Nine great political spots

Kari Chisholm FacebookTwitterWebsite

I generally can't stand commercials, and flip around obsessively with the TV remote, but every two years, I find myself flipping around... just to watch the ads. Call me a junkie!

Anyway, I thought I'd pull together a handful of my favorite spots airing right now. In the comments, tell me what ads you're seeing out there, and which ones work for you.

Nine spots on the jump, in no particular order...

How do you explain spending cuts without resorting to bar charts or absurd "sky is falling" hyperbole? The Oregon AARP seems to have figured it out. Musical chairs:

Here in Portland, it might be oh-so-typical to tie a Republican candidate to George W. Bush - but not usually in the suburbs or rural areas. But Dubya's pretty unpopular, and Republicans in Washington County and the Central Coast are leaping into his loving arms.

This is a great spot from David Edwards, running for the open Republican-held seat in Washington County.

And down on the Central Coast, Jean Cowan responds to all the silly attacks from Rep. Alan Brown.

Without mentioning Ron Saxton's ridiculous stopwatch, the Ted Kulongoski campaign has been on the air with an accomplishments ad -- and I love the close: "Other politicians have gotten more attention. But no governor has gotten more done." That's pretty much what I've been saying for months - the dude ain't sexy, but he's a heckuva governor.

While the Minnis File ad is getting most of the attention, the Rob Brading campaign has enough money to go on the air with another ad simultaneously. This one makes it clear where Karen Minnis is getting her money - and who she's really working for.

This one might be the most effective ad of the season. In just 30 seconds, you know exactly how Measure 43 is going to work. From No on 43.

Then there's the independent ad from the "Teachers for Ted" in which a teacher talks about Governor Kulongoski. It's a great ad that ties the values we teach our kids to the values that Ted applies to his work. (Just ignore that weird moment 10 seconds in where the bald guy suddenly gets his hair back.)

And, finally, there's the two spots from Brian Clem. They're funny; they introduce you to Brian's unique personality; and there's a clear message on the key issue in the campaign.

Did I miss any great spots of the 2006 cycle?

Oh, and my full disclosure moment. I built the websites for Jean Cowan, Brian Clem, and Ted Kulongoski. Also, I work with the Oregon House Democrats.

  • (Show?)

    Love the Clem ads! And the No on 43 ad is really powerful.

  • (Show?)

    Musical Chairs is brilliant. Simple, clear, strong impact. Cool.

  • Aaron V. (unverified)
    (Show?)

    No on 43 is a powerful ad - could be a bit more powerful, with the guy drinking or doing meth and throwing down the letter, but it's obvious what's happening.

    Take that, Christofascists. You're on the side of abusive parents and mommy's rapist boyfriend when you promote Measure 43.

  • (Show?)

    Then there's the independent ad from the "Teachers for Ted" in which a teacher talks about Governor Kulongoski. It's a great ad...

    Great ad? Great ads?

    All this money spent, to say so little. Instead of thoughtful discussion, we get sound bites...a continual dumbing down of the electorate. Black is white, white is red, I find the whole thing depressing. Is "the teacher" a teacher...or yet another paid actor, pretending to be in a pretend classroom with his pretend hair?

    This isn't good for democracy. We're not asking people to choose between brands of cereal...except, well, maybe we are as we're making commodities out of our elected officials. And then, because this all costs so very, very much, we watch people spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to win jobs that pay far less...and then bemoan the fact that "big money" is distorting our democracy. Well, some people bemoan it, others relish it.

    You're a good man, Kari Chisholm, but the whole set up is getting as phoney as that actor's hairpiece.

  • (Show?)

    Frank,

    I get your point. Just for the record, yes...the teacher is a "real" teacher in the Kulongoski ads.

  • Ed Bickford (unverified)
    (Show?)

    I took a class from him at Clark Community College a few years ago. He's good.

    You may remember him from a commercial a while back for a local hospital where his infant daughter was successfully treated; that hardly makes him a phony actor. Nice ad hominem attack on his baldness, though, Frank.

