Mapes played by Duds
T.A. Barnhart
In May 2004, a right-wing organization opposed to Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry began airing tv ads in the three states. The ads were not distributed nationally, but they did not need to be: almost immediately, the national media picked up the story of “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” and did a far more effective, and devastating, job of making sure every American voter heard the group’s lies about John Kerry.
Running a regional ad, or threatening to run a controversial ad with no aim to even broadcast it, simply to get the mainstream media to “pick up the story” is not a new trick. SBVT were no doubt overjoyed that their lies were catapulted into the front of the election that year, just as the Chris Dudley campaign is probably giggling with glee that the Oregonian, and Jeff Mapes, have performed a similar favor for them.
Why, as several commentators have asked, put an anti-Kitzhaber billboard in the heart of blue Multnomah County? Would it not have been far more effective in swing districts of Washington County or elsewhere? Given that the campaign has around $8 million to spend, why a single sign — there?
Because that one sign has now been featured at Oregonlive.com, and that allows it to be googled and spread throughout the web. For a few thousand bucks, in other words, the Oregon GOP (which paid for the sign) and the Dudley campaign get an immeasurable return on their minuscule investment. (I’m just waiting to see which tv “news” shows follow the O’s unfortunate lead.)
Jeff Mapes got played, and he should have known it. This was not a “story”; it was just a damn sign. How many other signs is he featuring? Will he be doing a feature on the Twitter account “@MayorofCamas”, the only spoof site (that I know of) in this election? Any chance he’ll discuss KGW’s distortion of the YouTube ad showing people reacting to Dudley’s comment about waitresses? There are some funny bumperstickers out there — “Global warming is real; Chris Dudley is a hoax” — so will those get a write-up?
American newspapers are going down in flames. When the best that the Oregonian has to offer lets himself get suckered like this, I’m not surprised.
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3:57 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
Disclaimer: I am currently working part-time as an independent contractor for the Kitzhaber campaign. The views stated above are mine alone. As usual. You know the score: "He plummets with his own wings."
4:10 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
TA -- I disagree wholeheartedly that the coverage is out of whack with the reality.
Let's admit it: The billboard was a cute stunt. I think Mapes gave it the minimalistic coverage it deserved. A light-hearted and cutesy blog post in the midst of hard news.
Now, if it turns up on the front page of the Oregonian tomorrow or on the evening TV news, I'll agree with you -- that would be overcoverage for the stunt.
But, right now, your post is only the second post I can find anywhere about the billboard.
Nothing on Twitter. Nothing (public) on Facebook. No follow-up news coverage. No blog pickup.
So far, the Dudley campaign spent $3500 for a Mapes blog post. And this one.
So what?
Full disclosure: My firm built John Kitzhaber's campaign website. I speak only for myself.
8:55 a.m.
Oct 14, '10
Organizing 101: The action is in the reaction.
The Duds campaign plants a billboard across the street from Kitz HQ in the middle of Kitz' base neighborhood. Reaction: so what? It's a stunt. It distracts from the more important narrative, that Kitz is steadily and inexorably trending up and Duds is headed toward the Ron Saxon graveyard of millionaires who tried unsuccessfully to buy the governorship. It's a headstone. It couldn't be more emblematic unless Duds set it on fire to collect the insurance money.
4:36 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
Kari, it was Tweeted by a certain Republican blogger that I will not name here. The placement of it does seem a bit weird. Maybe Bob Tiernan got a good deal on that location. I don't know how billboards work, frankly. But I don't think it's out of rotation just yet.
12:16 p.m.
Oct 13, '10
The Blogger Who Shall Not Be Named also put it on his blog.
4:37 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
This is the first I've heard of this billboard....
(shrug)
5:15 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
it's how these things get started, Kari. once the Rs know Mapes has covered, they can start to get their people to spread it around. maybe it won't happen this time, but it's a standard little trick. given what has not been covered, and the location of the sign, i stand by my post. (patriotic music swells to a crescendo, tears wiped from eyes, doves released into the heavens)
5:58 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
Thanks Blue Oregon for doing Chris Dudley a favor by mentioning this billboard.
6:39 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
yes, Carl, because the sign is in a place no one will see it learn about it. you'll note i did not link to Mapes' article.
6:43 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
dear god, i am stupid. i did link. however, Mapes' piece was always going to get pushed. that's why they put it up.
6:41 p.m.
Oct 12, '10
Bob Tiernan is holding a press conference... about a billboard. t.a. is right. Mapes should have ignored it.
http://www.oregonrepublicanparty.org/node/3305
10:01 a.m.
Oct 13, '10
TA, seriously, if press was what you didn't want this story to get, why are you providing it?
10:34 a.m.
Oct 13, '10
This. I didn't know about it until TA brought it up. You don't fight fire but tossing gasoline on it.
10:35 a.m.
Oct 13, '10
Sorry. "but" should be "by"...slipping fingers today.
11:54 a.m.
Oct 13, '10
um Jeff, the press already did get the story: Mapes. who gets read a bit more than i do, even on BO. Tiernan didn't buy the sign to mock Kitz HQ; he did it hoping Mapes & others would cover it.
of course, that's the first thing Tiernan has gotten right in years.
11:55 a.m.
Oct 13, '10
y'all know i didn't learn about it from me, right? which means the story was already out there. and just because "you" didn't see it doesn't mean others missed it, too.
1:43 p.m.
Oct 13, '10
TA: whoops. You have breathed life into a dying story.
3:56 p.m.
Oct 13, '10
The stunt was news because it was a sizeable outlay, it was in an odd place for typical placement, and it was clearly done to tweak Kitz. All of those are items of interest.
If you think this will attain swiftboat status, you might want to seek some medicative therapy.