October Political Ad Review
According to the Political Wire, there have been 29,000 political television ads aired in Virginia and 20,000 in New Jersey; both states are in the middle of close elections. Here in Massachusetts, I have seen dozens of campaign commercials for the various Senate candidates. Okay, I have seen dozens of ads for Steve Pagliuca and one for Mike Capuano. However, the only two commercials I saw this month that really caught my eye weren’t from any of these races. Find out what they were, and the stories behind them, after the jump.
The first is from Georgia State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who is running in the state Republican primary for Governor.
The internet-only ad (how great would it be if it was on TV though?), while grating and completely bizarre, has some basis in reality. Former Governor Roy Barnes was once so influential in Georgia and adept at getting things done, his supporters affectionately nicknamed him “King Roy.” In the 2002 election, Republican Sonny Perdue upset Barnes by turning the nickname into “King Rat” and making the election more about the imperious way he often did business (typified by his personal redesign of the state flag). Barnes is attempting a comeback this year and it seems that Oxendine is trying to create a Oxendine vs. Barnes dynamic in order to marginalize his opponents in the Republican primary. Politics & Communication says, “That may work in France, but not in Georgia,” where Oxendine has a large a number of opponents and a campaign plagued by ethics controversies. One race at a time Ox. Also that video is insane.
BONUS FACT: I really like Oxendine’s campaign logo.
My next favorite ad is actually a series of ads from OpenUpNow.org, a British nonprofit dedicated to increased transparency, fairness and accountability in elections and government.
These internet ads relate to the expenses scandal which is still roiling British politics and likely to bring down the Labour government. The videos are directed by John Lloyd (something of a British TV comedy legend) and make fun of how the British MPs obfuscated while trying to explain expense abuses. Andrew Sullivan provided me with and explanation on where the duck thing comes from.
A five foot tall floating duck house claimed from the public purse by Tory grandee Sir Peter Viggers has become one of the most bizarre items so far uncovered in the MPs’ expenses investigation.
Here is hoping the ads work, the expenses reform did show that the British government could use a little light shined in. That’s it for the October ad review. Post your own favorite political commercials in the comments.