  • (Show?)

    Thanks, Kari, there are some great ads in that set.

    The musical chairs one is positively brilliant.

    Frank, I'm all for reducing the money in politics and making elections less ad-focused but several of these ads are great because they are aimed solely at illuminating the crux of the issues involved with perfectly appropriate imagery.

    There is no "black is white, white is red" skullduggery involved in the AARP ad or the parental notification ad, just concrete images of the potential results of passing those measures that people can relate to. Sometimes 10-page white papers aren't the best way to explain things so people truly understand them. Anyone who can make progress toward that in a 30 second commercial has my admiration. Neither of those ads qualify as "sound bites" in my opinion.

    And you owe that teacher an apology.

  • spicey (unverified)
    (Show?)

    I don't own a TV and don't see any, so I'm usually so out of the loop when it comes to ads (even radio ones...). Then, I asked a friend who she was voting for for Goverernor (after asking her if she'd voted). She started talking about the ads. I was shocked. I get my info here, and Wweek and blogs and things, and here was this close friend talking about TV ads. I shut up and listened as she talked on and on about the Saxton vs. Teddy ads and she wasn't sure after watching them who to vote for. This is a pretty liberal friend, and I was shocked. So, I suppose making good ads does matter, a lot more than I thought it did.

    This also spurred me to write an e-mail to everyone I know making sure they know my thoughts on the situation.

  • Sid Leader (unverified)
    (Show?)

    The only people who bash teachers (Lars, Frank, etc,...) are the ones who wish they had paid a bit more attention in school, and now sit at home in their Step-Mommy's basement wondering "what happened?"

    How's the view, Frank?

  • Hardcore NAV (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Take that, Christofascists. You're on the side of abusive parents and mommy's rapist boyfriend when you promote Measure 43.

    Brilliant observation Aaron V.

    Really, this is a powerful ad. Unfortunately, it's inaccurate and relies on fearmongering and lies to get its point across.

    Measure 43 does have an exception for rape and incest or any other circumstance, it's called a judicial bypass. ANY girl can ask for one and get it and not have her parents notified that she is seekinga an abortion.

    I'm Pro-choice but I agree with this measure. 15, 16 and 17 year old girls should not be making a life altering decision on their own or with the urging of their teenage boyfriends who have even less of a clue than they do.

    Second, less than 1% of abortion are because of rape and incest in Oregon. That means that this ad plays to the fears of 1% of the actual cases in Oregon which is somewhere around 6 girls a year. AGAIN, those 6 girls and any other girl who feels she can't talk to her parents about having sex, getting pregnant, etc. can seek a judicial bypass.

    We don't allow anyone under the age of 18 to vote or drink or smoke, but you would have someone under the age of 18 make a decision about a major medical procedure that could potentially affect the rest of their life?

    But it's a powerful ad.

  • Sally (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Teacher bashing? Oh please. A nasty retort like that from one is teacher bashing from the inside out. As per usual.

  • (Show?)

    NAV said: "We don't allow anyone under the age of 18 to vote or drink or smoke, but you would have someone under the age of 18 make a decision about a major medical procedure that could potentially affect the rest of their life?"

    Yes, because they already CAN make decisions about those major medical procedures. 15-year olds are medically emancipated. Turn the aspirin theory on its head to reach the truth--if a 16 year old girl can get a boob job without her parents' consent, why should an abortion be any different?

    Also, this sentence is not true: "ANY girl can ask for one and get it"

    Any girl can ask, but whether they can bypass notification is up to an administrative judge. There's no set of statutes to necessarily govern how they rule, other than the nebulous "best interest of the child." Since the whole premise of the measure is to let strangers assume the decisionmaking power on what her best interests are, I don't feel becalmed by that protection. And what's further disturbing is that there is no associated counseling or assistance set up for the girl in such situations.

  • (Show?)

    And you owe that teacher an apology.

    Doretta, you need to lighten up. Kari's the one who pointed out the bald guy gets his hair back in the classroom. All while talking about getting students "ready for the real world." That's sorta ironic and funny, don't you think?

