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Possible shift in focus? Suggested ad copy

Lizzy Gore Sep 18, 2008
Posted by Xf4x7852_icon

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  • Xf4x7852_square
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    Lizzy Gore started this discussion on Sep 18, 2008

    Hello, all-

    It’s possible that this crisis will refocus swing voters on the economy. If data shows Palin isn’t the most influential factor in Cincinnati, we should add McCain to the ad, and paint them both as untrustworthy. E-MAIL ME IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS! Current suggested ad copy:

    Think Sarah Palin and John McCain stand for regular Americans? Think again.

    (ad split down the middle. Palin’s face on one side, McCain’s on the other. Fade to black at bottom of ad, with white print:)

    The Republican party would like you to think Sarah Palin is just like you. The X,XXX people who funded this ad disagree. We’re worried about the fact that she’s never made a single decision in the war on terror. And why is she blocking investigations into her past? People who know her in Alaska say she treated her administration like a popularity contest, firing whoever she didn’t like. If she’s just a regular working mom, why did she wear a $2,500 jacket at the RNC? These are facts, not smear tactics. Sarah Palin is NOT like you.

    John McCain says he’s for reform. The X,XXX people who funded this ad see through his act, too. McCain has spent 26 years voting to let Wall Street gamble regular Americans’ retirement away. Now who’s paying for his mistakes? Regular Americans. If McCain wanted reform, he would have started talking about it before last month. Check his record: (link)

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    Matthew Loseke replied on Sep 18, 2008

    Thanks for the update Lizzy. I agree, we need to be as precise with this as possible. We should add McCain to the ad if Palin ceases to be the most influential factor.

    Here’s a few thoughts I had after reading the ad description:

    • Starting off the copy with a question sets a tone of indecisiveness and leaves the message up for speculation. Why not begin with a more authoritative stance? Often the authorities warn us of danger. With this in mind we could say something like, ‘John McCain and Sarah Palin are dangerous for America.’
    • Leaving off the word ‘regular’ in front of America might prove effective. It implies an all inclusive, we-the-people feel to it. Qualifying ‘America’ with any word (except for those like ‘all’ or ’every’) hints at a subset of the whole. Palin and McCain are not just bad for regular Americans, they’re bad for all Americans.
    • Consider how explicitly referencing the Republican party in the opening sentence of the main copy suggests a level of reactionism. Leaving this out may give the ad an increased opportunity at taking the lead, or standing from a position of influence or control, as opposed to responding to the movers and shakers calling the shots.
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    Jenny Gillespie replied on Sep 18, 2008

    I agree with Matthew’s suggestions—we don’t want to rile up more partisan tensions but simply go for the jugular of McCain and Palin’s weaknesses, the illumination of which could sway both Republicans and Democrats away from voting Republican.

    You could also change “regular Americans” to “everyday Americans.”

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    Jenny Gillespie replied on Sep 18, 2008

    Oh and I mean swaying Democrats who are still mourning for Hillary—and Independents, too. It would be good to appeal to the pro-Hillary people about Sarah making rape victims pay for their forensic kits.

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    Andrew Mason replied on Sep 18, 2008

    I wouldn’t back off too quickly from Sarah Palin. Even as the economy and/or the war return to the front pages, there are still going to be people out there who vote for McCain because they think Palin is “just like me.” I think this is still an important message to get out there, and I think there are a lot of people who want to help get this specific message out there.

    Might not hurt to mention the economy or tie it in somehow, but I think Palin should remain the focus of the ad.

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    Lizzy Gore replied on Sep 19, 2008

    This is a great dialogue. I know we’re supposed to use the wiki for revising the ad copy, but here’s a revised version based on all suggestions so far.

    Sarah Palin and John McCain are dangerous for America.

    SARAH PALIN HIDES THE TRUTH FROM VOTERS

    -Sarah Palin has never made a single decision in the war on terror.

    -People who know Sarah in Alaska say she treated her administration like a popularity contest, firing whomever she didn’t like.

    -She is blocking investigations into whether she fired her public safety commissioner to get revenge.

    -As governor, she conducted important state business on a Yahoo e-mail account. What did she have to hide from the voters of Alaska?

