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Sam Stein

The Huffington Post

Does Romney's Ad Against McCain Contain A Subliminal Message?

January 4, 2008 09:32 PM


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Is there a subliminal message in Mitt Romney's recent attack (err... contrast) ad against Sen. John McCain?

About seven seconds into a spot criticizing the Arizona Republican for his stance on immigration reform, the screen quickly flashes the word "rat" in a lone white box against a predominantly blue background. The rodent reference, which appears just under and to the right of McCain's name, is a highlighted portion of the word "immigration" and disappears almost immediately.

The inclusion of the word, Romney's campaign asserted, was completely unintentional. Any interpretation otherwise was "positively ridiculous."

"I saw that mentioned on some blog post and just chalked it up for exactly what it was: an over-imaginative scrutiny of a screenshot," Romney's spokesperson Kevin Madden told the Huffington Post when asked about the "rat" shot. "It's the same sort of reasoning that would argue that the 'gal' in the word 'illegal' is a subliminal appeal to female voters."

But some in the blogosphere have latched onto the word's appearance in the campaign spot because of the blatant historical parallels. In the 2000 presidential election, the Republican National Committee ran an advertisement against Al Gore's prescription drug plan that similarly included a brief screen shot of the word "RATS." In that instance the word was part of the phrase "BUREAUCRATS DECIDE."

The creator of the 2000 advertisement, Alex Castellanos, initially said there was nothing subliminal about the spot before later acknowledging that the word was included as "a visual drumbeat designed to make you look at the word bureaucrats." Castellanos currently serves as a high ranking media consultant for Romney's presidential campaign.

"I don't believe he did [the current ad]," Madden said.


Beyond the questionable inclusion of the word "rat," Romney's advertisement underscores an intensifying negativity between his and McCain's campaigns. In a television spot before Iowa, the former Massachusetts governor criticized McCain over his stance on tax policies as well as illegal immigration.

McCain - who supported legislation that would allow illegal immigrants who come forward, pay fines, and wait for citizenship before collecting Social Security - has overtaken Romney in several New Hampshire polls. According to the Real Clear Politics average, the Arizona Republican finds himself at 31.3 percent support to Romney's 29.8

The McCain campaign did not return a request for comment.

Watch both ads:

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This is a funny video from a new online show about subliminal political messages. http://youtube.com/watch?v=p8GkisudpMA

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:28 PM on 01/14/2008

One hopes that, absent a McCain campaign effort, the media will counter Romney attacks by pointing out how, at Bain Capital, Mr. Romney used offshore corporations to avoid U.S. taxation, and he fee-milked acquired businesses before firing workers and taking them into bankruptcy ( http://snipr.com/romneyoffshore ), to amass his great $250,000,000 wealth.
So, when you compare how Mr. Huckabee's visionary FairTax advocacy ( http://snipr.com/nextrung ) compares to Romney's interest in the current tax system, it's pretty easy to see who will lead us out of tax slavery ( http://snipr.com/taxburden ) - $265 billion annual tax code compliance costs representing 5 billion wasted hours, annually.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:59 AM on 01/06/2008

McCain is a rat. Call a rat a rat and that's that. He chose to be a door mat for George W so that makes him a rat. Door mat, rat.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:11 PM on 01/05/2008

McCain is er-RAT-ic in his beliefs. He is a consistent supporter for war in Iraq and Iran and amnesty for illegal immigrants. That spells RAT to me.
Romney, as is Hillary, another corporo fascist who will support anything necessary to increase the already exorbitant wealth of the corporate and Wall St elite.
Democrats and Republicans have both screwed this country into the ground with their self serving policies.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:41 PM on 01/05/2008
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This is really good humor! Well, as long as it is the Repukes attacking each other, who cares?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:45 PM on 01/05/2008
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We are racing towards totalitarianism and our justice system, the press and international corporations are all active conspirators in destroying democracy in America. The number of illegal and treasonous actions of our own government has grown to an overwhelming amount that has becoming mind numbing.

The Brave New World is upon US and most of we frogs have no idea of how warm the water has become. Obama may call for change but I suspect he is the new Bill Clinton, more liberal image and less real change. Thanks to millions of corporate donations and the media's attention, or lack thereof, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and the rest of the field had no chance.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:37 PM on 01/05/2008

Personally, if I were wanting to run against McCain, I'd just plaster his puss on billboards with Old White Guy emblazoned underneath. I don't believe in subliminal. And I might plaster Romney's picture on billboards with Animal Cruelty underneath. Hucakbee: Jeezus Loves Him. Giuliani: If You Loved The First 9/11

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:13 PM on 01/05/2008
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When I watch the ad wearing my magic breast plate and holding my divining rocks, Urim and Thummim, I am able to translate the true message.