    Sid...my Dad's bald, and he was a teacher. I've lived on my own since I was 18, put myself through graduate school, and own my own home. Pair me with Lars and as a "teacher-basher"...good grief.

    The AARP ad? Everybody's got a chair...but then two get taken away, and the stronger guys push the elderly woman and kid out of the way? Isn't there already a lack of chairs? Don't we already have grotesque numbers of Orgeonians lacking health care, affordable housing, good jobs?

    The fact is, these ads appeal to us on an emotional basis. Ted "protected local schools in tough times?" What's that mean? In Portland, we passed --had to-- a local income tax to fund the pronounced gap in local school funding that the legislature --and Governor-- has continually, miserably failed to adequately address. Just as this year we're voting for yet another "local option" tax...again, 'cause the folks in Salem can't get their act together.

    Anyway...the choice isn't 30 second TV ads versus 10 page white papers. We need a more engaged and better informed electorate. I appreciate Kari's posting these here, but better TV production values is not what's lacking from the world of political discourse.

  • Anon (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Kari,

    What is your opinion on Brading fundraising for this election? Better than expected? Not better? Have they spent it well, given that they are being outspent about 7 to 1.

  • (Show?)

    Anon, it's less than 2-to-1 if you go by the most recent C&E for each (excluding the most recent supplement).

    Brading raised 356K, spent 332K. Over 200K of that is in-kind, however, but it counts.

    Minnis raised 634K, spent 613K.

  • Peter Bray (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Off-topic, but in re: yesterday's post about low turnout. Here's something pretty positive in Arizona. I expect it is mirrored across the country:

    "In our October 8 to 31 tracking polls (since early voting started) we have interviewed a total of 594 early voters. Among these early voters, Jim Pederson is leading Jon Kyl by 4 points: 44% for Pederson compared to 40% for Kyl, with 4% for other candidates and 12% refused... Furthermore, our latest tracking poll shows that Jim Pederson’s margin among early voters is growing as we get closer to the election and as this bloc of early voters expands to virtually one-third of the electorate."

  • (Show?)
    Posted by: Frank Dufay | Nov 2, 2006 3:50:39 AM All this money spent, to say so little. Instead of thoughtful discussion, we get sound bite

    Good grief. What do you think a 30 sec spot can do? ALL T.V. commercials are basically sound bites. That is what they are. If you think an ad is vehicle for thoughtful discussion you have some seriously warped views of reality as to what the television medium in the form of 30 second ads are, and what they can deliver.

    No offense but to suggest a 30 second ad is a vehicle where you can even have a thoughtful discussion is so far off the mark as to be baffling as to why you would even put forward such a notion.

  • (Show?)

    That hair thing is hilarious! Now that's a funny ad....

  • Sid Leader (unverified)
    (Show?)

    I am so freakin' tired of people bashing teachers and then saying "My dad/mom/uncle/bail bondsman was a teacher!"

    Two of KXL's biggest stars have teacher wives and they KILL the PAT, PPS and teachers every single hour, on the hour -- the G.M. and the morning news fella.

    My dad was a bartender and instead of bashing them, I tip 'em BIG because it's a very hard job, on your feet, with all that smell, all those drunks and losers and junkies, kinda like being the RNC chairman these days with Rush, Foley and Hastert on the line.

  • (Show?)

    No offense but to suggest a 30 second ad is a vehicle where you can even have a thoughtful discussion is so far off the mark as to be baffling as to why you would even put forward such a notion.

    I suggested no such thing. What I'm saying is these ads, well-produced or not, aren't helpful to furthering an educated electorate. And because they're so expensive to produce and air, the escalating arms race to raise money continues unabated. Bucketfuls of money for a lot of unpleasant noise...and it's not turning people on to politics. It's a waste of money and creativity, and an argument for limiting campaign expenditures as well as contributions.

    There's better ways to engage people in the political process, and one's that don't make fund-raising such a determining factor in who wins out at the ballot box.

