatedly call your enemy “the enemy” because you cannot be bothered to learn enough about them to identify them or because in your heart you have an indiscriminate bloodlust that needs no descriptions or thought, just targets and destruction; then you can pretty much forget the ‘joy of the Lord.’”

All I can say is Amen. Like what she said.

Ad I’d like to see:

“Several recent studies have shown linkages from my opponent to causing cancer and explosive diarrhea. I personally am not in favor of either. Vote for me and we can stop this outrage.”

pach at 62:

If the ad is not meant to move poll numbers, then what’s the point, other than funneling money to consultant losers from donors - that is, from you and me?

Exactly.

Is anyone else worried that some of our netroots money is being used (by paid consultants) to fund concern trolls?

Free (but worth millions) advice for all you men out there who are slow learners…eliminate the phrase “calm down” from your lexicon, and exile it to the same place “Take a Midol” should already be…

I’m just sayin’…

Kurt @ 130

Eli @ 125

I’m suddenly craving a Snickers…

Happy peanuts soar, over waterfalls of caramel!

Now see, that was an effective commerical. I don’t even watch much tv, but I remembered it hehe.

Snickers was responsible for one of my most favoritest commercials ever.

What a treacly piece of crap.

Hey guys, this is OT but important.
I’m in Hawaii now, as some of you know, and I have a Democratic friend who is very political and a supporter of Case. His reasons have to do with state politics rather than national—he opposes the Iraq war, which Case voted for.
What he does not know is where Case stands on phasing out Social Security (privatization).
If case is pro-phaseout, it might turn him from Case.

Catching up with the question of the thread the first 5 or 10 seconds of Burner’s ad that are intended to give her history–too much fading from one thing to another in fuzzy black and white–all is lost, but I’m not a TV person and so all TV is too fast with way too many ill defined pictures. Also in this case, too many words. The message comes across better when she starts to talk, and yeah, she does have a great name to remember.

That said, Ned’s ad is unforgetable. Few written words, and those there in RED. And it makes the gentle mockery of the campaign process that is so refreshing in these wretched cut throat times.

I have no problem with the ad. I watched it once. I learned that she comes from a military background, supports affordable health care, and supports services for Veterans. I also learned that she doesn’t like the high gas prices. That’s good enough for me. I noted that there didn’t seem (to my recall) to be any message on various and sundry foreign issues. Perhaps she plans another ad focused on international matters…perhaps her analysis of her district is that domestic issues are the most important to voters. I don’t know.

If the “point” of this article is to attack the ad agency…then do so. Going thru the back-door with an attack on a decent candidate seems to obscure things. If you have a bone to pick with this ad agency, let’s hear it! Maybe the ad agency is indeed a resounding failure…maybe the ad agency has a long history of ads for losing Democratic candidates. Let’s hear it. Was the ad agency “forced” upon Ms. Bruner? If so…let’s hear it.

But all I learned from this article is that Ms. Hamsher really dislikes an ad.

Ghostman

I’d be interested to know how one quantifies poll numbers moving in response to advertising?

Is it a polling question? “Did you make your decision based on TV advertising?”

When poll numbers move, how do you know what moved them?

very constructive criticism, jane.
i guess you’d rather score points that be helpful.

Anne, how do you know Robin’s a man?

Heh Eli that was teh funnay.

Anne - I could have sworn from the first few words you were going to go into a Cialis commercial. Or that other one, the one that starts with “e” and has the “bob” guy and makes watching tampax commercials seem like high art by comparison.

Me@ 127, Apparently I have gotten to the point where I have trouble typing his name - that is BUsh in the poll results link.

egregious honey - you live the words, I just prattle along.

It is a boring ad, to be sure. But the challenge for someone like Darcy, a newcomer to running for office, and running for Congress, is this - how are they supposed to KNOW who to hire and who to not?

I’ll admit she has a challenge in a district that just a few years ago was hardcore GOP with virtually no Democrats in elected office (trust me I know - my cousins live there and I used to work in the district on and off when I lived in Seattle). So the fact she’s got a shot and is a good candidate is a miracle in and of itself.

That said, she gains nothing from these bland, say nothing offend no one ads. That district has both a blue collar component and a high-income component, and both parts are not dummies. Boring ads that don’t cut through the clutter of the World Series, Back to School, the fall season, valpak coupons and all the other things people are hearing every day, will not get her elected.

So, here’s a question I pose to FireDogLake, MyDD, Daily Kos and the rest - for years the party committees used the threat of “hire our guys or you get no money” to get these kinds of folks hired. (Despite it being an empty threat esp. in wake of recent laws). Is it perhaps time to tell our “netroots” folks that if they want to continue to get netroots money and support they at least TRY and hire people who put something out that my friend’s kid with his MacBook could blow away in iMovie?

Discuss.

laura @ 141

very constructive criticism, jane.
i guess you’d rather score points that be helpful.

Oh crap! I’ll get out my dull spoon and stand beside this tank!

Ghostman:

The ad really is bad. It’s not just about the agency.

There’s a really helpful link with more information and analysis in Jane’s post, but let me repost what I wrote upthread:

Required reading:

http://mydd.com/story/2006/8/21/13049/0725

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/8/17/16551/9414

Ghostman @140

If that same ad came on your TV, do you think it would’ve drawn you in?

OFG: duck and cover!

Jane, or Pach or ?? are you still reading? I want to post something that is OT to this post, but very interesting. If you are reading, I will put it in mod com. VG

It is a boring ad, to be sure. But the challenge for someone like Darcy, a newcomer to running for office, and running for Congress, is this - how are they supposed to KNOW who to hire and who to not?

Ned did.

On the one hand, I can sympathize with the feeling of being on completely foreign territory and wanting an experienced hand to give you some guidance. But on the other hand, you need to be able to recognize when the experienced hand is not a helping one.

Of course, if the Democratic apparatus was obsessively devoted to winning elections, we wouldn’t be having this conversation…

BTW Jane, I’m in Tulsa this pm. Load in the am and headed for PA. Might be able to look in on the Reddhedds and Peanut Friday or so.

Mary @ 118

Steve D @ 106

Sorry, but if you don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s kinda hard to comment on the efficacy, isn’t it?

I’m not frothing over the ad, and am not an ad/marketing person, but I think that’s really tritely,

um

wrong.

If you can’t tell from watching what the purpose is, hasn’t the ad been kind of a waste? Unless there’s a subliminal “buy a snickers” message the want to bury down deep.

Okay, let’s take this out of the political arena, and look at what Snickers would do.

They could do a quick 10 or 15 second commercial, designed strictly to keep the brand top of mind.

They could do a tv commercial designed to sell you on the benefits of Snickers-energy, hunger abatement, etc

They could do a tv commercial designed with very different, exotic imagery to make the brand feel “cool”.

Those are only some of the different potential communications objectives. But how can you measure how effective they are unless you know what they’re trying to accomplish?

I’m guessing that these folks are introducing a new “brand” and are trying to build a comfort level with the audience. See? Not threatening. A lot like you. Someone who gets it.

Which provides a foundation and some credibility when you start going after the Repub’s asses.

On the other hand, I may be wrong and they could be hacks. But I can’t tell that from this one commercial.

This is what the DCCC does: they take good candidates with passion, like Marcy Winograd, make them listen to DC consultants and bleach them of any passion, principle or personality. Then they lose, and the advertising consultants cash their checks and wait for the next election cycle.

But who loses?

You and me. Progressives.

SaltinWound @ 142

Anne, how do you know Robin’s a man?

That’s very funny…and I’m guessing you’re a man, too, because (1) a woman would have known better than to throw out the “calm down” statement, and (2) if you were a woman, you wouldn’t have to ask what makes me think Robin is male.

The advice is still free even if you’re both female.

laura @ 142

very constructive criticism, jane.
i guess you’d rather score points that be helpful.

laura, she was very constructive. She put the ad up for a focus group. If you think it’s a good ad or fits the demographic it was aimed at, or accomplishes its objective, please, follow your own unsolicited advice and “be constructive.” Tell us what you think is good, or what you think could be better.

Does anyone know how much they paid to produce this ad and how much the placement costs?
Does anyone know the times that the ads run?
Is it on cable, network, or both?

Anne @ 155

SaltinWound @ 142

Anne, how do you know Robin’s a man?

That’s very funny…and I’m guessing you’re a man, too, because (1) a woman would have known better than to throw out the “calm down” statement, and (2) if you were a woman, you wouldn’t have to ask what makes me think Robin is male.

The advice is still free even if you’re both female.

I’m feeling a bit dizzy now…

VG: I just went backstage: nothing there.

I’d rather watch a Cialis ad…at least I know those people who dragged the bathtubs up to the top of the hill will be hittin’ it soon.

(If your erection lasts more than 4 hours, call your doctor. Or a prostitute.)

Must eat. bbl

From the polling data of Winograd’s loss in CA-50, the only hot contested race of 2006. Winograd ran a campaign crafted by the DCCC.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/8/17/16551/9414

Recommendations
Candidates should run aggressively on accountability and the war in Iraq. Here are six specific `rules of thumb’ we recommend you use for planning purposes.

* 1. Iraq must be central in your campaign and you must blame Republicans for it Ignoring Iraq, downplaying its significance, or accepting Bush’s framework by not blaming leaders is a sign to voters that you are weak, unlikely to bring change, and not addressing the main issue of the day. Regardless of how you approach the policy going forward in Iraq, the key trait that voters seek is a willingness to hold failed leaders accountable for the debacle. Be willing to uncover the truth, place blame, and demand consequences.

* 2. The debate on whether Bush is a competent, trustworthy President is over. He is considered among Republicans, Democrats, and Independents a leader who makes mistakes and then won’t tell the truth about those mistakes. This is not about competence. This is about massive failure of leadership with no end in sight.

* 3. Republicans cannot run against Bush and Iraq. Voters do not think that Republicans are willing to hold Bush or other administration figures accountable for those mistakes, so Republican Congressional dissent on the war is unlikely to help Republicans. But dissent will, in fact, work to Democratic candidates’ advantage. It shows strength and, most importantly, principle and personal values.

* 4. `Terrorism’ scares only work in the absence of strong accountability messaging, since Republicans are no longer trustworthy on issues of war and peace. Voters know Republicans will let mistakes slide and they want accountability in the face of that.

* 5. Oversight beats withdrawal. Journalists or other messengers who frame politics in terms of a need to have an alternative plan in contrast to Bush are insulting voters, and should be taken to task aggressively for framing false choices and misrepresenting the role of Congress. Congress primarily serves as military oversight, not military policy. Voters know that.

* 6. Pick a fight, any fight. Voters need to be convinced that Democrats can credibly challenge Bush. Whether the fight is over de-funding Cheney’s personal staff, attacking John Bolton’s confirmation, impeachment hearings, or stopping war profiteering with a new `Truman Commission’, Democratic candidates must demonstrate strength through aggressive confrontation where the term “accountability” is more than just an abstraction or corporate lingo. It must be made real through a fight you plan to pick.

When presented with squeals from journalists and Republicans over your fight, a resolute willingness to not back off in the face of criticism is key. Your willingness to hold Bush accountable must be made real. For example, demand that the president and the party in power come to account for having squandered lives, security and treasure while enriching CEOs of major corporations such as Halliburton.

Here’s a real-world example of this dynamic from US history: Harry Truman became vice president because as a US Senator, he had the backbone to demand that major figures in the American economy either give back money stolen in the provision of shoddy materiel for World War II, or go to jail for treason.

In sum, whatever fights you pick, whether specific local issues or national ones, our poll shows that accountability regarding Bush, Congressional Republicans and your opponent is crucial to building the credibility you need in order to break through with a majority vote in November. Democrats, Independents and even many Republicans want this to occur. Do it.

Mary @ 144

Anne - I could have sworn from the first few words you were going to go into a Cialis commercial. Or that other one, the one that starts with “e” and has the “bob” guy and makes watching tampax commercials seem like high art by comparison.

LOL! Went back and re-read it, and I see what you mean…geez, it’s been a long day. Probably explains why my own back went up when I read that “calm down, Jane” comment…

SaltinWound @ 117

Steve at 106, I’m pretty sure she’s trying to get elected.

LMAO

Pach- okay- I said I *would* put it up… so now I will.

I’m guessing that these folks are introducing a new “brand” and are trying to build a comfort level with the audience. See? Not threatening

But they’ve done it in a “nothing to see here, move along, move along” kind of fashion. Not the worst I’ve seen and if she was a safe incumbent, who cares? But awfully “highschool class project” to do a media buy around to garner name recognition and support, don’t you think?

Mary - your #76 is so correct. Inherent in the approach is the flexibility that gives it so much strength.

