If It Bleeds, It Leads
Here’s a great idea for a series of Election 2004 ads from Gary North :
- Consider the following scenario: a series of TV ads begin to appear nightly immediately after the Republican convention is over next year. They will be negative ads. They will promote no senate candidate. They will therefore not be under the tight restrictions of the Federal Election Commission.
Each ad will begin with a video clip of President Bush’s “Bring ‘em on!” challenge. Then the screen will shift rapidly to the burned-out remains of a building or a Humvee. Underneath will be these words: a date, a location, and a death count.
Then a black screen with white print will announce: America needs a new policy.
There will be an ID of some kind: “Citizens for a Lasting Peace” or “Mothers to Stop the Bloodshed.”
There will be no bodies on screen. There will be only bombed-out buildings and equipment.
Each ad will last no longer than 15 seconds.
There will be a new ad every night ? same time, same station.
Every night. Same time, same station.
On three networks. But not Fox.
The Republican National Committee will scream bloody murder. That, of course, is precisely the problem: bloody murder. Every night. Same time, same station.
People will tell pollsters that they don’t want to see these ads. But they will watch them in remote-clicking paralysis, no matter what they say to pollsters. If it bleeds, it leads.
Night by night, the message will be repeated: America needs a new policy.
Sounds good to me. Where do I donate?
2 comments
Copy link for RSS feed for comments on this post
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Open at scenes of bombed out cars and buildings. No music.
Voiceover: Bush quotations of sunny, optimistic cheery lies about our success in the new gulf war.
Bottom of the screen: body count before the end of hostilities, and current body count post victory.
Fade to GW landing on the Aircraft carrier.
Voiceover: They said they wanted to change America.
Stop tape on GW Standing beside “Mission Accomplished”.
Voiceover: Mission Accomplished.
Then fade to “Americans for regime change” or something like that.
Voiceover: We need a new Mission.
……………..
Open to scenes of veterans organizations, pictures of US Soldiers fighting, WWII vets.
Voiceover: Bush quotes about how much he loves the troops.
Bottom of the screen: List the pay cuts and funding cuts for veteran services and for currently serving troops.
Fade to GW landing on the Aircraft carrier.
Voiceover: They said they were going to change the tone in America.
Stop tape on GW Standing beside “Mission Accomplished”.
Voiceover: Mission Accomplished.
Then fade to “Americans for regime change” or something like that.
Voiceover: We need a leader as good as their words.
Comment by Ross Angeles — September 3, 2003 @ 3:12 pm
So really, where do we sign up? HAs anybody told MoveOn about this?
Comment by JoeW — September 3, 2003 @ 3:46 pm