  • baldy (unverified)
    (Show?)

    He doesn't get his hair back, they are two diffrent teachers. It's just a case of two white guys with facial hair looking alike.

  • (Show?)

    I am so freakin' tired of people bashing teachers and then saying "My dad/mom/uncle/bail bondsman was a teacher!"

    Sorry, Sid, but I've always been proud of my Dad being a teacher. You'll never make me feel bad about that.

  • Dan (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Wow Sid,

    weaving both Hastert and Foley into your comments, how daring!

    You probably should have included Goldschmidt and Gov. Ted as well considering the discussion on WW and Jack Bog's Blog today.

    Unlike Foley, the Goldschmidt/Kulongoski cover-up actually involved a rape.

  • Anne Dufay (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Sid Leader -- thanks for a perfect illustration of the fact that the fine sayiing "Never assume, it makes an ass out of you and me" -- is sometimes only half true.

    Doretta, I appreciate a well-aimed hit as well as anyone. However, the "truth" underlying the finely crafted nutshell is ONLY really apparent to those who have done enough off-the boobtube research to recognize that the spot speaks truth BECAUSE it works not just to their maleable emotional side, but also to the wise-cracking realist of their intellect -- which they have informed by doing something more informing than watching tv ads...

    What's scary is that so many are getting only the nuts -- beautifuly crafted, nicely pre-masticated, and then served up with a good slice of heavy-breathing and soul-stirring music, to boot. What tools do such folks have to discern which are true in the veritable rain of opposing soundbites? Thus you have the quandry of the friend of one commenter, above -- who gets all his/her info from the ads, and thus can't figure out who to vote for...

    BTW -- The "teacher-hater-baiter" issue is entirely a straw-man, not relevent to Frank's point. Though it's a good illustration of how easy it is to manipulate otherwise intelligent people, with an emotionally-freighted sound bite...

  • Sid Leader (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Frank (wrongly) questioned a campaign ad featuring a real teacher.

    Teachers are honest, so we don't have to "play one on TV."

    Why don't GOP campaign ads feature real teachers?

    Because they are frightened and ashamed of the GOP, the party of Lincoln.

  • (Show?)

    Frank wrote, What I'm saying is these ads, well-produced or not, aren't helpful to furthering an educated electorate. ... There's better ways to engage people in the political process, and one's that don't make fund-raising such a determining factor in who wins out at the ballot box.

    OK, Frank, you're on. Let's hear your campaign plan.

    To make it realistic, let's give you a scenario (just like in campaign school):

    It's November 2005. You've got a year before election day. You're Brian Clem. You've got some connections, but no name ID and no money. You're running against incumbent Rep. Billy Dalto, who is well-known and can raise money in buckets. Your research uncovers some interesting ethical challenges, but local voters don't know anything about 'em - and the press isn't interested in covering 'em. In fact, the local media (the SSJ) is going to write a total of 6-10 stories total about the race (most of 'em in the last month.)

    What's your plan? How are you going to win? Let's hear it. You're a brilliant strategist, tell us how it works.

  • (Show?)

    Anne, as I said, I'm all for making elections less centered around TV ads. That's about campaign finance and education outside the election cycle and other things. Why should that detract from my appreciation of some really good ads?

    I don't think I agree that you have to already understand the issues before you can recognize "the truth" in an ad. I think the best of them stimulate thinking. I don't think very many people are going to react to the AARP ad by thinking "Oh those poor people don't have chairs, I'd better vote no on this measure." The point of the ad is to illustrate by metaphor what happens when you put an artificial limit on the ressources available.

    Likewise, the parental notification ad is a graphic reminder that although you might not beat your kids some other people do. The thing that burns me about that measure would be hard to put into a commercial, I admit--it's the way the proponents hide behind judicial review, which is a joke. Now you not only have to tell the doctor about your pregnancy, you have to tell a bunch of strangers in an intimidating environment--not to mention the burden of figuring out how to find those strangers and ask for the review in the first place.

  • Tina (unverified)
    (Show?)

