Anti-Palin 'Wolf' Ad Expands Into Battlegrounds

Of all the ads to have aired this presidential campaign, one of the most successful may have been one of the least remarked-upon.

Weeks ago, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund released a 60-second spot titled "Brutal," denouncing Gov. Sarah Palin's support for an aerial wolf killing program as well as a policy that places bounties on the forelegs of killed wolves. It was, according to trackers of voter responses, one of the most effective ads of the cycle.

It also earned the organization $600,000 in donations in the six hours after it was released, and more than $1 million overall. With the extra funds, the organization is now plowing money back into its advertisement.

On Wednesday, the wildlife group will announce that they are expanding the airing of its ad to additional swing states - a measure meant to correspond with Thursday's vice presidential debate. The ad is currently airing in Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Northern Virginia; voters in Colorado and Missouri will soon see it also.

"Defenders of Wildlife has found a more effective critique of Palin than the Obama campaign or Democratic Party," said a source with the organization. "The ad damages Palin with exactly the voters McCain put her on the ticket to attract -- suburban women, moderate Independents."

The group's initial spot scored incredibly well among focus groups. A study of 312 Democrats, Republicans and Independents showed that the ad produced "moderate movement among all parties" in Obama's favor. The spot earned a Political Communications Impact Score of 23.5, making it, according to the site Media Curves, the second most effective ad to have aired this cycle.

And unlike many presidential campaign ads this cycle, the claims made in the Defenders spot are virtually all true, albeit with some caveats, according to FactCheck.org.

"Aerial killing of wolves may not be your standard national election issue, but it is one that helps illuminate an important part of Sarah Palin's character," President of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund Rodger Schlickeisen said in a statement. "We believe voters deserve to know about her support for this brutal practice, and we are confident the issue can move votes as we head into the home stretch of this campaign."

Comments

[JohnnyBoyyy]

This is disgusting!

AND MRS. PALIN (as a potential servent of the nation) needs to answer to this NOW!

Add this to here evangelical support of anti-abortion - even in cases of rape and incest and McSame supporters have a BIG decision to make by Novmber.

This is OUR Time - This is OUR Moment.

Obama/Biden '08/12!!!

[luvangelHussein330]

YES YES YES!! I'm dancing in the streets!!! I was hoping they would turn this info into a commercial. I hope they play it all the way into Nov

[stardot]

Yup, as Sarah says "Life is sacred. Choose life."

If you are a rapist's baby, that is. Other than babies? Screw you, and every animal on legs or without.

[Rog49Thomas]

If you hang around with the certain folks who claim to be Christians (note that formulation) they will explain that animals were put on the earth for man's use.

And can explain away the Sermon on the Mount by quoting a few selectively chosen texts from Leviticus.

I believe there is a quote from the New Testament that begins "Not everyone who says Lord Lord ..."

[AnnieinOR]

as brutal as this Ad is - I think it is very effective and as someone who lives in the northwest and loves wildlife, I want other Americans to see what is being done to these animals by "civilized" people.

[cat3]

I can honestly say that I cannot watch this video. I caught a glimpse of it when it first came out and immediately changed the channel because I was so sickened by it.
My husband & I are both retired, we live a small pension and social security. I have a beautiful golden retriever and 3 cats (two that I rescued at 5 weeks old, that were abandoned by their mother), I live on the east end of Long Island, New York. Besides my inside pets, I have beautiful deer that come to our back yard. I have beautiful birds and squirrels that come to my back door. I feed them all. I buy birdseed for the birds, peanuts for the squirrels and apples for the deer.
I can't afford to do much on the money we have but, my greatest pleasure is taking care of these beautiful creatures.
It is beyond my comprehension that such cruelty exists. The wolves are being killed because they are doing what nature meant them to do. If Palin has her way the Polar Bears will be next, she wants them taken off the endangered list so that she can drill for oil
Not only is she unqualified to be Vice President, she is a threat to nature.

[jacqmac]

The only state in which this ad would be viewed as 'controversial' or 'inflammatory' or 'anti-hunter/gun' is in Colorado. There are no wolves in the other states. COYOTES on the other hand, DO exist in those other states, but not ALL of them. Actually, wolves are victims of a 'case of mistaken identity'. It is generally COYOTES who do damage to domestic animal herds and hang out around farms and smaller towns--NOT WOLVES! By the way--consider this: Michael Vicks' dogs are more closely related to WOLVES than Coyotes are.......
Michigan has BEARS-and DEER aplenty-again, NO WOLVES!!

[gopnot4me]

Sorry jacqmac, but you are wrong. Isle Royale has been working on their wolf population for years,
and they do come across the ice between Canada and the Eastern U.P. once in a while, just like the Mountain Lions. I know, I saw them while I lived on Drummond Island.
My EX husband also shot coyotes from an airplane long before I met him. I have the newspaper article to prove it.

[cbungart]

isle.royal­e.national­-park.com
Wolves are in Michigan.
Nearly all humans can empathize with animal cruelty.

[GotRights]

This could backfire in some of those states. Some of the hunting crowd and the gun nuts might actually get off on this stuff. (It's like running an anti-dog-fighting ad in the Deep South, where many people would NOT be shocked.) And they'd better not run it in ranch country; ranchers hate wolves.

[DrJohnS]

"It's like running an anti-dog-fighting ad in the Deep South.."
This is a very prejudiced statement if not backed by evidence. Such regional prejudices keep us in bondage rather than promoting freedom.

[JudgeCCrater]

In "ranch country" they're all in the tank for McCain so who cares???

And the hunting crowd has been completely spooked by the NRA so, again, who cares?

[cindyw]

I would think that most hunters would find this practice to be not very sporting. It's like fishing with cherry bombs.

[Seven7s]

Oh please. You think rednecks give two squirts of p!ss about this?

John Q. Budweiser (her core audience) only cares about killing dogs when a black guy does it at his house for sport.

Doing the same thing to a "WOLF" with a gun is perfectly fine in their eyes. Hypocriosy reigns supreme in America. This ad will do nothing.

[JudgeCCrater]

"This ad will do nothing"...to change the redneck vote, no. Obama can't run any ad that does that.

[chf2go]

My son and ex husband are long time hunters, but they are even apalled at this callous kill for the thrill of it vs. for food.

[applebutter]

I saw this ad a month ago, and got so sick over it that I made a donation to the action fund. I can't watch it again, it's that disturbing to me.

[KISSman]

Holy crap! That's some hard-hittin' stuff. It'll sure leave a lasting impression in some people's minds, that's for sure. People aren't going to want to see that ad more than once, but sometimes the truth hurts.

That Palin is one creepy woman.

[mlaiuppa]

It could be worse.

They only showed footage of wolves being shot with tranquilizer guns by scientists for the video ad. The real footage of wolves shot through and blood splattered all over the white snow as too brutal even for this ad.

[IForgotMyName]

Looks like Michael Vick should get another cell mate...

[sonhenjz]

Oh my God, this is one of the most brutal acts against animals that I've ever seen. How can any person stand for such brutality of animals in the state that they govern? This is not hunting for food, this is really nothing but murder. I don't see why anyone would EVER vote for someone who could condone such a mindless act, and think that's it's okay. This woman is not only a danger to the American people, she's a danger the American animal kingdom as well.

[robXdion]

Meanwhile, Michael Vick is shaking his head in disgust.