It’s there for the taking by whomever is wise enough to pick it up. For the love, let someone with influence, or soon to have influence, pick it up!

Twisted Martini @ 159

I’d rather watch a Cialis ad…at least I know those people who dragged the bathtubs up to the top of the hill will be hittin’ it soon.

(If your erection lasts more than 4 hours, call your doctor. Or a prostitute.)

LMAO

I compare the Snickers ads with Red Bull ads. (let’s ignore whether or not we actually like products…do we actually like their ads?)

Snickers ads are funny. They’re a little hip. But not threatening. That Batman thing in Eli’s link is very memorable.

Red Bull ads are either not funny at all, or are so ironic that they are waaaay over my head. They’re poorly animated. They’re so dumb, the content of the ad is forgettable.

That’s my 2 cents. A campaign ad has to make a candidate’s name memorable, and also has to be noticed among all of the background noise of the surrounding commercials, and of the programming it’s paying for.

*ilson, methinks i got a comment eaten.

it was promptly sprung …

If there’s anyone lurking looking for a pro ad guy that does, you know, TV commercials, this guy is top notch. ; )

http://www.icepicedit.com/about.html

Anne @
134

Free (but worth millions) advice for all you men out there who are slow learners…eliminate the phrase “calm down” from your lexicon, and exile it to the same place “Take a Midol” should already be…

I’m just sayin’…

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

punaise @
172

Anne @
134

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

Big Pharma does not need us urging folk to swallow more of their products …

*ilson46201 @ 171

punaise @
172

Anne @
134

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

Big Pharma does not need us urging folk to swallow more of their products …

Whatever you do, if you value your life, do *not* tell Jane to take a Viagra.

*ilson you are a gentleman and a scholar, despite what Bill O’Reilly says. I gotta figure out how these internets work I forgot the F5 key.

I am going to go on the record and say, I don’t think Darcy should have an ad where she works her way through the crowd to the guy in the Cialis t-shirt and says: If its been more than four years, I think you need a pro to handle it.

Okay, you should probably just leave that last one in moderation…

Twisted Martini @ 174

*ilson you are a gentleman and a scholar…

don’t forget “internets tycoon”

OT but interesting.

Looks like Holy Joe is not the only Democratic candidate who lost a primary, but is a sore loser.

Click Me!

In vino veritas indeed!

Darcy did need an introductory ad. I doorbelled for her in a lower middle class part of the district three weeks ago and no one knew who she was. Many people didn’t like her opponent but they hadn’t heard of her.

The 8th in WA, her district, is a mixture of upper middle class people who are trending Democratic and may well know who she is and lower middle class people who have tended to vote Republican.

Darcy is an outstanding candidate and speaker and can be a firebrand. She was way toned down in this. I think the idea of introducing her was right. But the ad should have done a better job of it.

Slightly OT:

Mr. Schlesinger Goes to Washinton

and begs for support. This guy just might stick a fork in Joe after all….

punaise @ 172

Anne @
134

Free (but worth millions) advice for all you men out there who are slow learners…eliminate the phrase “calm down” from your lexicon, and exile it to the same place “Take a Midol” should already be…

I’m just sayin’…

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

Fine for your male friends. Women? Not so much…*g*

Mary @ 176

I am going to go on the record and say, I don’t think Darcy should have an ad where she works her way through the crowd to the guy in the Cialis t-shirt and says: If its been more than four years, I think you need a pro to handle it.

Oh, Mary - that one gets a big 707!

Anne @ 180

punaise @ 172

Anne @
134

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

Fine for your male friends. Women? Not so much…*g*

What about just yelling “You must chill! You… Must… Chill!”?

Anne @ 182

punaise @ 172

Anne @
134

good advice.
but is the non-gender-specific “take a chill pill” OK? I’m just askin’…

Fine for your male friends. Women? Not so much…*g*

that explains madame punaise’s adverse reaction…. :~)

Pachacutec @ 155

This is what the DCCC does: they take good candidates with passion, like Marcy Winograd, make them listen to DC consultants and bleach them of any passion, principle or personality. Then they lose, and the advertising consultants cash their checks and wait for the next election cycle.

But who loses?

You and me. Progressives.

This needed to be highlighted. Very well said.

The best part is when the voiceover says: And they have a young son. In the very next scene a little girl comes skipping in to the frame.

What a pretty little boy you have Darcy.

And that made me laugh, at least.

That ad is horrible. I’ve donated a fair amount of money to her campaign but this is hideous.

Any campaign advice she is receiving that isn’t “tie dave reichert to bush and iraq” is bad advice. Here background is a fine thing to tag onto the end of it, but the way to win this district is all “david recichert = george bush = dick cheney” all the time.

immanentize @
182

Slightly OT:

Mr. Schlesinger Goes to Washinton

and begs for support. This guy just might stick a fork in Joe after all….

Yes, hopefully he can split the Republican vote and throw the election to the Democratic candidate.

Cozumel @
171

If there’s anyone lurking looking for a pro ad guy that does, you know, TV commercials, this guy is top notch. ; )

http://www.icepicedit.com/about.html

Geez, me too :-)

I’m just a lowly Canuck, but do you have any idea how much I’d love to be making ads for Dems this year?

I’d happily work for free.

(long pause)

Okay, really cheap.

www.itaintrocketscience.ca

Eli,
Yeah, whatever happened to Reagan-worship and the 11th commandment?

Pach- okay, check backstage again.

And, all, please remember to F5 if you have a comment that ends up in mod. Naturally, you might well expect that *certain* terms automatically put you into auto mod. Kinda like what happened back when people were commenting on “Rush at the airport”, if you get my point. Spam filters, and all that.

Pachachutec @ 161 (now I know how you pronounce your name!), advice to Democrats running in 2006:

Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq

Do not be shy, Karl Rove and the Slimebags love your shyness. Repeat as necessary.

Eli: Thanks for the NYT link. As you might guess, I’ve been trying to do my bit to help Alan’s name recognition.

WARNING — a major source of spam is hawking hard-on pills and tranks — everytime you mention a name brand, your comment gets trapped in moderation and some kind soul has to manually release it.

So beware of being all-specific about drugs … mmmkay?

Pachacutec @ 194

Eli: Thanks for the NYT link. As you might guess, I’ve been trying to do my bit to help Alan’s name recognition.

It was imm’s, I just quoted it for my own nefarious purposes.

immanentize @ 183

Slightly OT:

Mr. Schlesinger Goes to Washinton

and begs for support. This guy just might stick a fork in Joe after all….

I can’t believe that I actually feel sorry for the guy.

BTW, I happened to drive by his campaign headquarters in Derby the other day. Oh man, it was a really sad, sad sight. A little dark corner storefront (which many storefronts in Derby are to begin with) with some Schlesinger bumperstickers covering the windows.

He’s got only $18k in his campaign coffers. You can’t get more pathetic.

Lynn @ 181

Darcy did need an introductory ad. I doorbelled for her in a lower middle class part of the district three weeks ago and no one knew who she was. Many people didn’t like her opponent but they hadn’t heard of her.

The 8th in WA, her district, is a mixture of upper middle class people who are trending Democratic and may well know who she is and lower middle class people who have tended to vote Republican.

Darcy is an outstanding candidate and speaker and can be a firebrand. She was way toned down in this. I think the idea of introducing her was right. But the ad should have done a better job of it.

Lynn: I salute you and your work. Now I understand the Microsoft reference in the ad.

Valley Girl @ 194

I hope I didn’t cause problems. I always thought See Alice! would have been a better name anyway.

iftthethunderdontgetya @
194

Pachachutec @ 161 (now I know how you pronounce your name!), advice to Democrats running in 2006:

Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq
Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq

Do not be shy, Karl Rove and the Slimebags love your shyness. Repeat as necessary.

Oh she can throw an “I love kittens” in there too, but if she doesn’t hammer that message, we all lose hehe.

But no Enya for the soundtrack. Think Metallica. Or at least Fleetwood Mac sheesh.

Mary @ 199

Valley Girl @ 194

I hope I didn’t cause problems. I always thought See Alice! would have been a better name anyway.

What about Violet Agra, Lee Veetra, and Emily Zyte?

Veritas, thanks for the response.
Could you relax a little on the “drunk” part? It’s a blog and it has to be entertaining. If it were always PG-13, none of us would be here.
Some of us at FDL, me, are humor challenged, so we I appreciate the levity.

Just because you don’t read all the posts doesn’t mean something wasn’t dealt with. It was dealt with, very well, and with great humility. That means a lot of people are too lazy to go back and read what was written about it, while it was happening.

In addition to laziness, some commenters apparently want their “pound of flesh” and apparently they want it every week or so. Jane puts her email out there for ANYONE.

Posters cannot comment over and above what has already been said, without reopening a media firestorm. That hurts Ned. If you want to keep hurting Ned (and I don’t think you do), keep bringing it up.

In addition “This is a party line, and the neighbors have itchy trigger fingers.” Every time you or someone else brings it up, it’s out there for Lieberman, Rove, Mehlman….. This is not a country club, we do not have exclusive members.

Email it to Jane if you must, but it’s massively counter productive in the threads.

I’m no advertising person but I do know that people make the decisions on major purchases based on emotion, not fact. The facts enter in, but the ultimate “I’m gonna do this!” is not.

I think the major complaint about the content of this ad is that it is bland, uninspiring — elevator music. Too much is going on but nothing happens.

People seem to be defending it because, on the face of things, it isn’t particularly objectionable, but it IS, precisely because it falls flat where passion, interest, curiosity, ANY positive emotion is really needed to draw people in.

They wasted a lot of her/our money. And I’m not sure she’s any better off after it than before: how can you be motivated to vote, or work, for her based on that ad? How can you be motivated to get up out of your chair, or even turn your head and remark to someone else, “Hey, now THAT’S someone worth looking into!” Lots of words and pictures, some data but no emotion.

Midol? Calm Down? Chill Pill?

Relax?
Don’t Do It!

(The leather version)

SharonW @ 198

immanentize @ 183

Slightly OT:

He’s got only $18k in his campaign coffers. You can’t get more pathetic.

Yet Lieberman somehow manages to… ;-)

Sorry *ilson.

ifthethunder…

Is there room in there for Rumsfeld & National Debt?

Valley Girl @ 193

And, all, please remember to F5 if you have a comment that ends up in mod.

What’s that mean? I had about 4 days of not being able to post comments at all last week (or was it the week before?).

Mary- no, you never cause problems, except of the good sort. I remember when you posted stuff with 15 links, and of course those always went into auto mod (too many links = spam possible), but you never complained and were always so patient. xxoo

dannyboy @ 204

I’m no advertising person but I do know that people make the decisions on major purchases based on emotion, not fact. The facts enter in, but the ultimate “I’m gonna do this!” is not.

I think the major complaint about the content of this ad is that it is bland, uninspiring — elevator music. Too much is going on but nothing happens.

People seem to be defending it because, on the face of things, it isn’t particularly objectionable, but it IS, precisely because it falls flat where passion, interest, curiosity, ANY positive emotion is really needed to draw people in.

They wasted a lot of her/our money. And I’m not sure she’s any better off after it than before: how can you be motivated to vote, or work, for her based on that ad? How can you be motivated to get up out of your chair, or even turn your head and remark to someone else, “Hey, now THAT’S someone worth looking into!” Lots of words and pictures, some data but no emotion.

Oh Dannyboy, I love you so.

I would add, there’s plenty that should have been in this ad instead. She’s a great candidate with a great story to tell, but no one will hear it unless she picks a fight on “accountability.”

See my lengthy polling analysis quote upthread.

MyDD has a link to another video-clip of Darcy in another post. It’s a YouTube of her talking to the DNC. A better introductory, IMHO, would have been a clip out of that, her standard stump speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R81j3LjrTJc

Eli @ 203

What about Violet Agra, Lee Veetra, and Emily Zyte?

I’m pretty sure I knew an Emily Zyte. I have to admit, a Violet Agra would scare me just a little.

if we wanted to engage in a little Rick Santorum tactics, we’d toss a few bucks in Schlessinger’s campaign bucket… if he can even manage to draw a few percentage points off from Liarman, it would help…

I don’t think the links to My DD are helping, so I’ll say it, , even though I’m on this stupid computer that can’t even load the thing , much less play it:

It doesn’t mention Iraq, the point of mentioning her military connection.

It doesn’t mention Bush.

It doesn’t say whether she’s a Dem or a Republican.

Those are inexcusable omissions.

Get a damn grip, this isn’t about what Jane likes or doesn’t like or what the netroots “cause” is. It’s about what’s going work over the next short weeks to get Democrats elected in the fall! After a few weeks away, I have to tell you, there’s a sad increase in the nitpicky nasty commentary here that is pretty sad to see.