    The AARP piece is breathtaking its so good. Who consulted on this piece? Ted's "But no governor has gotten more done" piece is good but a bit late after the stopwatch piece. When did the Ted one start running? Also the 43 spot is good, very good. I have never seen it run however. How often has it been playing per day and when did it start? I couldnt get the sound to run on the first Clem's spot but looks cute.

  • (Show?)

    Frank (wrongly) questioned a campaign ad featuring a real teacher...Teachers are honest, so we don't have to "play one on TV."

    Y'know, Sid, my daughter's an actor in New York. Why the actor-bashing? There's nothing wrong with being an actor.

    I will repeat...Kari --not I-- suggested that the "teacher" speaking to the camera was the "teacher" who suddenly sprouted a full head of hair...not me. I just thought it was funny. Is it the same person, or a different white guy? I don't know and I don't really care.

    I think teaching is one of the finest professions people can get into. Grossly underpaid and under-appreciated...except by the students who a fine teacher can have a life-long impact on. I HAD teachers like that.

  • (Show?)

    What's your plan? How are you going to win? Let's hear it. You're a brilliant strategist, tell us how it works.

    Let me see the money first, Kari. You think I give it away for free? :-)

  • Anne Dufay (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Doretta -- hours after I posted my previous comment I was mulling what I said. And the thing that stuck with me the most was that I hadn't taken it far enough. Hadn't followed the "truth" thing out to the end of its thread. Out to where we all find our own truth, very different from one to another.

    So, when you say "I don't think I agree that you have to already understand the issues before you can recognize "the truth" in an ad."

    I am struck by the examples you offer. And I say, most people react from their gut -- From what they believe -- from what their own "truth" is. Your example of the ad about parental notification is the perfect perfect example of what I am talking about.

    The folks who advocate for parental notification (a concept I find in all ways backwards and ignorant and abusive) really believe that they are hearing and telling the "truth" in their ads. Folks who respond to their message from their own emotions, hear "truth" as well.

    "Truth" is the trickiest, slickest rascal out there. We all think we know it when we meet it. That's why one is born every minute. Punters, every one of us...

    And, me and my truth, up against what I consider the bigot and his truth. Each of us, sure of our "truth."

    Anne

  • OEA member (unverified)
    (Show?)

    As an OEA member and a supporter of all things public education (teachers not necessarily administrators), I am a little sick of the Teachers for Ted ads.

    If Saxton wasn't so bad I'd urge every teacher to vote for Keating. 4 years ago Ted won with 2% of the vote, due largely to OEA and other public employee unions. Then he turns around and supports an extreme fix to PERS...yes yes I brought up the P word. Note I said extreme.

    Then he fails to show any leadership on M. 28 and 30. Basically signs a no new taxes pledge including tax expenditures BAH!, and then comes out with a budget proposal that doesn't even come close to current service levels (also known as a cuts budget). Meanwhile he is absent from any conversations with the Senate during the 2005 session and much of the 2003 session, signs ridiculous unfunded mandates like CRLS and increased credits in math and English. (not bad ideas, but devastating without increased funding), is silent on the CIM/CAM debate, and appoints a child molester to the higher ed board......

    I understand OEA staff is terrified of Saxton. Heck, I'm terrified of Saxton. But the independent expenditure ads should be a bit more honest. Something like "Ted Kulongoski has promised that THIS TIME he will be there for Oregon's teachers and students."

    I'm voting for Ted, because Ron Saxton will unravel the last remaining vestiges of public education in Oregon, but I'm not holding my breath that Ted will be there for us. Governor, this time you better dance with them that brung ya. But ya know what, I don't really have an "or else......" You got me over a barrel.

    OEA's money would be better spent on Clem, Cowan, Edwards (chris and david), Brading, and Evans & Walker - they are the real pro - education candidates.

    <h2>And I'm not signing this because I don't want to get any crap from my own dad who is also a teacher and believes in party unity. Myself, I'm a Democrat so I can vote against Hillary.</h2>

connect with blueoregon