Sound Politics: RGA on the Airwaves in the Governor's Race

September 10, 2008

RGA on the Airwaves in the Governor's Race

The introductory TV spot from the Republican Governor's Association:

Objectively, I'd give it about a B-. The topic area has real potential, but the ad seems a bit too "busy" with visuals and background noise...and the narration a bit too smarmy. Yes, they're trying to create a casino feel, but the umph at the end seems a bit lost.

Nonetheless, the content has some real punch since the issue doesn't pass the smell test with the general public. That, and my guess is the ad is still significantly more effective than the $2 million plus Evergreen Progress has dropped on the race thus far.

Posted by Eric Earling at September 10, 2008 10:27 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Maybe I just expect it from politicians anymore, but it just doesn't hit home with me.

I'd be much more interested in ads where Dino articulates his plans and vision for Washington, and more than the usual "I want to lower taxes and improve education" type spiel.

It's very possible that I'm not the norm, though, and maybe this does hit home with some, so I guess we'll see.

Posted by: Andrew Brown on September 10, 2008 10:38 PM

2. 140 Million a year from one tribe. Imagine if there were leadership here and a precident had been set amony all tribes to help fund Washington state schools or tax cuts.

Instead we get Zero, 8100 new state employees, a 2.7 Billion dollar defecit, and a legislature ready to drop a massive load of new taxes on a depressed state.

It's time for Change Change Change in Washington, and Dino Rossi is the individual to bring that change.

Posted by: gs on September 10, 2008 10:41 PM

3. What #2 said! Hold nothing back. Losing 140 mil, having a bloated budget, and disregard for the people isn't what voters asked for.

Posted by: Michele on September 10, 2008 11:53 PM

4. I'm voting for Rossi. Why? Because Gregoire has done nothing for the past four years. Taxes on gas has increased 15 cents in the past few years, yet nothing is built. No 520 bridge, the via duct, mass transit, nothing. Not even a plan to solve those problems. Housing prices were way up in 05/06, but what happened to all the money from taxes on the sales? Record prices for goodness sake. Where is the money?! Where are the results of the money spent?! It had to go somewhere since there is a budget shortfall. Gregoire is quite possibly the worst manager of money I have ever seen. It's time for change.

Posted by: Thomas B. on September 11, 2008 12:00 AM

5. It's a turn off; probably does more harm than good. Research should tell that even though folks may not agree with what our Governor did here, for the most part they are sympathetic to the Tribes and are pleased that they seem to be doing so well in the gaming business and using a lot of the proceeds for constructive purposes.
Shooting oneself in the foot seems apt in regard to this ad. :)

Posted by: Duffman on September 11, 2008 05:29 AM

6. I didn't like it because of "been there, done that" Everyone in the state knows about this by now, so why harp on it as if it's the only ammunition in four years of incompetence? There are so many things to choose from, don't stay with one thing!

Posted by: Camille on September 11, 2008 05:52 AM

7. Wrong Duffie
Being sympathetic to the Tribes is one thing. Taking huge sums of cash from them is another. It's stinks and looks very dishonest.

Take off the rose colored glasses please.

Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on September 11, 2008 06:21 AM

8. I actually like the ad...I would imagine that there are actually many, many people who don't already know about it. Not everyone follows politics.

The point I think the Rossi campaign should be making, though, is on transportation. Gregoire has been governor for four years, for crying out loud, and she can't unveil her transportation plan until December? What has she been doing? We should be two years into implementing her plan, not a few months away from hearing about it. What has she been doing, anyway? And that's not even to mention the arrogance of assuming she'll be re-elected.

Posted by: Paula on September 11, 2008 07:21 AM

9. I agree with Paula Rossi campaign should hit hard on Transportation issues. DOT primary goal is not relieve congestion. Ferry system problems and funding for new ferries for several years yet we are looking at a couple more years to get them. Dragging of feet and Meeting after meeting. Discussion group after discussion group.
Hit hard Democrats love to discuss issues but they never agree to anything. Leadership is needed to make decisions not wait for a commission report. Wasted time and wasted money. Plus it provides cover to Democrats on standing for something.
Go after leadership needs to make decisions. Hard decisions are not popular but doing nothing only makes every project cost more because of the delays.
Use Light rail promised a huge system yet spent all the money and they had to come back to the voters. Make that the Poster child of Democrat Policy Group. And the wasted money spent. And hit the point though the are a decade behind the original schedule and doubled the cost. These same folks say they are under budget(New revised budget) and ahead of schedule (New schedule for completion). Saying the Queen must wait for the latest Blue ribbon commission to make a decision. DOes it mean more of the same delays like light rail and Doubling the cost. IS History repeating itself?

Posted by: David Anfinrud on September 11, 2008 07:33 AM

10. Duffer,

You need to get away from the PC Seattle crowd and sniff the breeze in small-town Washington, where people (privately) are not as "...sympathetic to the Tribes..." as you and the Seattle media seem to think. Flush with un-taxed gaming money, the once-pitied Tribes are major power brokers in local, state and national political arenas. Murray and Cantwell, and of course the Queen, have accepted huge donations in return for votes on legislation favoring Tribes. Why is this any different than the Mafia in Vegas, where an un-taxed entity uses windfall profits to buy politicians? It is time conservatives woke up to this and began boycotting Tribal casinos.

Posted by: Saltherring on September 11, 2008 07:35 AM

11. Understand Saltherring but it ain't gonna happen and I actually agree with you but I was looking at it simply from the standpoint of what I think the perceived effect of the ad will be. Like it or not the Tribes and peripherals who now depend on the Tribes are a huge power and IMO will certainly not warm to this ad and ergo the 'shooting oneself in the foot' analogy. I'm not a frequent visitor of tribal casinos but know many who are. Tribal casinos have now become the major support for musical and entertainment groups of this State. There's a bigger ripple effect in play than one would think. :)

Posted by: Duffman on September 11, 2008 07:49 AM

12. Well then Duffie.
Following the dem's idea. The Tribes should be paying their fair share.
Remember it's for the "children" and roads!

Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on September 11, 2008 08:05 AM

13. Paula is right. There are surely lots of people who don't know about this. Don't make the mistake of thinking everyone's a political nerd. This should be trumpeted everywhere, now that more people will be paying attention this fall.

Posted by: Michele on September 11, 2008 09:02 AM

14. NATURALLY you find it a 'turnoff,' duffer... The ad holds our Pike-Street-hooker/governor accountable for her criminal sell out of the taxpayers of this state... And she's a DEMOCRAT FEMALE.

0bviously, someone of your peculiar sympathies would rate that a 'turnoff.'

I am, however, really surprised at yet another missed opportunity by our resident political genius, Eric. After all, no one alive knows more about politics, and while I HAVE noticed that he's failed to come up with any strategies to solve any of HROC's issues (and whining really doesn't count as a 'strategy' unless you're OhDrama!) I'm just stunned that the RGA hasn't DEMANDED that you come in, take over and get THEM straightened out as well!

Gee... You suppose they lost your phone number?

Posted by: hinton on September 11, 2008 10:58 AM

15. State Transportation Problems:
Ferries
Via Duct
520 Bridge
Mass Transit

Problems Gregoire Solved after 4 years:
None, not even a plan for a way forward.

What happened to all the money?
15 cent gas tax increase.
Double digit increases in housing prices, which should have lead to increases in tax revenues.
Booming local economy during Gregoire's tenure.
The state should have been making money hand over fist, but we are now facing a budget shortfall?! Hiring freezes; 4 day work week; cuts in funding. What happened to all the money?! Where are the results of the money spent?!! Come on.

Posted by: Thomas B. on September 11, 2008 11:57 AM

16. "Hit hard Democrats love to discuss issues..."

Libs love to discuss issues because to them, talking about something is the same as doing something about it - and sometimes even better. That's why Bill Clinton can be held up as a champion of women's rights...he talks the talk so he doesn't have to walk the walk.

Posted by: Paula on September 11, 2008 01:43 PM

17. "..Pike Street Hooker/Governor..."

I really, really dislike Christine Gregiore, but lets please try to be the political party that keeps the debate somewhat civil when we're talking about elected leaders.

(Even if the way those leaders was elected was highly highly suspect and smacks of corruption.)

Let's let the other side to the photoshops of Sarah Palin into porn pictures and make jokes about how McCain is going to die when his old heart stops, etc.

Beside, I don't think there are hookers on Pike anymore are there?

Posted by: johnny on September 11, 2008 02:36 PM

18. Heck, I'm actually leaning towards Rossi at this point. Not because I think that he's any good, mind you... he has little experience at best. And not because I particularly like him or identify with him, either... he's smarmy and I pretty much think that his positions on social issues are repulsive.

But if Gregoire's campaign can't actually step it up soon, she *deserves* to lose, and the state Democrats deserve to be shaken up. Rossi is carrying the narrative, and even managing to snag Obama voters with a message of "change". I mean, I can't stand the guy, but if Gregoire can't put forth why people SHOULD vote for her over him to the undecided, then the best answer is that they SHOULDN'T.

Posted by: demo kid on September 11, 2008 02:38 PM

19. dumb-o kid,

Regarding the "repulsive" social issues stances of Dino Rossi and many Republicans, you really need to open your eyes to what people outside the Seattle echo chamber think and believe. To many adults, there is nothing more repulsive than murdering an unborn child in the name of "choice", nor is there anything more repugnant and perverse than the sodomite culture. But I guess you'd have to be a bit more mature to understand such words. Perhaps some day you'll grow up and learn to think and reason as an adult, rather than a "kid".

Posted by: Saltherring on September 11, 2008 06:46 PM

20. @19: To many adults, there is nothing more repulsive than murdering an unborn child in the name of "choice", nor is there anything more repugnant and perverse than the sodomite culture. But I guess you'd have to be a bit more mature to understand such words. Perhaps some day you'll grow up and learn to think and reason as an adult, rather than a "kid".

"To many adults"? I think that "many adults" realize that a newly fertilized egg isn't the same as a newborn baby. I think that "many adults" don't have a radical anti-choice view that would force a rape victim to keep a child. I think that this paranoid bigoted view of "sodomite culture" is as backward thinking as calling people "hicks". And I think that most people realize that being an American isn't just a question of saluting a flag and serving in the military.

Grow the hell up, sir. You're a joke, and your attitudes represent a throwback to a past best forgotten.

Posted by: demo kid on September 11, 2008 07:09 PM

21. LOTS of people don't know about this...and lots of people don't know the Gov. is negotiating good old union contracts while she takes in union dollars and gives them more time off....

what a queen...

lets send her back to her hive....

Posted by: lee on September 11, 2008 08:38 PM

22. Dimbulb child @ 20:

Put the bong down junior, before mommy gives you another spanking. You'll be late for school and you're due for another leftist indoctrination session on "moral values".

Posted by: Saltherring on September 12, 2008 06:21 AM

23. "The topic area has real potential, but the ad seems a bit too "busy" with visuals and background noise...and the narration a bit too smarmy."

Still thinking about this...

Yes, the ad is tacky-seeming and even smarmy. But so was the deal that put the money in Gregoire's coffers. I think the ad does a good job of making that association without coming right out and saying it.

Posted by: Paula on September 12, 2008 11:28 AM