OldCoastie @ 213

if we wanted to engage in a little Rick Santorum tactics, we’d toss a few bucks in Schlessinger’s campaign bucket… if he can even manage to draw a few percentage points off from Liarman, it would help…

Hehe. I like it ; )

I’m pretty sure I knew an Emily Zyte.

Does she have kind of a creepy fixed smile?

VG @ 210 - truthbetold, I kind of liked getting my rantier rants epu’d. Sometimes I bad about doing so much venting, but it helps me sleep at nights. xoxo

HeirofPatriots @ 207

Valley Girl @ 193

And, all, please remember to F5 if you have a comment that ends up in mod.

What’s that mean? I had about 4 days of not being able to post comments at all last week (or was it the week before?).

F5 refers to the keys at the top of your keyboard, “F1, F2, F3….”
You can also access it via the reload/refresh button on your browser. It’s a more robust way to refresh your screen.

I went to high school with a boy named Lee Veetra.

HeirofPatriots- you are raising two separate issues, I think.

1) If comments are for some reason caught up in auto mod moderators (as available) try to release the valid ones (not spam) promptly. But, it you simply hit the “refresh comments” button, they do not show up has having been added. To have them show up, you need to refresh the entire page- hitting F5 is a shortut for that- also right click reload does same.

2) I don’t know what may have been the cause of you not being able to post comment- for a while FDL was running very slow, and a lot of people got frustrated, but I don’t remember when that was. That is the only time recently that I have seen complaints about trouble posting.

zennurse @ 214

I don’t think the links to My DD are helping, so I’ll say it, , even though I’m on this stupid computer that can’t even load the thing , much less play it:

It doesn’t mention Iraq, the point of mentioning her military connection.

It doesn’t mention Bush.

It doesn’t say whether she’s a Dem or a Republican.

Those are inexcusable omissions.

Get a damn grip, this isn’t about what Jane likes or doesn’t like or what the netroots “cause” is. It’s about what’s going work over the next short weeks to get Democrats elected in the fall! After a few weeks away, I have to tell you, there’s a sad increase in the nitpicky nasty commentary here that is pretty sad to see.

I would add we have 90 days to get our good progressive candidates to absorb precisely this message before the DCCC and the DSCC completely fuck them up the way they did Marcy Winograd.

If you detect a sense of urgency in our discussion of this topic, well, now you know why. We have many more than Darcy to save, and not a lot of time to do it.

Imm at 205……….well I never…….

immanentize @ 218

I went to high school with a boy named Lee Veetra.

I went to a summer camp whose owner was named Wacker and named his son… Richard.

Eli @ 214

I’m pretty sure I knew an Emily Zyte.

Does she have kind of a creepy fixed smile?

no, that’s Beaux Tocks

Pach: ok, I read your links. Got it. Bush, Iraq, D team, etc. And I’ll agree these are huge “holes” for the R team.

I still won’t come out so fast and hard against this ad…without further info. Perhaps she has a harder hitting series of ads for the Fall…this is just a “get to know me” ad. I don’t know.

And, I still can’t fault Ms. Bruner here…she’s a candidate for office, not an ad guru. The bigger story might be the history/background on this particular ad agency…but I just couldn’t get much on that from this particular article.

Finally, perhaps some well-intentioned, nicely written emails to Ms. Bruner, using the “Pach links” might get her campaign more “in the know”.

Ghostman

We live in scary times and you want to elect someone who you’d want to cover your back when things go down the alley.

Frankly, this comes out of the same soft-focus Democrats are warm & cuddly and want us all to be nice school of marketing. Sorry, completely wrong approach. I’ve read from people who’ve seen her that she’s a strong woman with strong positions — that sure as hell doesn’t come through on this ad, filled with generic bromides that are meaningless and frankly she seems calmed on Xanax or something.

A woman especially has to call bullshit, tap into the zeitgeist, the fear that people have. You have to say the war was wrong and our kids are paying the price. You have to say our Constitution has protected our liberties for over 200 years and I’m not going to let that go down the tubes because of some ragged religious fundamentalists over in the Middle East issuing threats, we’re better than this. This is what I believe, this is what I stand for and this is what I’ll fight for. You, your families, our safety from enemies domestic and abroad, a fair chance in life for all of us, not just the rich and connected. I’ve made it and I haven’t forgotten where I came from, but as you well know, that land of opportunity hat I grew up in is disappearing, we need to bring back a society that’s secure, wise and open to all our kids. And for that, we need to be strong, but together we can do it. I approve this message.

Eli 223 - WHO would do that to a child?? LMAO!

Mary @ 211

Eli @ 203

What about Violet Agra, Lee Veetra, and Emily Zyte?

I’m pretty sure I knew an Emily Zyte. I have to admit, a Violet Agra would scare me just a little.

What about Sy Allis, and his Greek friend Harry Paratestis? I actually heard a page for Harry at O’Hare one time. Viva boner pills!

Oh, Pach. Gosh (blush).

OldCoastie @ 225

Eli 223 - WHO would do that to a child?? LMAO!

A lot of people. Try Googling it.

Watched ad a few times. Obviously the consultants think the following themes are winners for Darcy:

1) She’s strong on defense & supports the military - her father’s a vet as is her husband

2) She’s one of us - her mom taught public school and she attended them -she’s not some effete private school liberal like John Kerry

3) She’s really one of us because she came from a family that had to work hard to make ends meet - unlike that effete rich guy Kerry

yada, yada, yada. Dem consultants…fighting yesterday’s battles.

Eli - let’s just say should could double for Laura Bush, back when they used to let her out of the house.

Off to do horse stuff - fight the good fight Jane of FDL (a name that no one seems to forget easily)!

punaise @ 224

Eli @ 214

I’m pretty sure I knew an Emily Zyte.

Does she have kind of a creepy fixed smile?

no, that’s Beaux Tocks

Speaking of which, whatever happened to Nicole Kidman’s forehead and face? And she was such a pretty young woman….

’sup, ‘firepups?

BobbyG in Florida here. Emails I sent today:
_____

You all are havin’ more fun than I am right now. Florida sux. It’s 90 degrees and 100% humidity, thunderstorms every afternoon. Breathe too hard and you’ll drown. The AC is out at my Mother’s house (it was 88 inside when I got here), looks like a 240 volt AC line to the outside compressor / heat exchanger unit is shorted somewhere up in the garage crawl space. We’re waiting now on a licensed electrician in the wake of the HVAC guy all morning. The AC unit in her car is ALSO not working, I’m taking it to a shop this afternoon (so I can turn in my rental car)…

Well, we got the 240 volt AC line repaired, still no AC in the house, the HVAC dude has gotta come back in the morning. Then I got Mom’s car’s AC repaired (took 3 hours), and on way back to her apartment at Glenbrooke, about 200 yards from the place, I got pulled over by Barney Friggin’ Fife of Palm Bay and written up — expired tag. She’d renewed it, but the sticker and not been put on the plate. We found it in the apartment under her six miles of piled up mail. I never thought to look. Now, I gotta deal with that too (you can do a nolo and show proof of compliance to avoid the $78 ticket, but just one more irritant to mess with). Prick coulda let me off with a warning. I was just gonna park it anyway. Moreover, if he ran the tag (which I would assume), he sould have seen that the registration was NOT expired.

One more reason to hate this moldy swampyard.

Lisinopril……
_____

Sitting at a WiFi cafe at the moment, sipping a bit Shiraz.

So, what is up?
.

imm— I went to grade school with a girl named Velvet Satin. ;)

Eli - let’s just say should could double for Laura Bush, back when they used to let her out of the house.

Eep. Speaking of which, has anyone seen the Hills Have Eyes remake? Kathleen Quinlan as the out-of-touch fundie mom was a dead ringer, IMHO.

you can make all the tv spots you want, but there’s nothing quite like FREE media:

http://wusa9.com/news/news_art.....ryid=51530

Hey, John Casper –
Every single posting I’ve made today has been banned. I assume this one will be, too. So no need to respond.
Sincerely,
Veritas78
P.S. — I gave $185 to Ned Lamont, in 9 installments. I guess I’m some hideous kind of troll.

Problem is that it is total cowardly chicken poop, devoid of content. Bush is for improving education to give more opportunity, has ideas for making healthcare affordable, wants to protect social security and pensions. Right? Bush is against unnamed ’special interests’ too. So, for voter who is not super politically involved, so what’s the diff?

Seems like the indirect hint stuff about being strong on national security is worse than nothing. OK, she’s from a military family, married some one in military. So that reminds people that, yes there is a reason why national security issues are important right now. Probably also prompts viewer to wonder why absolutely nothing is said about what she thinks about certain things, like, you know, some minor issues like Iraq, recent war in Lebanon, terrorism, energy security.
Sometimes I think JH gets too riled up about things like this. But the more I learn the more riled I get about he centrist nothings in the Democratic party. I don’t see how this kind of commercial helps elect anyone. It is anodyne, contentless, cowardly, pabulum. Smooth filler and binder, with no minerals, vitimans, or calories of any kind. Like drinking a cup of nothing. I cannot see how it would inspire anything but apathy. Dreck. Demand the money back.

BobbyG!!!!! xxxooo big hugs.

John Casper, thanks for the explanation: the “F5″ reference went over my head.

ValleyGirl, yes, I think it was something different. I just missed the meaning of “f5″.

BobbyG, have a cool breeze from Maine….

Mary @ 208

Sorry *ilson.

ifthethunder…

Is there room in there for Rumsfeld & National Debt?

That’s a good point, Mary. And to be honest, I’m not sure there is. I think people concerned about Rumsfeld and the national debt are already going to be voting for our Darcy Burners out there.

And the folks who are not, need to be reminded about

Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq

It may seem mindless, but look at how well the Rove does with Latest Terra Threat! (ok maybe we heard about it 3 years ago, but !islamofascists! !boo! !new latest terror threat!)

We’ve spent several years and far too many lives learning what a disaster this neocon administration has lied us into. No point switching into explaining the budget deficit, because if you don’t get that already, you’re probably not going to in the few minutes you spend thinking about local elections in a non presidential campaign year.

Anyways, those are my overly long thoughts, and I could be wrong.

P.S.

Iraq Bush Cheney Iraq

Ads: Or, for those of us who aren’t doing TV, the Snickers billboards that never use the name. Just the label style. Understated, but effective.

Hey there, Bobby G! sounds like you need TWO glasses of shiraz… well, if you are walking, that is…

veruca where have ya been! I’ve got a new video ready to torture everyone with on latenight, I was saving it for you hehe.

Veritas78- obviously your #237 was not banned- WHAT did you say before??!!!

But the more I learn the more riled I get about he centrist nothings in the Democratic party. I don’t see how this kind of commercial helps elect anyone. It is anodyne, contentless, cowardly, pabulum. Smooth filler and binder, with no minerals, vitimans, or calories of any kind. Like drinking a cup of nothing. I cannot see how it would inspire anything but apathy. Dreck. Demand the money back.

I suddenly remind myself of a comment I made about a month or two ago, that I would be able to predict the general outcome of the 2006 elections based on what kind of ad campaigns the Democrats run.

My thinking was that if they don’t aggressively tie the Democrats to Bush and his disastrous policies, they won’t retake either house of Congress.

Well…

Hmmmm, I wonder if this is what “Reader DK” was thinking when s/he said we needed to pay attention to other campaigns.

My guess is that discovering and discussing and dissing the pathetic insider media racket was not what that DLC-er-ish “Reader” had in mind

hey, Bobby G!

pach #120: yes that is right too. It has the emotional punch of a puff of stale air from a closet. Mothballs. Linoleum. All the life of a anonymous lobby in an anonymous rent-a-office building in an anonymous office park. Guard falling asleep. Echos of nothing murmuring in the distant background. Bad airport music less inspiring than silence.

Oldcoastie…

I’m on my second glass.

;)

Missing my posse tonight:

http://santafeandthefatcityhorns.blogspot.com/

(check the pic on the current blog post)
.

egregious,
Your mom will be in good company. I hear lots of older people talking about using new brooms, sweeping out the incumbents (AKA Republicans).
Strickland’s a fine man, as is Sherrod Brown. I want to be proud of people from my state in DC again. Those years of having Metzenbaum and John Glenn were spoilers.

it’s Anne O’Dyne, fella

Hey P J Evans, IIRC, you did some awesome work digging and linking to a donor list for Joe. I was looking for it. Can you by chance remember the day or perchance the post it was on, so it’s easier for me to find?

Well I could not find a 1950’s Soviet training film on the dangers of VD.

Would a 1970’s PSA do?

VD is for Everyone:
http://grouper.com/video/Media.....id=1424925

punaise, VG, all…

Love ya’s.

Been outa the loop lately.
.

