Sound Politics: Remember that Ad?

August 29, 2007

Remember that Ad?

It was a bit before I reached full maturity in local politics (still a debatable point as I understand), but astute readers may recall an ad from the local political scene several years back similar to this newer version:

The local ad of lore is for Slade Gorton, wearing what in retrospect were running shorts so short as to be unholy, jogging over the crest of a hill as part of one of his earlier Senate campaigns. At the time it was a really good ad...in no small part because the clothing wasn't dated when it ran. But when it was replayed at a notable Gorton staff gathering or two in later years it evoked howls of laughter.

We loved Slade and all, but what Peggy Noonan said here about us giving him a hard time was true. For good reason. For good or for ill, that Gorton ad is not on YouTube.

The modern Romney version is interesting, mostly for the content in the ad which is obvious and that which is subtle.

H/T: Jonathan Martin.

UPDATE: on a related Slade note, some nice words for him today in the Seattle Times, lauding him as a stellar choice for AG. Still a long shot though.

Posted by Eric Earling at August 29, 2007 07:12 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Slade Gorton has done some good work in the past. However, it was clear from observing his participation on the 9/11 Commission that he's pretty much run out of gas. The old energy and incisive analysis and ability to make points and convince had given way to plodding and noncommittal collegiality with some pretty biased Committee members. In short, he failed to illuminate much, failed to criticise when warranted, and acted more like a backbencher than a principal.

Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on August 29, 2007 10:08 PM

2. On the contrary, I think Slade was direct and to the point in the 9/11 commission hearings with the most interesting exchange:

GORTON: Now, since my yellow light is on, at this point my final question will be this: Assuming that the recommendations that you made on January 25th of 2001, based on Delenda, based on Blue Sky, including aid to the Northern Alliance, which had been an agenda item at this point for two and a half years without any action, assuming that there had been more Predator reconnaissance missions, assuming that that had all been adopted say on January 26th, year 2001, is there the remotest chance that it would have prevented 9/11?

CLARKE: No.

GORTON: It just would have allowed our response, after 9/11, to be perhaps a little bit faster?

CLARKE: Well, the response would have begun before 9/11.

GORTON: Yes, but there was no recommendation, on your part or anyone else's part, that we declare war and attempt to invade Afghanistan prior to 9/11?

CLARKE: That's right.

Reference: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/24/bn.00.html

Direct and to the point - 9/11 happened because of a systematic failure of the intelligence community throughout the 1990s, and a failure to consider Al Qaeda a credible threat. With that single question, and single "No" answer from Clarke, all we needed to know about who was "at fault" about 9/11 was revealed.

Only Slade was that blunt and incisive. He's still got it!

Posted by: Edmonds Dan on August 29, 2007 10:15 PM

3. If that's part of the transcript, very good. It certainly didn't show up in our TV screen while I was watching, but zen, ze professional journalists haf veys of disappearing stuff that doesn't fit their metanarrative.

Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on August 29, 2007 11:03 PM

4. Funny how that works...:) The most critical exchange during Clarke's testimony is conveniently "left out" by the media. But it's part of the official transcript, and is absolutely damning in its directness and simplicity.

Posted by: Edmonds Dan on August 30, 2007 07:29 AM

5. Wow, they really went heavy the spray bottle on Romney to make it look actually look like he's working out. Impressive!

Wholly unelectable? Definitely!

Posted by: Cato on August 30, 2007 11:04 AM

6. Well, who was that doing the heavy breathing then? Pervert in the bushes?

Posted by: swatter on August 30, 2007 11:51 AM

7. who was that doing the heavy breathing then?

Sound effects...added in post-production. =)

Pervert in the bushes?

When did we start talking about Sen. Craig?

Posted by: Cato on August 30, 2007 04:17 PM

8. That ad worked for Slade partly because that is who he truly was -- a very committed jogger/runner. I tried to run the Sound to Narrows "with" him once -- he was 35+ years my Senior and I was on a cross country team in HS at the time -- and he still crossed the finish line many minutes sooner. He was in stellar shape and that is probably one of the reasons he continues to be in such good physical and mental shape.

Posted by: Anthony on August 30, 2007 09:00 PM