It says, "Mit is a swell guy," and mysteriously, "eat more jello."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:12 PM on 01/05/2008
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I once ruined my girlfriend's copy of "Abbey Road" trying to play it backwards because I heard that there was a subliminal message to be heard. Stupid me...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:06 PM on 01/05/2008
- teachpeace I'm a Fan of teachpeace 2 fans permalink

Vombie-fide voodoo mumbo jumbo is Mitt's foundation. Be it message hidden in a message.
Or the reverse Psychology of a push poll.
I've been fighting off the Borg here Utah for 25+ years.
Were neighborhood henchmen actually keep maps detailed of who in
and who's not.
And here's another example.... So about fifteen years ago,
I call out sick from work. I had a friend drive me to the Doctor.
On the way home, my friend stops at the bank for their personal business.
The bank happen to be in the parking lot of a local mall.
I stay in the vehicle, as I could wretch at any minute.
Then very next day, I'm dragged into management's office and literally
interrogated as to why I was seen out messing around at the "mall".
Funny (underware) man actually kept detailed "watch" on many employees. I
found and perused his note book one day. Verrrrry interesting.
Sure as sh*t, I quit that outfit and went to work for the ski resort industry. Life story aside, beware of the taliban in any guise.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:51 AM on 01/05/2008

Lifted from another thread ...

"If these contests could achieve what was previously unthinkable, that is, to marginalize Mr. and Mrs. Sociopath, then that is a very good thing."

We can all agree with that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:45 AM on 01/05/2008
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Subliminal messages, good question. George W.'s campaign was caught using a subliminal message during the 2000 campaign. My question is, did he keep using subliminal messages during his presidency?
I have often told my husband, it feels like 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. People repeat spin even though the facts are different than the spin. I have to wonder how spin and fact are so easily equated as equal. Are people being programmed by mainstream media and not even realizing it? Has anyone been checking for subliminal messages for the past 7 years? Do you think George W. gave up on subliminal messages once he got into office and able to control mainstream media? His friends now own mainstream media.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:43 AM on 01/05/2008

You are a typical Republican. Why can't you read and understand that 60% of the Americans want our troops home? What have we been asking for for years now? Do you have anyone over there? Did you have anyone close to you lose their arms and some of them their legs too? You Republicans are all for the war as long as you don't have to fight it. Like Romney said , none of his boys are over there because they were doing their patriotic duty "Helping him win the election." Cheney says he had better things to do. Bush was just a lush and a coward, bragging and getting daddy to buy him out of the guard. If you are so anxious for us to be there,sign up. I understand they are taking criminals, and people up to 51 years old and they sometimes get redeployed 4 or 5 times. Did you read that just the other day Bush vetoed the Veterans bonus? Don't you read how these poor guys get such poor care at the VA hospitals that their families have to go to help take care of them? Have you not read that our soldiers are having mental problems and that many of them are now homeless? People like you make me very angry.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:37 AM on 01/05/2008
- TLV I'm a Fan of TLV 121 fans permalink

I don't care who they attempt to smear. These cretin "swiftboaters" are un-American traitors:

The Return of the SwiftBoaters By Christopher Hayes, The Nation. Posted January 4, 2008. The shadowy group that smeared John Kerry in 2004 is ready to do its dirty work again.

"More than three years after John Kerry's bitter defeat, at the dawn of what looks like a far more promising campaign cycle for the Democrats, the party is still haunted by the specter of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Once upon a time, "Swift boat" denoted an obscure military vessel, but thanks to the activities of this group it has come to represent movement conservatism's penchant for ruthlessly (and effectively) smearing any and all political opponents, from a sitting senator and war hero to an 11-year-old boy with a cranial fracture."

http://www.alternet.org/election08/72696/

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:36 AM on 01/05/2008

Barack Obama: will be Republican and Democrat Baby Boomers gift to their kids. Just like they grew up with their political Elvis, John F. Kennedy.

Forget about all the other old farts Republican and Democrat.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 AM on 01/05/2008
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