Eli @223
One son went to school with a little boy named Ben. Ben Gay.

Just be real. How hard is that? After 4 years of Mr Phony Fredo Busholini, the lesson should be “just be yourself.” Let your passion sell you. That ad was totally devoid of passion.

veruca @ 254

Well I could not find a 1950’s Soviet training film on the dangers of VD.

Would a 1970’s PSA do?

VD is for Everyone:
http://grouper.com/video/Media.....id=1424925

Damn, now I want *me* some VD…

Margot @ 256

Eli @223
One son went to school with a little boy named Ben. Ben Gay.

It’s tragic, isn’t it. My dad claims to have toyed with a punny name for me, but I don’t think he really would have done it.

Twisted Martini @ 259

Just be real. How hard is that? After 4 years of Mr Phony Fredo Busholini, the lesson should be “just be yourself.” Let your passion sell you. That ad was totally devoid of passion.

Sorry, Twisted, I think Bush is just being himself :~)

Which is why we are where we oughtn’t be.

Bobby, what a relief!! You take it one day at a time, honey, just get that cool air blowing and you’ll be fine.

Good to see your face in my mind.
Hi to Cheryl.

Anne @ 135

Free (but worth millions) advice for all you men out there who are slow learners…eliminate the phrase “calm down” from your lexicon, and exile it to the same place “Take a Midol” should already be…

I’m just sayin’…

I agree.

Hi Bobby G. Ned won.

Grooooooooo…shite and onions!!

That ad’s a stinker, alright.

Somebody open a window in here.

zennurse -

xoxoxo

Hope you are well, m’Dear.

Fixin’ to go crash. Tired. ‘nuther long day tomorrow.

They’re all just so scared of the big bad republicans and their media noise machine.

Fucking cowards.

Kurt @ 245

veruca where have ya been! I’ve got a new video ready to torture everyone with on latenight, I was saving it for you hehe.

I’ve been volunteer proof-reading: zoning out in the 1800’s.

A video you say? Bring it on! :-)

I hope Darcy is my new Representative but that ad sucks eggs. The ad leaves the impression that the most important thing about Darcy is her dad and husband were in the military. Reichart mismanaged the sheriff’s office, took lots of money from Tom DeLay and votes the way Bush and Karl Rove wants. I don’t give a fig if Reichart’s dad or wife served in the military. I don’t want my daughter to be sent to Iraq by George Bush and Dave Reichart.

op99 -

Yeah, I knew that much. Joe Leaverman, though, is the turd that won’t flush.
.

It’s funny. A lot of the commentary sympathetic to the ad boils down to:

1. It looks like a regular ad, so what’s wrong with it?

2. Darcy’s a good candidate, we should not pick on her.

3. Bloggers are shrill.

4. DC consultants may know what’s needed in the district.

Let’s take these one at a time:

1. That’s exactly what’s wrong with it. Loser ads constructed by losers lose. The whole point is to use this money to get really noticed, to make an impression. Otherwise it’s a waste. TV time is not cheap.

2. Darcy’s a great candidate, and this ad does not reflect or communicate her greatness. We want her to shine, and we also want all the others like her not to make this mistake with their money over the next few weeks. We have to make noise about this.

3. Suck my lamb venom.

4. They don’t study the home district, and even when they do, they ask the wrong questions. They don’t run polls like the one MyDD and the Courage Coalition ran to find out why, in fact, Marcy Winograd lost. There’s no one to bill for that poll, so they don’t do it. We did, because we care about winning. Ned Lamont hired a non-political pro to write eye-opening ads that worked locally, and so should Darcy and others, according to the polling analysis Bowers and others have done.

BREAKING Plame Investigation News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....k_woodward

Then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

Armitage’s official State Department calendars, provided to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show a one-hour meeting marked “private appointment” with Woodward on June 13, 2003.

[snip]

Armitage’s calendar also shows that a week before Woodward’s meeting with Armitage, the deputy secretary of state met for 15 minutes with Libby.

Mr. Armitage is now way out in the open as Bob Woodward’s source, and there’s evidence of an even earlier Libby/Armitage meeting, thanks to the Associated Press deciding to do a little actual investigative reporting.

BobbyG @ 271

op99 -

Yeah, I knew that much. Joe Leaverman, though, is the turd that won’t flush.
.

brilliant !

Uh, I hate to appear stupid here but is this gal a Repub or Dem?? Did I miss somewhere in the ad her party affiliation? Aside from the fact it was a vanilla type ad, it just isn’t clear what party she represents.

BobbyG @ 269

op99 -

Yeah, I knew that much. Joe Leaverman, though, is the turd that won’t flush.
.

Poomentum.

For another example, check out

http://www.dlc.org/

I’ve been checking this pathetic pointless truly vapid and dispiriting site to see if they would have something… interesting.

New thing up is a book co-authored by Emanuel. The Plan. ‘The Plan’ for what? I spent ten minutes clicking around trying to find out what the dang thing is about. I couldn’t find out. No table of contents, blurbs that say nothing, excerpt is a fricking paragraph that says they have a new plan.

For cripes sake. The DLC has a new book that announces a Big Plan that no one can figure out what it is or is about. And, this is hilarious, they want you to buy it over the internet. Most people would more likely buy a mysterly burlap bag at a flea market. And these complete fools think that this is an answer to the big bad old fashioned liberalism -announcing big mysterious Plans?

Nothing about national security. Still can’t figure out what they think or how they differ from BushCo on most domestic issues.

Oh yeah, they did post an editroial from Washington Post that contradicts, as far as I can figure out, one of their wonky nearly incomprehensible position papers. That certainly helps, doesn’t it.

DLC and corporate centrist Dems (of whom I used to consider myself one of): the cowardly, the clueless, the corrupt. Losers.

Ignore them and forge ahead. Except see if some one can get money back for that commercial.

Pachacutec @ 269

Let’s take these one at a time:

nicely dissected. pablum just isn’t going to cut it.

Lynn 181 - thanks for the insight… is there any reason that the words “Democratic candidate” would have been skipped? is it a terribly red district where Democratic would be considered a cuss word?

Margot @ 257

Eli @223
One son went to school with a little boy named Ben. Ben Gay.

Had my parents been able to pull off having a Christmas Day baby, I would have been named Joeux Noel on top of my unmanageably long and frightening Eastern European surname.

Wisely, I held out for a few years until I could get a February birth.

Okay, next question then to both those who thought the ad atrocious and a waste of bucks and to those who saw it as non-objectionable, but boring…so what do we do about it?

Do we have the names of ad firms we can recommend? Can we help her with her message? Are we merely here to criticize or help and assuming the latter how can we help her?

And these complete fools think that this is an answer to the big bad old fashioned liberalism -announcing big mysterious Plans?

Wasn’t this a big part of Kerry’s campaign strategy? I seem to recall him repeatedly saying that he had a Plan, but not actually saying much about what it was…

aquarius2 @ 275

Uh, I hate to appear stupid here but is this gal a Repub or Dem?? Did I miss somewhere in the ad her party affiliation? Aside from the fact it was a vanilla type ad, it just isn’t clear what party she represents.

You didn’t miss it. These DC consultants thought it would be good not to mention she’s not in Bush’s party.

I shit you not.

this is OT, guys, but I have to vent. Just got off the phone with the computer hospital and- um—-they can’t find me or my work order in the computer!!!!!!! They told me to call the store where there was no answer.

I think they lost my computer.
It’s been 5 weeks today.
I can’t stand it.

Thanks, sorry to interrupt.

DLC and corporate centrist Dems (of whom I used to consider myself one of): the cowardly, the clueless, the corrupt. Losers.

The DLC are the figleaf for the corporatists. “Sure, we’re advocating giving the corporations everything they want, but it’s just so we can win elections, we promise!”

Hey Bobby G,

Been waitin’ for you to pop up. Everything OK? I’ll be in Lost Wages the middle of next month.

Jane Hamsher @
74

Robin @ 48

Jane,

I think you need to calm down a bit and don’t go overboard with WEB groupthink [ …] great—but calm down a bit on this one.

Hey Robin, I think you need to kiss my ass in Macy’s window, ‘kay?

Please God, let me vote for this woman at least once in my life.

wesgpc’s votinglinks @ 277

For another example, check out

http://www.dlc.org/

I’ve been checking this pathetic pointless truly vapid and dispiriting site to see if they would have something… interesting.

New thing up is a book co-authored by Emanuel. The Plan. ‘The Plan’ for what? I spent ten minutes clicking around trying to find out what the dang thing is about. I couldn’t find out. No table of contents, blurbs that say nothing, excerpt is a fricking paragraph that says they have a new plan.

For cripes sake. The DLC has a new book that announces a Big Plan that no one can figure out what it is or is about. And, this is hilarious, they want you to buy it over the internet. Most people would more likely buy a mysterly burlap bag at a flea market. And these complete fools think that this is an answer to the big bad old fashioned liberalism -announcing big mysterious Plans?

Nothing about national security. Still can’t figure out what they think or how they differ from BushCo on most domestic issues.

Oh yeah, they did post an editroial from Washington Post that contradicts, as far as I can figure out, one of their wonky nearly incomprehensible position papers. That certainly helps, doesn’t it.

DLC and corporate centrist Dems (of whom I used to consider myself one of): the cowardly, the clueless, the corrupt. Losers.

Ignore them and forge ahead. Except see if some one can get money back for that commercial.

Don’t bother. The book is an outrage. It amplifies every GOP argument about why Dems are screwed up.

Rahm Emanuel cowrote this with his DLC asshole and should be taken flushed down the party’s toilet.

pow wow– oh goody- thanks for the Plame update. Did FDL ever have a “my bet is” as to who Woodward’s other source was?

Eli @ 273

BobbyG @ 269

op99 -

Yeah, I knew that much. Joe Leaverman, though, is the turd that won’t flush.
.

Poomentum.

let there be no mention of the kiss float(er) in this context

Here’s my take on this, Jane:

I was in Darcy’s district for a couple of days at the very end of July. I went to a fund raiser for her at a home on Lake Marcel, just a few miles from where Darcy lives. She didn’t make it there, but - as they say in the district - “she got caught on the bridge raising $ in Seattle.”

On the surface, the ad sucks, but her name recognition is very, very low. There are key words in it like “microsoft” and “military” and so on which help with the local narrative.

The people in her district already committed to her probably all think the ads suck, but, hey - how many of Reichart’s have you seen? They’re worse in some ways - smarmy.

The ad stinks, she should find better people or better themes, but Darcy IS NOT going to lose WA 10 on this.

pow wow @ 274

BREAKING Plame Investigation News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....k_woodward

Then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

Armitage’s official State Department calendars, provided to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show a one-hour meeting marked “private appointment” with Woodward on June 13, 2003.

[snip]

Armitage’s calendar also shows that a week before Woodward’s meeting with Armitage, the deputy secretary of state met for 15 minutes with Libby.

Mr. Armitage is now way out in the open as Bob Woodward’s source, and there’s evidence of an even earlier Libby/Armitage meeting, thanks to the Associated Press deciding to do a little actual investigative reporting.

It was posted earlier and I don’t think there was one “Fitz!” in the crowd. ;)

Seriously, it would then appear The Washington Note was correct afterall.

George Johnston @
270

I hope Darcy is my new Representative but that ad sucks eggs. The ad leaves the impression that the most important thing about Darcy is her dad and husband were in the military. Reichart mismanaged the sheriff’s office, took lots of money from Tom DeLay and votes the way Bush and Karl Rove wants. I don’t give a fig if Reichart’s dad or wife served in the military. I don’t want my daughter to be sent to Iraq by George Bush and Dave Reichart.

George thank you. It’s nice to have someone from the district. I’d appreciate it if you could call her campaign and ask them to review this thread. This is a focus group. She’s already lost everything she spent on production, but she can lose more everytime she pays the networks/cable to place it.
We want her to win. If a candidte can’t manage the media she pays to produce, she doesn’t look like she can represent your district.

I’m probably about to be EPU’d, but for the record:

I sugested about two weeks ago on one of these threads that Howie feature Darcy on a Saturday post. She is an excellent candidate, and really comes across well in person. I think the people who made this add don’t have any more of a clue as to who she is and what she stands for than most of the commenters here!

So give me a break with all the righteous indignation and invective.

She DOES need a much better ad for the next round, and those of us in Washington who are personally invested in this race (like myself) would prefer some constructive criticisms that we can try and take to the campaign. It’s not enough to bitch about how boring it is. Positive suggestions, please.

Darcy is very strong on military, she comes from a military family, her brother was one of the first to go to Iraq, and one of her best friends from childhood was killed in Afghanistan. But she is a soft-spoken person, so the key is in how to produce an ad that uses all the strength of her ideas and integrity without trying to make her into an attack dog. It wouldn’t work.

