Kitzhaber's First TV spot Hits the Air
Jeff Alworth
John Kitzhaber's first TV spot hit the air this weekend--and it's slightly different than the average campaign ad.
Although you see the candidate's name on the screen, you don't hear it mentioned in the voice-over. The ad highlights Kitzhaber's long record of public service and background as an emergency room doctor. It's a positive ad and a hopeful one. Not only doesn't it mention Kitzhaber by name, it doesn't mention rivals, either. Or, for that matter, the office he's running for.
Another fascinating inclusion is this comment: "And if you're not always successful, you're always in there trying." We are clearly in the post-Bush era when politicians are not only willing to admit they've learned from their experience, but putting it in advertisements.
Your thoughts?
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4:01 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
Jeff,
Are you saying that politicians and/or candidates are now only willing to admit they were wrong and learned from an experience because of Bush?
4:31 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
I wouldn't presume to know Kitzhaber's motivation, but after eight years of Bush failing to even acknowledge mistakes, politicians now appear to consider talking about lessons learned. That seems like real progress.
5:27 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
kitzhaber has no motivation he will just like kulongoski another union backed liberal who could care less about anyone in the private sector who is unemployed and struggling and aint a state worker getting a pers pension.
5:34 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
You are right. We liberals don't care about the private sector at all. We all want you to live in a commune and sing kumbaya and hate on whitey.
11:11 a.m.
Apr 27, '10
It's a pretty big leap to conclude that all state workers will get a PERS pension.
As for Kitzhaber, that's right, he hasn't just spent a lot of years trying to get a sane health insurance system put into place.
7:04 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
I kind of like the "He's not running for office, he's running for Oregon" slogan. People are so distrusting of politicians / people in government right now (see Vantress, Matthew Scott), that that's probably a message that will resonate well.
8:20 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
I usually don't like the ads that avoid saying "vote for candidate x." It often seems gimmicky, poorly conducted word poll testing. (For example, see Scott Brunn's awful "Then Scott Bruun" ad, in which they just remove the words "vote for." http://vimeo.com/11096640)
But this ad does something different. In thirty seconds, Kitz reintroduces himself, and writes the narrative to connect his past as governor in the 90's to the present. I don't think I can explain it really. It just works.
9:56 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
That's the very first thing I noticed about Bruun's ad too and it bugs the crap out of me. "Scott Bruun" is not a verb!
10:20 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
Matthew - Great point!
It has become increasingly clear to me that Democrats hate working people and the unemployed, what with their support for socialist programs like unemployment insurance, social security insurance, heating and energy assistance programs, weatherization assistance programs, medicare, medicaid, and housing refinancing assistance for people who are facing foreclosure on their homes.
And don't even get me started on older stuff like the minimum wage, child labor laws, the 40 hour work week, AFDC, OSHA, and other fascist pinko "FEED THE BEAST" programs that Democrats, RINO's and their union buddies have foisted off on us that people like yourself NEVER EVER benefit from.
What we need are more real Americans like Jim Bunning: Men who will stand up and block unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands or Americans who are out of work. Because everyone knows that the way to help American workers is to quit coddling them.
What we need are more real leaders like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh -- common men, men of the people -- who make tens of millions of dollars per year setting us straight about the FACT that if we would only get rid of those programs we could go back to a better time when the leading cause of death among senior citizens was exposure, and when instead of going to public schools with their evil proselytizing teachers and socialist book-learning, our children could earn an honest buck working 14 hours at the local factory or rendering plant.
Seriously, where's the incentive to work if you don't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from? A poor worker is a motivated worker!
10:43 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
LOL.... ok, you get some mojo for that one.
11:47 a.m.
Apr 27, '10
Sal,
Best laugh I've had today. Thanks!
11:25 p.m.
Apr 26, '10
We need more Democrats in Oregon!
12:28 a.m.
Apr 27, '10
No mention of the music, it's Copland no?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiLTwtuBi-o&feature=related
10:01 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
It's Simple Gifts.
2:14 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
Yeah, he presided over the big boom--and then immediately after he left, the whole thing went BOOM. Remember 2003?
Not that I blame him, but under this theory of success, Ronald Reagan was our greatest President.
2:42 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
Huh?
Maybe I'm being a bit slow here, but Reaganomics failed and it wasn't until midway through Clinton's second term did the economy imporve. So I am not clear on how there is any correlation, snarky or otherwise, which makes your assertion analogous to the one which undergirds the claims in the ad.
4:03 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
I can understand this ad. I did good things in the 90s so elect me again because I'm ready to do to more good things. Very simple.
It comes off like a preview for some project of American Experience though. Hope I hear from the actual candidate in the next one.
7:04 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
Finally connected through Facebook!
Sorry, I voted for Kitz in the 90's, but have moved on. He has few new ideas and frankly would not take Oregon in a very good direction.
7:57 p.m.
Apr 27, '10
Kurt,
So you're voting for Bradbury, too, you radical rascal! Good on you!
9:41 a.m.
Apr 28, '10
Isn't "new ideas" a tired political mantra from the 90s? Honestly, with as much time and energy that go into coming up with ideas, do we really believe that anyone has "new" ones? And if so, that they're any good?
11:10 p.m.
May 2, '10
Kitzhaber has no plan to put people back to work. He mentions federal weatherization and health care already in progress. He is funder by timber interests who want to log spotted owl habitat, the courts already ruled illegal, and would raise taxes. Bradbury has great plans for job growth and sustainable economy. Sorry, John, been there, done that. I want to go to college, not work for the minimum wage. Bill Bradbury will get me there.