    -She poses as a regular working mom, but she has a team of stylists and a wardrobe of expensive designer clothing.

    These are facts, not smear tactics. Check them on (link). Sarah Palin is NOT who she seems. She is NOT like you.

    THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN IS HIDING THE TRUTH BEHIND SARAH PALIN:

    John McCain says he’s for reform. But McCain has spent 26 years voting to let Wall Street gamble hard-working Americans’ retirement away. Now who’s paying for his mistakes? Hard-working Americans. If McCain wanted reform, he would have started talking about it before last month. Check his record: (link)

    Don’t be fooled by the lipstick. Sarah Palin won’t stand for you in Washington, won’t win the war on terror, and doesn’t make up for John McCain’s 30 years of mistakes.

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    N Lind replied on Sep 19, 2008

    I would like to see a reminder of how McCain doesn’t remember how many houses he owns.

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    Anonymous replied on Sep 19, 2008

    Maybe we could make little memory bracelets for him?

    “I have 8 houses.”

    hmm… idea…

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    Andrew Mason replied on Sep 19, 2008

    OK, I created the campaign! Help McCain remember how many homes he owns

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    Cat Rug replied on Sep 22, 2008

    I am curious as to how her educational history would play into this – she attended a number of community colleges, and that may be seen as “regular”, but for a leader, would people expect a respected 4 year degree/some kind of graduate work in something? “Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin attended five colleges in six years before graduating from the University of Idaho in 1987.” http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjGaAjQoUCE3…

    Her first-ever passport being issued last year scare anyone else? “Ms. Palin appears to have traveled very little outside the United States. In July 2007, she had to get a passport before she visited members of the Alaska National Guard stationed in Kuwait, according to her deputy communications director, Sharon Leighow. She also visited wounded troops in Germany during that trip.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/3…

    Thanks for starting this Lizzy, I hope it works.

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    Sean Sebastian replied on Sep 22, 2008

    Something bothers me about the McCain/Palin campaign. Well, a lot of things bother me – but one thing in particular is very troublesome.

    McCain is a Naval Academy graduate. Which means at one time, he was expected to adhere to an Honor Code – prohibiting him and all Midshipmen from lying, cheating, stealing or tolerating those who do.

    This is important to me because I am a graduate of West Point. We had a very strict Honor Code. Cadets who lied, or even equivocated, faced shame, dishonor and expulsion.

    So as he and his campaign play games with the truth, right now, their campaign is setting an inexcusible example for every other graduate overseas, fighting and dying on their honor. In fact, there are more than 10,000 currently enrolled cadets and midshipmen, all of whom must overcome their personal shortcomings and be honest at all times – even in the face of failure or punishment.

    So it is very sad, and very shameful, that Sen. McCain is willing to undermine the very fabric of our Armed Forces with his dishonesty and equivocation in the pursuit of political power.

    It is a dark day for our Armed Forces.

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    Lizzy Gore replied on Sep 22, 2008

    Hi, Jane-

    It’s true, the thing about the $2500 jacket is a little ridiculous. I’m curious to know where you get the impression that she’s a good person trying to better this country, though? There really is a lot of evidence (and not just from “liberal” media) that Sarah didn’t play straight as governor in Alaska. There are the private e-mail accounts, the fact that she decided the state budget alone in her office with her husband instead of with her budget committee, and the whole thing about her possibly firing the public safety commissioner for revenge about her sister’s divorce. I know she looks really genuine, and she really is a “regular American,” but I think there’s a decent case to be made than she’s not trustworthy…

    Lizzy

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    Julia Herkimer replied on Sep 23, 2008

    I found this website calling for the Republicans to stop stonewalling the Troopergate investigation.

    Please sign this petition and forward to everyone you know!

    Alaska Hockey Moms For Obama

    Sign The Troopergate Petition: Over 2600 in 5 Days!(59)

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    Julia Herkimer replied on Sep 29, 2008

    This website is owned by Alaskans. It started in 2007 and is updated regularly. It has many facts with supporting documentation about the kind of person she really is.

    http://www.grizzlybay.org/HelpSpreadTruth.htm