And while she has given many great speeches about the insanity of invading iraq, her opponent (Reichert) was the King County Sherrif for many years, was instrumental in bringing the Green River Killer to justice, so he gets automatic cred as a security guy. But he’s also a “nice” guy without much in the way of ideas. That should be expolited. However, he has only served in Congress for two years - which, like it or not, makes it harder to tie him to Bush’s Iraq policy.

Zen!!!! Ouch! But, if they lost your computer, make sure the find the most newest specialist one that you want!!!

Thank you Jane for taking what appeared to be a run of the mill commercial and give it the kiss of death. You write as somebody who has experience in making ads with impact and it is good for us marketing-challenged types to have our attention focused on something that can be improved. Only when we adhere to best practices will we be able to crush the Republican dragon.

Richard Nixon had a secret plan for Victory in Vietnam in 1968 and he won that election. He was lying about his Plan but what the hell, he won the election, didnt he?

I think it’s a pretty typical political ad. Positive. Upbeat. Perhaps a little sappy. Were you hoping for a piercing attack on her opponent? If so, I can understand the disappointment.

For people who like the add: it is soothing and nice, and tries to reassure people that the candidate is a nice person. But for goodness sake, not one specific statement on where she stands regarding GOP or Bush positions. I know I am fixated on social security, but that is an example. She want to protect it. So does Bush, that is what he says! Again, a voter who only pays attention at election time, or one who is too busy making ends meet, does not have the information to make an informed decision. Or maybe not even enought to inspire getting out vote! Bush social security position was pretty roundly repudiated by voting public. Why not state clearly what your policy is. Why say the same thing the GOP does? What does parroting GOP’s bogus reassurances that they want to ‘protect’ social security accomplish?

What does putting in subtle hints that national security is important, and then not saying one single thing about what you think about national security. As I said above, that might be worse than completely ignoring it.

This is a bad ad, I think. A waste. In some ways, maybe worse than nothing.

Jax @ 298

I think it’s a pretty typical political ad. Positive. Upbeat. Perhaps a little sappy. Were you hoping for a piercing attack on her opponent? If so, I can understand the disappointment.

The answer to your question I bolded is amply answered here in the comment thread. I’ve written several comments that will more than answer this question, for any who actually seek an answer.

Hello, Valley Girl –
I’m having a hard time recollecting what I said, since my posts are all down. My main point was that Jane shouldn’t be so judgmental about ads that are aimed at local audiences, and that she’s too young and coastal to be attacking what might work for heartland voters. (It came out harsher than I just stated. There was an unfair reference to her black-face error which was inappropriate.)

I’m not a troll. I’ve been posting at Smirking Chimp since 2001 under the same moniker, and I loyally give to progressive candidates. It’s been an education today to be banned and battered about as a troll.

We don’t want a Cult Of Jane or a Cult Of Christie, as much as we admire them. They benefit when we critique them. They will be more effective advocates of the progressive movement with our advice.
Sincerely,
Veritas78

SharonW @ 280

Okay, next question then to both those who thought the ad atrocious and a waste of bucks and to those who saw it as non-objectionable, but boring…so what do we do about it?

Do we have the names of ad firms we can recommend? Can we help her with her message? Are we merely here to criticize or help and assuming the latter how can we help her?

At the very least change the music. Or talk to Ned’s marketing people. Or MENTION THE PARTY NAME.

I trust Matt Stoller’s judgement way more than I trust the judgement of the Beltway Election Losers(tm).

Well, I speed-read the comments, SharonW, but thought more than one posting of this one wouldn’t hurt, if I in fact overlooked the first announcement - which I apparently did.

Yup - and emptywheel and company and their ‘font analysis’ of the redacted spaces, which were covering up the name(s), were right on the money…

This will cause some twists and turns in the road ahead for the investigation, no doubt.

Veritas78 @ 301

Hello, Valley Girl –
I’m having a hard time recollecting what I said, since my posts are all down. My main point was that Jane shouldn’t be so judgmental about ads that are aimed at local audiences, and that she’s too young and coastal to be attacking what might work for heartland voters. (It came out harsher than I just stated. There was an unfair reference to her black-face error which was inappropriate.)

I’m not a troll. I’ve been posting at Smirking Chimp since 2001 under the same moniker, and I loyally give to progressive candidates. It’s been an education today to be banned and battered about as a troll.

We don’t want a Cult Of Jane or a Cult Of Christie, as much as we admire them. They benefit when we critique them. They will be more effective advocates of the progressive movement with our advice.
Sincerely,
Veritas78

I’m sorry, you’re an ass. Jane is, ahem, over 40. The New York Times published her age. Go away and come back when you have a clue.

shoephone- thanks- I hope you will email Howie with that suggestion again. Just bec. he hasn’t featured her doesn’t mean that he is ignoring your idea or that he isn’t trying to connect. You might leave him a note at DWT. Here’s my experience- ONE of the candidates that Howie wanted to feature (and finally did) seemed not to “get it” as to how important is was for (them) to appear at FDL, or was dragging (their) feet for whatever reason. Having had some past communications with that candidate, I bombarded the office with phone calls saying how important it was. Not sure it made a difference, but I’d like to think that it did ;) since (they) did appear on a Howie Act Blue post, and participated in the discussion.

Veritas, when you come in and say Jane’s stuff sounds like a drunk

YOU GET DELETED.

Abuse is not tolerated, especially not of our Ladies of the Lake.

You can be as generous as George Soros but if you run your mouth like a winger troll, you get kicked out.

Whining is never helpful

Calling us “mofos” aint friend-making either.

Veritas78 @ 301

Hello, Valley Girl –
I’m having a hard time recollecting what I said, since my posts are all down. My main point was that Jane shouldn’t be so judgmental about ads that are aimed at local audiences, and that she’s too young and coastal to be attacking what might work for heartland voters. (It came out harsher than I just stated. There was an unfair reference to her black-face error which was inappropriate.)

I’m not a troll. I’ve been posting at Smirking Chimp since 2001 under the same moniker, and I loyally give to progressive candidates. It’s been an education today to be banned and battered about as a troll.

We don’t want a Cult Of Jane or a Cult Of Christie, as much as we admire them. They benefit when we critique them. They will be more effective advocates of the progressive movement with our advice.
Sincerely,
Veritas78

But, hey, if you guys want to form a Cult of TRex, I’m certainly not going to stop you.

You may commence the laying of offerings at my feet now.

A candidates ad:

Why I am running and what I will do if elected.

Be specific and harsh if need be. And yes, right now we need harsh.

George Johnston - With all due respect, I’ve lived here for 22 years and all I really know about Reichert as sheriff is that he was chasing down Gary Ridgeway since 1983. Nobody voting in November will remember anything else about his tenure as sheriff, either. Just my two cents. While I definitely think Darcy is going to win, most people like Reichert’s personality, because Jennifer Dunn, who had the seat before him, was such a snake.

On dial up so I didn’t watch.
Perhaps a list of who is a good ad firm and who isn’t would be helpful for progressive candidates. Place it in the rootsproject web site with space for comments and a you tube links to various works of the good guys and some fine examples of the bad.
As many of us are painfully aware locating a decent ad person is like sorting out a decent doctor or lawyer. It’s to late when you figure it all out.

shoephone @ # 294 is right on!

Stop whining, puppies about wasted netroots bucks and line up some positive ideas!

shoephone @ 293

I’m probably about to be EPU’d, but for the record:

So give me a break with all the righteous indignation and invective.

no breaks for you mr. phone.
Invective R us.

All hail mighty TRex!!

Hussah

Hussah

Hussah!!!

and yes, I was the mofo doing the deletions … I recognize an obnoxious jerk when I read one …

TRex @ 7:16

But, hey, if you guys want to form a Cult of TRex, I’m certainly not going to stop you.

You may commence the laying of offerings at my feet now.

Does that come with complimentary home made souffle? And can we be heterodox?? ;)

*ilson,

How about “Jane sounds like she’s in a funk?”

Does that come with complimentary home made souffle? And can we be heterodox?? ;)

I’m not heterodox… but I play one on TV.

Thanks VG, I’m going to the store before they open.

Shoephone, I can’t watch the ad, but if she’s coming from a military background and wants to make a statement about that, it seems obvious that she would need to say something about Bush and Iraq. And I think the Democrat thing speaks for itself. You may want to read over at my DD they have a thread too.

This computer is just too frustrating to continue. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have a brand new one, but it won’t have all my great bookmarks and links, which is going to make me very un-zen, I’m afraid. I’m sure if they backed it up they kept the discs with the laptop.

Be sweet, everyone. I’ll seeya tomorrow.
Bobby, just think about your boys and you’ll be cool as can be.

love z

VG - I will take your suggestion and contact Howie. Darcy is totally netroots savvy (was a Microsoft manager) and has already done some stuff over at Kos.

I think I’ll go contact Howie now!

Kurt @ 303

SharonW @ 280

Okay, next question then to both those who thought the ad atrocious and a waste of bucks and to those who saw it as non-objectionable, but boring…so what do we do about it?

Do we have the names of ad firms we can recommend? Can we help her with her message? Are we merely here to criticize or help and assuming the latter how can we help her?

At the very least change the music. Or talk to Ned’s marketing people. Or MENTION THE PARTY NAME.

I trust Matt Stoller’s judgement way more than I trust the judgement of the Beltway Election Losers(tm).

Okay, so who talks to who? That’s what I’m asking. And who makes a recommendation on who should be handling her campaign commercials. If we’re all about helping…well, HOW?

Are we a focus group that Matt will use to report back with results? Is it simple as that?

Ed*ard Teller @ 311

shoephone @ # 294 is right on!

Stop whining, puppies about wasted netroots bucks and line up some positive ideas!

Positive ideas. . . um, did my 161 get deleted? Is it written in invisible pixels?

Seriously, snark aside, this new objection, that we’re not offereing an alternative approach, is mystifying. That’s exactly what we are doing.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 308

On dial up so I didn’t watch.
Perhaps a list of who is a good ad firm and who isn’t would be helpful for progressive candidates. Place it in the rootsproject web site with space for comments and a you tube links to various works of the good guys and some fine examples of the bad.
As many of us are painfully aware locating a decent ad person is like sorting out a decent doctor or lawyer. It’s to late when you figure it all out.

A won/loss record would help too.

To Pachacutec @ 304

Dude the person made an apology. Why do you have to be so harsh? Calling someone an ass? That’s not the type of language I usually associate with this site.

*ilson46201 @ 312

and yes, I was the mofo doing the deletions … I recognize an obnoxious jerk when I read one …

lets me in regular tho…

lisadawn82 @ 323

To Pachacutec @ 304

Dude the person made an apology. Why do you have to be so harsh? Calling someone an ass? That’s not the type of language I usually associate with this site.

When she calls Jane a drunk she ceases to merit civility.

*ilson46201 @ 313

and yes, I was the mofo doing the deletions … I recognize an obnoxious jerk when I read one …

*ilson, I thought v78 thought we were all ‘mofos’.

Kurt @ 315

TRex @ 7:16

But, hey, if you guys want to form a Cult of TRex, I’m certainly not going to stop you.

You may commence the laying of offerings at my feet now.

Does that come with complimentary home made souffle? And can we be heterodox?? ;)

I don’t know about letting any of them heterodoxuals into The Church of TRex. I mean, I don’t have a problem with them or anything as long as they don’t bring that stuff around me. It’s just, well, it’s not natural. The Bible says so, ‘cept I can’t remember exactly where. But Pat Robertson said the heterodoxuals were why Katrina smacked New Orleans, so I don’t know about letting them into the Church.

“Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.”

Too bad all of the “terrorist crimes” enumerated happened in the 1980’s.

What a fucking sham.

-GSD

Pachacutec @ 321

Ed*ard Teller @ 311

shoephone @ # 294 is right on!

Stop whining, puppies about wasted netroots bucks and line up some positive ideas!

Positive ideas. . . um, did my 161 get deleted? Is it written in invisible pixels?

Seriously, snark aside, this new objection, that we’re not offereing an alternative approach, is mystifying. That’s exactly what we are doing.

sorry, pac, I just got home from taking four kids school clothes and supplies shopping. I’ll read your post.

Thanks VG, I’m going to the store before they open.

ZENN!!!

GET!! A!! MACINTOSH!!

You’ll never regret it.

pow wow @ 304

Well, I speed-read the comments, SharonW, but thought more than one posting of this one wouldn’t hurt, if I in fact overlooked the first announcement - which I apparently did.

Yup - and emptywheel and company and their ‘font analysis’ of the redacted spaces, which were covering up the name(s), were right on the money…

This will cause some twists and turns in the road ahead for the investigation, no doubt.

