Interesting stuff.

My own thought when I saw the hot dog ad was "this really makes Jeff Merkley seem like an ordinary guy, like ordinary Oregonians." Something that, alas, doesn't always come across in Merkley's own ads.

Whatever points Merkley loses because he didn't immediately know the details about Georgia are totally outweighed by making him appear like a regular guy.

At least that was my reaction.

Thanks for that Phil. In recent conversation regarding tickets and choices with a conservative friend of mine who voted Bush all the way every time, he also told me the same, of at last being unable to go that way ever again. He mentioned that reasonable, personal-life conversations on our part had had an impact on him. The longterm aspects of life shared, friendship continued and the real discussion of events that have unfolded all mattered to his position change. This fellow has even left the Anglican church, as partly a symptom of his conservatism. It has changed his social life to abandon, at last, his dogged post as a "thinking conservative". He recognized how he'd been terribly manipulated as a believing conservative. He reports that of particular value to his shift was the revisiting of pivotal issues over time. That was a nice post from you.

Kevin,

Watching you broadcast your ignorance in such a public fashion is always difficult when reading your posts, but the fact that you posted this without doing any research into the fact that the RSCC is non-existent organization is beyond uncomfortable.

I can't believe Kari or one of your tens of fans didn't have the courtesy to correct you in the comments before allowing you to write "RSCC" three more times.

NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Astounding.

My comment was directly related to your laziness and lack of diligence in researching anything beyond the talking points you are fed by the Merkley campaign and your anecdotes tangentially related to politics. It had nothing to do with how the commercials are received.

At least Carla and Kari do some research before they grab the shovels.

So, Unreal, what did you think of the ad? hominum.

Kevin!!!! How many times do we have to go through this!!!

Unreal is NOT with the Smith campaign, he works for the SS ... ummm, NRSC ... oops.

"After Russia invaded Georgia?" ... okay, has it ever been established who invaded who first?

"laziness and lack of diligence in researching anything beyond the talking points you are fed by the Merkley campaign and your anecdotes tangentially related to politics."

Unreal, let me tell you something very real, something which happened a long time before I ever heard of Jeff Merkley.

In 1990, Denny Smith (having won only by a 707 recount the previous election) ran a couple of ads at least as brainless if not more so. His opponent was a wonderful man (old friend of mine) but very plain looking--Denny Smith said "not only is he liberal, he is hip!" as if that was the reason people should re-elect Smith.b

Then he did a TV ad very much in this vein (What has Gordon Smith said about the Georgia invasion? My guess is he's been as silent as Smith was in 1990 about the Kuwait invasion) and the infamous "voice of Hitler" radio ad.

Analysis after Kopetski beat Smith 55%-45% said one factor in the result was revulsion at the ads.

And don't forget, in 2006, David Brooks cited "this would not be tolerated where I work or among people I know" as turning voters away from incumbents whose behavior they had come to despise.

For all the talk that "negative campaigns work", there are some famous examples in Oregon where someone ran brainless commercials like this and not only lost the election but their reputation as well.

"but that doesn't mean that they like all negative ads."

I have never liked negative ads. even more so now with this race. My fiance (the one from Canada) saw the ads over her vacation here and quipped "I have better behaved children in my Day Care"

These ads have made me consider leaving my ballot blnk for this race. Just because Incipid Smith is the incumbent or just because Milquetoast Merkley is a democrat does not mean they are entitled to my vote. the ads just show me how uptight you all are and that we would be better off with 'none of the above' for the senate. Leaving my ballot blank for this race is the best possible outcome because whomever is in the office is definately not very Christian in nature and will just follow the party way - not thier concience or constituents wishes.

"negative ads have a negative tone, but are loaded with specific information"

That information being that both parties and thier committes are actually regressed and uptight 6-year-olds who don't know any better than to be un-Christianly critical in their lives and thinking.

Excuse me now..I have a bucket to be sick into...

Personally, I think Merkley should have a heart to heart talk with Ron Wyden about Jan. 1996. There was a debate on whether to go ever more negative or to be the Ron Wyden his friends had known for years. The "100% positive" campaign decision was in the latter category.

Still, there was a large 3rd party vote and someone at work challenged why I would have Wyden bumper sticker if I disliked negative ads, then said "Well, if he is a personal friend, that is different".

And I agree with this--even more so in the presidential race: "...saw the ads over her vacation here and quipped "I have better behaved children in my Day Care"

As someone who has spent many years working with kids, I won't vote for anyone if I've seen more mature kids--and that is not a partisan remark as there are Democrats in that category.