Democrats pulled an Internet ad that showed flag-draped coffins Friday after Republicans and at least two Democrats demanded it be taken down on grounds the image was insensitive and not fit for a political commercial.One of these days, I'll be a skillful enough writer to express a world-weary sigh through my keyboard. For now, you'll just have to use your imagination.
The ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called for a "new direction" and displayed a staccato of images, including war scenes, pollution and breached levees as well as a photograph of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay doctored to look like a police mug shot.
The campaign committee replaced the ad with a radio commercial that targets Rep. John Hostetler, R-Ind., for opposing an increase in the minimum wage. Democrats have made a minimum wage increase a central theme of this year's election.
Democrats had featured the video ad for nearly two weeks on the DCCC Web site where it had gone largely unnoticed until Republicans began objecting to it this week.
This is why Democrats lose. They are too afraid of taking a stand, of offending people, of inspiring people.
Remember the Bush campaign commercial that featured footage of the destruction on 9/11? Democrats complained about that. Did Bush pull it? Of course, he didn't! He probably doubled the ad buy!
The DCCC commercial made legitimate use of graphic imagery to make a legitimate point: that Republicans have sent American troops to their deaths in pursuit of fool's gold. Of course, the Republicans complained about it. What else were they going to do, defend themselves? They can't! On the subject of Iraq, they are defenseless. This is why they bend over backwards to portray the Democrats as weak and unwilling to defend the country.
When John Kerry refused to hit back against the Swiftboat campaign, the Republicans told voters that he couldn't be trusted to defend America if he wasn't even willing to defend himself. Now, the GOP can say that the Democrats can't be trusted to fight for America, since they have demonstrated they won't even fight for what they believe in.
The DCCC is going to stop attacking the Republicans on Iraq and go after them on the minumum wage instead. Are you kidding me? I don't use profanity on this blog, but it is taking every ounce of my will to avoid it in this case. In fact, the vilest curses known to man are about the only words which capture the disgust that I am feeling right now.
If we're not even willing to stand up to opportunistic rhetoric from partisan Republicans, how on earth will we convince voters that we will defend them from terrorist killers? We won't. This is why we lose.
3 comments:
i hear what you are saying. my thought is- they knew that they had crossed a line anyway. you can convey what the wanted to convey without the flag draped coffins. it would have alienated more than the repubs. the dems don't have any more of a pulse on the people than the repubs or they would stand up. they would be clever and know what kind of ad appeals to the populous. if we can't make a better ad- than going with something that they would do- then we are in trouble. that's the other problem- the dems are a copycat of the repubs instead of standing on their own.
My problem with pulling the ad is that it makes the Democrats look weak and unsure of themselves. Once you commit to the shot, you have to follow through. Once the ad was out there, the DCCC needed to defend the message behind it and force the Republicans to explain and justify those coffins. And, as we know, there is no explanation, and there certainly is no justification for the lives being lost in Iraq. There is nothing wrong with pointing that out. There is no downside to putting the GOP on the defensive on questions of war and national security.
It is entirely valid to say that they shouldn't have put the ad up in the first place. We can agree to disagree about that. But, once it was out there, it was out there. Yes, it was provocative. That was the point, I thought. Then, as soon as it provoked a response, the DCCC caved. That makes me wonder what on earth the plan was in the first place, or whether there was a plan at all.
This lack of focus and conviction is precisely what keeps people from voting for Democrats, even when they see Republicans fumbling so badly.
i agree to agree with what you say. no denying it.
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