Oh, pow wow, I wasn’t in any way criticizing you. More like my own personal running commentary in my head that I sorta typed out loud. :)

I was surprised that it garnered no attention the first time and was just cluing you into that fact so as not to be disappointed if there wasn’t further comment.

TRex -

You may commence the laying of offerings at my feet now.

hmm… let’s see what I got around here… I got a nice fresh can of peanuts… will that be a start?

Cozumel @ 216

OldCoastie @ 213

if we wanted to engage in a little Rick Santorum tactics, we’d toss a few bucks in Schlessinger’s campaign bucket… if he can even manage to draw a few percentage points off from Liarman, it would help…

Hehe. I like it ; )

You know they’d accuse any Dem donors of crossing party lines to try to cause a split in the GOP. And they’ve got a bigger speaker.

It’s all enough to make a person scream. It’s so pathetically obvious what these candidates need to do, and if all they did was start with not looking or sounding afraid to take a freakin’ position, that would be a huge step.

How hard is it to say:

We are sacrificing lives and wasting money on a failed policy that is not making us safer.

There are too many in Congress who have failed to exercise oversight of the executive branch, and that must stop.

We must be smarter about national security, vigilant in protection of American rights and privileges, willing to work diplomacy to the bone to broker peace and avoid war.

We must be intelligently selective in determining which countries should and should not have nuclear capabilities.

We have to be relentless in educating our children.

Unflagging in protecting and preserving the physical and economic health of our citizens.

Serious about how the nation’s money is spent, and punishing those who loot the Treasury for nothing more than their own selfish greed.

I mean - come on - how hard is it to stand for something? Or to stand up AGAINST what is going on?

Show the people we know the difference between what is right and what is wrong - everyone understands this, especially those who fight the good fight every day to teach their children right from wrong.

Grrrr.

lisadawn82 @ 323

To Pachacutec @ 304

Dude the person made an apology. Why do you have to be so harsh? Calling someone an ass? That’s not the type of language I usually associate with this site.

*COUGH!!*

Honey, this ain’t goddamn Townhall dot motherfucking com, okay? Where the fuck have you been?

Ed*ard Teller @ 329

Pachacutec @ 321

Ed*ard Teller @ 311

Positive ideas. . . um, did my 161 get deleted? Is it written in invisible pixels?

Seriously, snark aside, this new objection, that we’re not offereing an alternative approach, is mystifying. That’s exactly what we are doing.

sorry, pac, I just got home from taking four kids school clothes and supplies shopping. I’ll read your post.

Teller, I do love ya. I’m chill. I quoted your comment but that new objection, that we’re not offering an alternative, was cropping up mysteriously and I used your comment as a springboard to nip it in the bud, because I really, really want people to read those MyDD polling links. They are that important.

Jane

Can I kiss your ass In Macy’s window? My wife says it would be OK.

pach,

Your # 161 is awesome. I’m going to cut, paste and print it and put the printout on my b-board outside my office.

shoephone,

sorry if you find these criticisms harsh and not helpful. I beg to differ. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, and Darcy has surrounded herself with an echo chamber of beltway boys stuck in a July 4th playback mode (ooh, aah, ooh, aah). Please direct her here. We are more her friends than those who took our money and spent it on that ad for her. Please do not get upset with us and feel we are being harsh to Darcy. That is not the goal. Getting her elected is, and ads like this won’t cut it.

like there was no news in Izvestia, there is no truth in Veritas78 …

TRex @ 336

lisadawn82 @ 323

To Pachacutec @ 304

Dude the person made an apology. Why do you have to be so harsh? Calling someone an ass? That’s not the type of language I usually associate with this site.

*COUGH!!*

Honey, this ain’t goddamn Townhall dot motherfucking com, okay? Where the fuck have you been?

Mostly Lisadawn has been right here as a productive member of this community. Where the fuck have you been?

I’ve seen Democratic candidates with ads like this one — in 2004. The lazy fucking consultants and ad people have templates that they recycle across the nation. It’s campaigning by numbers. And the laziness needs to end.

If candidates are forced by the DSCC and DCCC to use the same old idiots, then it’s time to do what the Club for Growth and others do: make independent ads under the auspices of a non-profit with the non-partisan goal of holding the preznit accountable on Iraq.

OldCoastie @ 332

TRex -

You may commence the laying of offerings at my feet now.

hmm… let’s see what I got around here… I got a nice fresh can of peanuts… will that be a start?

Mmmmmmmmmmm. Peanuts. Okay. You may be seated at the Right Hand of the TRex.

Next?

Oh, absolutely understood, SharonW — I caught your drift, and appreciated the heads-up. Besides, I rudely interrupted a fairly intense discussion, to boot…

This will hit the “commercial” media big, I think. It’s out of the realm of rumor now, and will get tongues wagging.

Mmmmmmmmmmm. Peanuts. Okay. You may be seated at the Right Hand of the TRex.

Next?

Um, I have seal pictures and a fake 50s educational video about “Girly Time”…

Anne, you make it all seem so clear and simple……..hats off!

LindyH @ 333

Cozumel @ 216

OldCoastie @ 213

Hehe. I like it ; )

You know they’d accuse any Dem donors of crossing party lines to try to cause a split in the GOP. And they’ve got a bigger speaker.

You know, the GOP is making a lot of “noise” about Lieberman but I just can’t see a card carrying Republican bothering to vote, let alone vote for a pro choice canidate in a mid term election.

*crickets* ; )

*President Reagan In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

*President Reagan Then just six short months later in 1983 a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

*President Reagan Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.

*President Reagan The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

*President Reagan Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.

*President Reagan Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.

*President Reagan Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

*President Reagan The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing,

*George H.W. Bush(President elect) Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in1988, killing 259.

Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.

Why did it matter what the Governor of Arkansas was doing during all of these attacks?

Crack open a history book propaganda clowns.

-GSD

I don’t think the ad was all that bad.

Considering it was made by a robot.

“We don’t want a Cult Of Jane or a Cult Of Christie, as much as we admire them. They benefit when we critique them. They will be more effective advocates of the progressive movement with our advice.
Sincerely,”

Excuse me, but is that the Royal We?
Cause it isn’t the fdl we.
Who do you think you’re addressing here, with this condescending nonsense, Mr? Just whose advice are you bestowing from your lofty perch up there in self-righteous Land?
We like our Ladies just the way they are.
Go away.

And it’s “Christy”, not Christie.

So. Not. Impressed.
and I didn’t even read the mofo remark, thanks to *ilson, but WTF!!!????

/un-zen cranky rant at jerk

The Church of TRex

Far be it for me to edit your wordmithiness, so as an offering I would call it the:

TRex Tabernacle.

After all your highness, you should always get top billing.

LindyH 334… buh, but… but HoJo’s not a Republican! He said so himself!!!

;-)

True, bringing up Reichart’s ineptness as a sheriff isn’t a vote winner but people in our district want money spent on our schools and not painting Iraqi schools. We want out children to get a job with a future not a job as a sitting duck in Iraq. We want issues decided on their merits and not on Republicans’ highest bidder.

SharonW @ 282

Okay, next question then to both those who thought the ad atrocious and a waste of bucks and to those who saw it as non-objectionable, but boring…so what do we do about it?

Do we have the names of ad firms we can recommend? Can we help her with her message? Are we merely here to criticize or help and assuming the latter how can we help her?

I e-mailed her campaign with a critique. Just received this:

I’ve read the posts and I talked with Matt Stoller from MYDD directly
earlier today.

As many of the comments on MYDD say, this ad is the perfect setup ad to a
long campaign. We need to introduce Darcy to the diverse voters of the 8th
Congressional District. This ad is intended to do just that. Fair minded
people can disagree on the quality of the ad. The vast majority of the
feedback we have gotten from voters and activists within the district are
very positive.

As I told Matt Stoller, I would ask everyone to have patience. This ad is
just one piece of a much broader communications strategy. We have been very
aggressive in our communications strategy — and you can find many examples
of Darcy going right at Reichert and the Bush Administration on his failed
leadership — check out our website at www.darcyburner.com .

We intend to have a heavy emphasis on accountability in our subsequent
advertising.

I encourage you to continue watching closely.

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager

TRex @ 326

Kurt @ 315

TRex @ 7:16

Does that come with complimentary home made souffle? And can we be heterodox?? ;)

I don’t know about letting any of them heterodoxuals into The Church of TRex. I mean, I don’t have a problem with them or anything as long as they don’t bring that stuff around me. It’s just, well, it’s not natural. The Bible says so, ‘cept I can’t remember exactly where. But Pat Robertson said the heterodoxuals were why Katrina smacked New Orleans, so I don’t know about letting them into the Church.

I noticed you waffled on the whole souffle issue. Can we at least have waffles as a sacrament then? hehe

Pachacutec @ 338

Ed*ard Teller @ 329

Pachacutec @ 321

sorry, pac, I just got home from taking four kids school clothes and supplies shopping. I’ll read your post.

Teller, I do love ya. I’m chill. I quoted your comment but that new objection, that we’re not offering an alternative, was cropping up mysteriously and I used your comment as a springboard to nip it in the bud, because I really, really want people to read those MyDD polling links. They are that important.

Um, I read the links. Maybe I didn’t read far enough. Was I supposed to do something there? God, I hate sounding clueless when I think I’ve already performed my civic duty. :)

I’m tired. I had a flat tire. My car ran out of gas. My watch stopped….

I noticed you waffled on the whole souffle issue. Can we at least have waffles as a sacrament then? hehe

The Church Of Cheesy Crepes And The Batter-Day Aunts (Jemima, that is)…

TRex @ 335

lisadawn82 @ 323

To Pachacutec @ 304

Dude the person made an apology. Why do you have to be so harsh? Calling someone an ass? That’s not the type of language I usually associate with this site.

*COUGH!!*

Honey, this ain’t goddamn Townhall dot motherfucking com, okay? Where the fuck have you been?

She said ass!

-GSD

I’m tired. I had a flat tire. My car ran out of gas. My watch stopped….

had to teach my goldfish how to swim…

As I told Matt Stoller, I would ask everyone to have patience. This ad is
just one piece of a much broader communications strategy. We have been very
aggressive in our communications strategy — and you can find many examples
of Darcy going right at Reichert and the Bush Administration on his failed
leadership — check out our website at www.darcyburner.com .

Sorry Zach, but that’s a CYA dodge. We know about Marcy and the web site. Calling this Muzak ad part of a lengthy campaign is another way of saying it’s a waste and you’re going to do better. It hardly inspires any confidence in your lengthy campaign when you’re off to such a deracinated start.

How many people will know ore remember Darcy after this ad?

How many people remembered Ned Lamont after his first ad?

This ad was a waste.

I have three tomatos from the garden and a bag of coconut macaroons with only two missing… oops.

GSD @ 358

TRex @ 335

lisadawn82 @ 323

*COUGH!!*

Honey, this ain’t goddamn Townhall dot motherfucking com, okay? Where the fuck have you been?

She said ass!

-GSD

707

an old friend came in from out of town…

She said ass!

*dreamy sigh*

I think it must be Monday…

immanentize @ 341

TRex @ 336

lisadawn82 @ 323

*COUGH!!*

Honey, this ain’t goddamn Townhall dot motherfucking com, okay? Where the fuck have you been?

Mostly Lisadawn has been right here as a productive member of this community. Where the fuck have you been?

Food fight!

This is a great post over at Kos, please check it out — very moving diary about the women killed in action, nicely entitled,

Beautiful Dead Girls

There are too many bullies on this thread. You know who you are.

lina -

the shoephone is not a “Mr.”

Pach - sorry, I just read through your 161. Yes, yes, and yes. The key is in finessing all those points (which Darcy does an exemplary job of in her public events) so that it comes across to the district’s voters. I’m not an ad person, but I will try to get those ad ideas to the campaign.

I just got home from a long, grueling paint day, and the vibe on this thread - from the very start - was hostile. I guess I’m not much in the mood for hostile.

I also think it would be good if folks knew a little more about the candidate, and the district in question, instead of acting campaign experts. Being an attack dog in Western Washington DOES NOT cut it with voters. We’re not NYC, Philly, or DC here, and we don’t try to be. Hopefully Howie can bring Darcy around on a Saturday soon, so that FDLers can find out for themselves who the candidate really is.

Thank you.

new ideas:
1) mention some BushCo failures: Iraq, Katrina, budget, bad recovery, stagnant wages.
2) mention how you differ from upopular Bushco policies: for example, ‘I will not gamble your retirement on a half baked social security privatization non-plan, BushCo was repudiated on that, and he won’t take no for an answer, he is getting ready to try again.’
3) mention some things you will do that your GOP opponent will not do: “In congress I will vote to restore Constitutional the role of Congress in providing oversight for BushCo incompetence and failure.”
4) mention something about how your opponent is not best choice for district.

Ok, could they not fit in two items from the above list? There would still be time for feelgood smoothiness.

Are those new ideas? Or old ones, like saying at least one dang specific thing about what you believe on an important issue of the day, and one dang thing that you will do better than your opponent? I would be a mite fearful of an ad that the typical firedoglake reader might write, including me -might be a bit strong.

But ‘want to protect social security’ ‘want affordable health care’ is all they can say about winnder issues for the Democrats. Those phrases are the exact marketing phrases BushCo uses to package their schemes. What good does it do to spend half the ad parroting those meansingless buzzwords? What does it tell people? Answer me that.

I guess an argument could be made that Darcy Burner needs name recognition, so maybe some of the ad could be justified as a comfortable ‘get to know her, she’s a good person’ intro. But nothing at all specific on her stand on any issue? Nothing about what she will change? I just cannot see how that absence is a good thing. Will the GOP candidate say he wants to unprotect social security and take workers’ life savings? Will the GOP candidate say he wants to make health care unaffordable to regular people and they can go die in the gutter. I hope so, otherwise, what difference would a person who uses these ads for info see?

Guess I wasn’t the only one to have had a crappy day today…

We are all here as Jane’s guests; this is her house. It would be one thing if she were to ask for criticism, but the gratuitous swipes are as rude here as they would be if you were sitting in her living room. Which we kind of are. And if one of my guests were to treat me to such talk, I would probably show them the door and think twice about ever asking them back.

Didn’t everyone’s parents teach them manners? Or is that something that just isn’t done anymore?

As I told Matt Stoller, I would ask everyone to have patience.

Been losing for years and you ask for patience. Fuck you.

Um, I read the links. Maybe I didn’t read far enough. Was I supposed to do something there? God, I hate sounding clueless when I think I’ve already performed my civic duty. :)

I’m tired. I had a flat tire. My car ran out of gas. My watch stopped….

I hear ya. No, there was no action step at the link, other than to become informed on the polling data behind this critique of Marcy’s ad. That’s all the link are for: netroots education and growth.

We need to keep taking on the loser DC machine, and understanding the industry that p[roduces these woprthless ads is important so collectively we can hold these people accountable for actual results.

In other words, it’s not just about the ad, and not just about the midterms, though they are a big enough deal. It’s also about us getting organized to change the incentize systems that currently sustain Dems in the losing position. It’s not just the crappy ad, it’s the machine that produced it and all the rest like it.

zennurse @ 361

I have three tomatos from the garden and a bag of coconut macaroons with only two missing… oops.

zen, you are beautiful.

thankyou very much for posting.

OldCoastie @
279

Lynn 181 - thanks for the insight… is there any reason that the words “Democratic candidate” would have been skipped? is it a terribly red district where Democratic would be considered a cuss word?

Apparently she wanted to introduce herself as a person first, Democrat second. She told a questioner over at MyDD (my friend Ivan) that the rest of her ads will have “Democrat” in them. She’s proud of being a Democrat. She’s smart as a whip so I expect she will take all this to heart and the next ones will be better.

The ad was really cute and folksy, but the Republicans are inviting Democrats to a knife fight and they are bringing guns. We need to step it up.

Pardon my french, Anne, I am an Oilfieldguy.

Off-topic — OMFG. Spike Lee’s Requiem in Four Parts is on now.

I can’t stop crying.

Maybe a few campaigns ought to get Spike Lee to help out. Jeepers.

Uh, I’m not feeling real comfortable about Zach Silk’s reply regarding that ad. Anyone else?

I apologize that people find the tone hostile. Typed text loses nuance and tone of voice. I’m engaging your ideas because I respect you, and I still tend to think of myself as a fellow commenter, since that’s how I started. I always seem to forget that I’m accorded other, larger status now that I’m a main poster. My apologies.

shoephone @ 369

lina -

the shoephone is not a “Mr.”

Pach - sorry, I just read through your 161. Yes, yes, and yes. The key is in finessing all those points (which Darcy does an exemplary job of in her public events) so that it comes across to the district’s voters. I’m not an ad person, but I will try to get those ad ideas to the campaign.

I just got home from a long, grueling paint day, and the vibe on this thread - from the very start - was hostile. I guess I’m not much in the mood for hostile.

I also think it would be good if folks knew a little more about the candidate, and the district in question, instead of acting campaign experts. Being an attack dog in Western Washington DOES NOT cut it with voters. We’re not NYC, Philly, or DC here, and we don’t try to be. Hopefully Howie can bring Darcy around on a Saturday soon, so that FDLers can find out for themselves who the candidate really is.

Thank you.

sorry about that. hope you have a better day tomorrow. i agree with you about all the “experts” not knowing the candidate or the district.

and yes, that also goes for the people who made the ad. it’s not an award winning ad, but it might work in her district.

This was meant as an offering to the Tabernacle of TRex, my link didn’t connect.

I’m having a bad day.
I feel like my friend ETeller

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager

I can’t help but see a yellow tie and a used car salesman witha name like that.

Seriously Zach, We are the good guys and it’s ok to ask for help.

Zen - Thanks for the two macaroons.)

Oilfieldguy @ 380

Pardon my french, Anne, I am an Oilfieldguy.

OFG, my comment wasn’t directed at you. Irks me when people take shots at Jane in her own house - that’s the manners thing I was referring to.

From ATC (AW/NAC) Lisa Ann Dawn United States Navy retired who gave twenty years of her life in service of her country to ensure your right to free speech has hands that are really shaking right now. It’s awfully hard to write this post because my head is about to explode over the insane, cruel and rude comments that have been posted on this thread. Perhaps if some of you stop cursing at me you would notice that there have many deleted posts that not all of us have been able to read.

And what the heck is going on with jumping all over people that don’t agree with CW views on the ad? There is a herd mentality going on with the view of this ad. Perhaps we can all take a deep breath and respect other people’s opinions?

Pachacutec @ 380

I apologize that people find the tone hostile. Typed text loses nuance and tone of voice. I’m engaging your ideas because I respect you, and I still tend to think of myself as a fellow commenter, since that’s how I started. I always seem to forget that I’m accorded other, larger status now that I’m a main poster. My apologies.

Does this mean even second stringers like me should behave? Well, shit the bed!! I’ll be sure and hold out my pinky while I’m huffin, my dog turd ceegar.

Hey, let’s try a different tack here.

If you were a Republican operative watching this Darcy Burner video, what would you do to respond?

BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

LindyH @ 356

SharonW @ 282

Okay, next question then to both those who thought the ad atrocious and a waste of bucks and to those who saw it as non-objectionable, but boring…so what do we do about it?

Do we have the names of ad firms we can recommend? Can we help her with her message? Are we merely here to criticize or help and assuming the latter how can we help her?

I e-mailed her campaign with a critique. Just received this:

I’ve read the posts and I talked with Matt Stoller from MYDD directly
earlier today.

As many of the comments on MYDD say, this ad is the perfect setup ad to a
long campaign. We need to introduce Darcy to the diverse voters of the 8th
Congressional District. This ad is intended to do just that. Fair minded
people can disagree on the quality of the ad. The vast majority of the
feedback we have gotten from voters and activists within the district are
very positive.

As I told Matt Stoller, I would ask everyone to have patience. This ad is
just one piece of a much broader communications strategy. We have been very
aggressive in our communications strategy — and you can find many examples
of Darcy going right at Reichert and the Bush Administration on his failed
leadership — check out our website at www.darcyburner.com .

We intend to have a heavy emphasis on accountability in our subsequent
advertising.

I encourage you to continue watching closely.

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager

Oh, well, there ya go! At least the impromptu focus group critique is being heard and they’re addressing it.

This is all good (meaning all of our interaction back and forth between us and her campaign). Whether the resultant ads will live up to what Zach implies, I guess remains to be seen.

Full moon?

zennurse @ 383

This was meant as an offering to the Tabernacle of TRex, my link didn’t connect.

I’m having a bad day.
I feel like my friend ETeller

And I hadn’t even told you MY computer story, yet, zennurse!

lina,

shoephone isn’t male and is quite hot.

TRex, if I’m sitting at your right hand… I don’t hafta wave a fan or anything, do I?

lisadawn82 @ 388. Just so.

lisadawn82 @ 387

From ATC (AW/NAC) Lisa Ann Dawn United States Navy retired who gave twenty years of her life in service of her country to ensure your right to free speech has hands that are really shaking right now. It’s awfully hard to write this post because my head is about to explode over the insane, cruel and rude comments that have been posted on this thread. Perhaps if some of you stop cursing at me you would notice that there have many deleted posts that not all of us have been able to read.

And what the heck is going on with jumping all over people that don’t agree with CW views on the ad? There is a herd mentality going on with the view of this ad. Perhaps we can all take a deep breath and respect other people’s opinions?

Bravo

I’ve been checking out the whole campaign ad thing coz I worked with advertising for a very long time and I am astonished at the tripe that campaigns pay for - and think are good ideas. One thing I’ve noticed is that these all come from consultancies who have only ever done campaign ads - they’ve never had to prove their skillz in the real world where client actually want results - and where clients ditch you if you don’t deliver for the bottom line. It’s so tied in with the country club incumbents who think we should be grateful that they deign to occasionally represent us … these consultants may think they are giants but I’d love to pitch against any one of them for one of my corporate clients! feh!

Lina, Pach, Anne, Mary, et al -

As someone who desperately wants to see WA-08 go blue, I appreciate the Darcy suggestions.

As for my day - I really do feel like I’m going to throw up. I used a new paint product today, and it was way too hot in that room with all the windows. Maybe I’ll feel less sensitive later on…

lisadawn82 @ 386

From ATC (AW/NAC) Lisa Ann Dawn United States Navy retired who gave twenty years of her life in service of her country to ensure your right to free speech has hands that are really shaking right now. It’s awfully hard to write this post because my head is about to explode over the insane, cruel and rude comments that have been posted on this thread. Perhaps if some of you stop cursing at me you would notice that there have many deleted posts that not all of us have been able to read.

And what the heck is going on with jumping all over people that don’t agree with CW views on the ad? There is a herd mentality going on with the view of this ad. Perhaps we can all take a deep breath and respect other people’s opinions?

The headline of this post:
“How to Trash a Perfectly Good Campaign in 60 Seconds”
set the tone for this thread.

This ad will not make or break anyone’s campaign. The comments about the loser DLC consultant types are all true.

But Darcy has a shot at winning with or without this ad.

we are 2 days away from the new moon in August …

And what the heck is going on with jumping all over people that don’t agree with CW views on the ad? There is a herd mentality going on with the view of this ad. Perhaps we can all take a deep breath and respect other people’s opinions?

First of all, I thank you for and respect your service.

I have been arguing, passionately, a point of view because I respect the process of vetting ideas that matter with smart, passionate people. In my book, engagement is respect, not disrespect. If respecting someone else’s view means I’m really being asked to shut up, I’m sorry, but that does not sound like respect. The only person I’ve dissed is the one who called Jane a drunk.

dannyboy @ 380

Uh, I’m not feeling real comfortable about Zach Silk’s reply regarding that ad. Anyone else?

I agree, it was a pat on the head to all of us uneducated, pj wearing bloggers. It was a heaping pile of crap.

I live in WA and if I were a republican and saw that add, I would sit back, smile and figure I didn’t have to do much campaigning.

*ilson46201 @ 400

we are 2 days away from the new moon in August …

Can’t wait for Wednesday night, then!

shoephone @ 397

Lina, Pach, Anne, Mary, et al -

As someone who desperately wants to see WA-08 go blue, I appreciate the Darcy suggestions.

As for my day - I really do feel like I’m going to throw up. I used a new paint product today, and it was way too hot in that room with all the windows. Maybe I’ll feel less sensitive later on…

Please rest and get better. If you’re having an allergic or toxic reaction, get to a doctor, pronto! Do you have a history of allergic reactions?

veruca @280
LOL
So glad you didn’t have to go through that!

Well, some comments say this is a feelgood smooth reassuring intro, a nice pleasant ‘get to know the candidate’ ad. OK. I request FDL post the next one, so we can see how quickly they can change gears into some issue substance.

Even for a ‘get to know me’ add, this seems way too slick, empty and contentless. Seems to me you could scrap the parroting of GOP buzz-phrases on social security and health care and say something upbeat, reassuring about those to issues that also definitely contrasts a Democrat with BushCo.

And all the implicit hints about being serious on national security need to be followed up with some real specifics. If the next ad gets specific on national security by saying ‘I have a kinda military background, so trust me, I want to keep American safe from terrorists too” I will blow a fuse. Implying serious on national security with no specifics, that reminds me of Kerry’s ‘reporting for duty’ schtick with no aggerssive back-up, either on what his position and plans were, and no defense against the Swiftboat smears.

The comment that said this *looked* like a cookie cutter ad that was right, and that is not good.

Pachacutec @ 382

I apologize that people find the tone hostile. Typed text loses nuance and tone of voice. I’m engaging your ideas because I respect you, and I still tend to think of myself as a fellow commenter, since that’s how I started. I always seem to forget that I’m accorded other, larger status now that I’m a main poster. My apologies.

I’m just being hostile.

thanks ember.

TRex, my links on this machine are bed, but Eureka and I have coconut macaroons to lay at your feet. Hurry up because the tomatoes are getting mushy.

Lisa Dawn, thankyou for your service. I am a cranky nurse at the snide Royal We and my lost computer, so I hope my snotty response to that were not taken out of context.

Blessings and a hug for shaking hands and exploding heads.

I think one of the problems, as Pach alluded, is that it’s easier to type strong words sometimes than speak them, and they come across stronger in any case. Lots of folks have had rotten days today, myself included, and perhaps some of our crankiness and fatigue has come out in our choice of words or phrases. It is possible, after all, to say stuff strongly, with passion, and still avoid ad hominem crap (strength intended). And we certainly don’t ever want to march in lock-step like the Repugs (we obviously couldn’t if we tried). But I’m thinking that the roughly the same sets of emotions that yielded strong words by some tonight have also yielded heightened sensitivities in others. Time for a glass of wine or cup of tea or whatever, and a recognition that, at the end of the day, we’re all Firepups, learning and growing and hopefully winning elections, loosely together.

Rayne @ 387

Hey, let’s try a different tack here.

If you were a Republican operative watching this Darcy Burner video, what would you do to respond?

BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

Any opponent puts up an ad and I would search out how to use it as a blunt instrument. I would have to study it closely to find out how to do this, but the point is I would be on the attack. Full contact mauling assault with the intend to maim and cripple. In other words, everything that Marcy’s ad does not do.

ccmask — uh, no. Definitely not a full moon. But something is in the air or in the water…blood, maybe?

Phew, that was a tepid video. Flat, lifeless, like a video resume. The bit with the folks at the end — probably family — was very flat and inauthentic. She comes across like a fake candidate, as if this was a sample rather than the real thing. Overly sanitized, superficial, canned.

And yes, western Washington may have different tastes in candidates than other parts of the country - but those life-filled, authentic and vibrant ads of Ned Lamont sold me and I’m in a purple state. I think what’s missing is the authentic candidate in the Burner video.

That’s what happened to Al Gore in 2000: the vampire consultants sucked the authentic Gore out and left that processed cord wood dressed in a suit in his place.

Okay, your turn. Next!

OldCoastie @ 393

TRex, if I’m sitting at your right hand… I don’t hafta wave a fan or anything, do I?

What a lovely idea. It is rather warm in here tonight.

You don’t mind, do you?

Hello Lisa Ann Dawn -

I appreciate your comments, which are always intelligent and gracious. Thank you.

dannyboy @ 407

I think one of the problems, as Pach alluded, is that it’s easier to type strong words sometimes than speak them, and they come across stronger in any case. Lots of folks have had rotten days today, myself included, and perhaps some of our crankiness and fatigue has come out in our choice of words or phrases. It is possible, after all, to say stuff strongly, with passion, and still avoid ad hominem crap (strength intended). And we certainly don’t ever want to march in lock-step like the Repugs (we obviously couldn’t if we tried). But I’m thinking that the roughly the same sets of emotions that yielded strong words by some tonight have also yielded heightened sensitivities in others. Time for a glass of wine or cup of tea or whatever, and a recognition that, at the end of the day, we’re all Firepups, learning and growing and hopefully winning elections, loosely together.

I’m kind of amazed at how much… passion a bad-to-mediocre commercial can generate.

More signs that Bush is a LOSER.

UK’s Labor Party at 19 year low.

Tony Blair is getting the Lieberman treatment for his obseqious Bush fluffing. Hang onto Bush, sink like a rock. Or a stale crumpet.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk.....68,00.html

Also, someone over at KOS felt that Bush’s characterizing the US as having a “damaged psyche” is his Jimmy Carter “malaise” moment.

No folks, it is not my uneeded war for nonexistent WMD’s that is the problem it is because you people are “unsettled” and have a “damaged psyche”.

No asswipe, it is you. Bush, you are a LOSER and you bring the whole nation down.

-GSD

From a consumer point of view, what is there in the beginning of the ad that would keep me from using the remote and checking out what was on the other channels when it started? Why in the world would I want to watch it? That is why it is not a good ad. You might get someone to watch it once, but I doubt if anyone would sit through it a second or third time.

Thanks for the macaroons, Zenn! I love them.

Now, if someone could just scratch this itchy spot on my scaly back. My tiny forelimbs don’t quite reach that spot…

Pach- look, you are very confrontational sometimes. It doesn’t always work, because FDLers don’t like to be shamed, or be told what to do. I know you are angry about the current political situation, but sometimes it seems that you take this out on the commenters. Experience speaking.

imm- “Can’t wait for Wednesday night, then!” oh ho!!!

lisadawn82- read above.

Trex - I’m hanging with you honey!

And I’m tired of seeing people think passionate dialogue and debate is somehow out of bounds and we all have to play nice - this is not a nice time of the world and the issues and elections at stake matter … really matter. Making excuses for asinine consultants who are thoroughly happy to make crap because they still get paid win or lose and settling for “not bad” is one of the big ways we’ve ended up in this mess - and until we call it, we will not get out.

Any Atlanta area readers, you might want to batten down the hatches. You’ve got major storms blowing in from the west. They just popped up on my weather radar and the AP is sounding the Severe Thunderstorm warning.

I remember when Pat Buchanan ran against Poppy Bush in New Hampshire. The amount of ad buys was tremendous.

Buchanan had a spot that was of the old man Bush saying “read my lips, no new taxes”. I must have seen or heard that spot 200 times.

It helped crazy Pat.

-GSD

Pach - it was a water-based product, but I’m prone to bad headaches when the temperatures get up there. I think that’s probably it. Also, my asthma has been really bad lately. I just need some tea and a lie-down.

oh, Ed Teller (blushing).

Pachacutec @ 375

Um, I read the links. Maybe I didn’t read far enough. Was I supposed to do something there? God, I hate sounding clueless when I think I’ve already performed my civic duty. :)

I’m tired. I had a flat tire. My car ran out of gas. My watch stopped….

I hear ya. No, there was no action step at the link, other than to become informed on the polling data behind this critique of Marcy’s ad. That’s all the link are for: netroots education and growth.

We need to keep taking on the loser DC machine, and understanding the industry that p[roduces these woprthless ads is important so collectively we can hold these people accountable for actual results.

In other words, it’s not just about the ad, and not just about the midterms, though they are a big enough deal. It’s also about us getting organized to change the incentize systems that currently sustain Dems in the losing position. It’s not just the crappy ad, it’s the machine that produced it and all the rest like it.

OH! That’s all. *VBG* Well, shit, why didn’t you just say so?

In that case, DAMN the big machine all to hell!

[How am I doing?]

Uh, and wouldn’t that be “incentive systems?”

Forgive me now. I’m slap happy. It’s a Monday. Work sucked today. My boss had a bad attitude. My hamster won’t rotate his wheel. I burned dinner. The check to 100% Interest Capital Credit bounced.

Back by popular demand. Ok I just wanted to reprint :o

egregious @ 92

Insight from a top inside player. I spent the afternoon with a family friend who spent decades as a diplomat and has been very active in the Democratic Party.

Will expand later but here’s the Q&A:

Iraq–a reluctant admission that nothing we can do will help, and it is time to begin planning to bring the troops home.

Iran–attacking Iran would be Very Very Bad in its consequences [former diplomat here].

Middle East–Need to move toward being more even-handed [yes he knows this is a charged phrase].

Webb/Allen–Allen really put his foot in his mouth. It’s a gigantic mistake. Webb needs money to get his message out.

Lamont/Lieberman–interesting race. Concern that Lieberman will caucus with the Republicans if elected, sees this as a real possibility.

Bush administration–[frowns, changes subject].

The ‘08 election:

Warner? concern about lack of international experience.

Clinton? fine with him.

Gore? excited response–have I seen the movie? thinks Gore could be a good candidate. [don’t think that ‘good’ is faint praise. This is a person who uses words with precision.]

Dear Firedoglake posters –
I think I have disrupted this fine site enough. I didn’t mean to. My intent was to get the proprietors to focus a bit closer. That probably wasn’t necessary — they are quite focused already.

I am sorry to have caused any discord. I won’t comment again.
Sincerely,
Veritas78

seems the general consensus then is that a much better, not DLC ad company needs to be hired…

do we have the resources, as a group, to put a list of qualified companies together? and the ability to convince the candidates to consider this route?

VG: Sometimes I think this stuff is also cultural. I come from a family and cultural background where people air their differences, passionately, directly, and it’s not personal, because We. Are. Tight.

But not everyone comes from that kind of background or perspective, even though I think of this place, and the people here, like my extended family.

GSD, I just love you.

Have to sleep.
nitey-nite

TRex- well, I guess that means that I am going to lose internet connectivity because a transformer is bound to be destroyed, and that my car is going to have more dings from fallen branches. And, I’ll remember to close the windows. Other than that?

TRex @ 419

Any Atlanta area readers, you might want to batten down the hatches. You’ve got major storms blowing in from the west. They just popped up on my weather radar and the AP is sounding the Severe Thunderstorm warning.

better go check the NWS radar… TRex. I am just north of you and it seems that you have been hoggin’ all the rain lately.

zen - we will send you good computer wishes for tomorrow…

Thanks Zenny,

Have a goodun too.

-GSD

Siun,

I got my degree in advertising on the street of hard knocks. Mechanics, barbers, cobblers, diners, grocers, just a whole list of very small businesses with extremely fragile budgets. I had to generate business for them. And I helped on a few campaigns too.

Suggestions for Darcy: A four week paid column in key newspapers covering four topics. She will be viewed as an authority on the subjects she chooses, has a longer shelf life than a teevee spot and can always close with a line for suggestions/comments contact BR-549. Feedback shows results. Pick hot topics for the area. Many more suggestions I could provide, but I’m not a DC consultant–I am a truckdriver.

Look, I feel bad saying bad things about the ad. It did try to communicate that Darcy was a nice reliable, patriotic American, who had contacts with all American institutions, had a background that would produce respect and understanding for military and national security, wanted old people to get their pensions, didn’t want people dying ’cause they couldn’t get healthcare.

But no specifics on why she would be better than her opponenent. Nothing at all specific on why it is important to get her specifically, or Democrats specifically, elected.

Reminds me of a lot of ads I saw for Gore, and Kerry. And it got boring. And it seemed slick. And bogus packaging tricks. Too muchlike the Daily Show satire on these kinds of commercials.

Sorry, don’t like it. Let us see the next one, please, FDL.

TRex- well, I guess that means that I am going to lose internet connectivity because a transformer is bound to be destroyed

Optimus Prime! NOOOOOOO!!!!

You know, I’m watching this Spike Lee documentary; production is all over the place, some live shots with a handheld, some in a studio with a backdrop, some people still in the water, some people months later.

These peoples feelings are raw, uncensored, open.

Authentic.

That’s what Darcy needs and STAT. She might stand a good chance of winning with or without the ads, but that’s settling and we are done with settling. We want her to WIN.

I’d film a bust-through; one where she says, okay, the gloves are off, I’ve been a nice girl, but I’m ready to fight for you.

But hey, what do I know? I only vote.

OldCoastie @ 424

seems the general consensus then is that a much better, not DLC ad company needs to be hired…

do we have the resources, as a group, to put a list of qualified companies together? and the ability to convince the candidates to consider this route?

I think our advice is to go with good advertising firms who are accustomed to selling products with accountability. A candidate is a product. We have offered concrete messaging and strategic advice based on polling, but don’t feel like we should dictate actual market choices.

No need to create another annointed class. Open the doors to those who get results, and local is better.

To all,

Sorry for the rant. I know it’s difficult not to let your passion get a hold of us. I feel the same way most of the time otherwise I wouldn’t be here amongst people who I feel comfortable with because they are as outraged as I am about the dopes running our campaigns who like to put cuffs on our candidates. But there is a difference about passionate dialog and insults.

To Trex - Perhaps you’ll remember me from the Lamont Campaign. I stood next to you as Lamont was being interviewed by Gwen Iffil. Let me jog your memory - Condi and Gwen with a pianno?