"This is a White House Recording"

About Hillary's TV ad: "It's 3AM and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone in the White House and it's ringing. Something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call."

Given how strapped the federal government is these days, wouldn't it be a good idea to save some money by replacing the operators with a telephone Audix system at the White House? At least for use overnight?

"You have reached the White House automated phone system. For answers in English press one. En Espanol, dos (of course if it's a Republican President, only English would be spoken and those who pressed 2 would be harassed and have to show proof of citizenship)".

"If something is happening in the world, please press 3".

Then....

"This is the 'What's Happening' Hotline. Please listen carefully to the following options: For sightings of Osama Bin Laden, please press 1. For questions about Iraq, press 2. For sightings of Osama Bin Laden in Iraq, touch 3 now. For all other questions, please call back during regular business hours, or leave a message. If you are in the media, don't bother, your calls won't be returned."

I know that these ads are nothing new. In fact this round was created by the same guy who concocted a similar one for Walter Mondale way back in 1984 . It's kind of quaint now. Back then most telephones relied on wire connections. Blackberries were something you ate. That was 23 years ago, before most of Barack Obama's supporters had even been born.

So it's entirely possible that the main reaction to this latest move from Hillary Clinton will be "What the hell is she talking about?" Again.

Comments

[jqcitizen]

Political ads are not much different than any other commercial. Some entertaining others are stupid and all of them are trying to 'sell' something.

Regarding phone calls to the President, think back to the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when Andy Card whispered into the ear of the President that the country was under attack. That, to me, was not 6 rings on a telephone. That was a look of total horror on the Presidents face. His excuse for not taking immediate action to contact the Pentagon? He said he didn't want to scare those little kids at that school in Florida.

Forget the phone. The Secret Service should have grabbed his spineless carcass out of there immediately. No wonder Rudy looked more like a hero on that day. Of course all that so-called leadership has now been proven to be nothing more than bad advertising or maybe, more properly, just plain old fashioned propaganda.

[kawika]

She will pick up the phone at 3A.M. and ask. OK Bill where are you?

[IntelligenceIsBliss]

If Hillary were President, it is most likely that 3 am call is from a lobbyist looking for a favor.

[larry278]

HRC hasn't tried to adapt the ad from the Goldwater vs LBJ race where we see a child picking flowers then a mushroom cloud. LBJ used that ad to beat Goldwater. Recycling successful old Democratic for 2008 is most difficult. But HRC is trying. Mr Penn is reduced to being very trying as he tries to aid HRC's campaign for POTUS '08. That's life. Reviving the old photo-weekly LIFE hasn't worked either. It could be that HRC's 35 years of experience amounts to repeating the 1st year's experience 35 times. To be snarky & crude-HRC=SS/DD.

[Thatcher]

Actually, Bob -

That guy ripped it off of LBJ's campaign from 1964 (I'm not talking about the Daisy ad, either - but the same telephone ad):

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid791837069/bclid769433129/bctid1438426856

"This particular phone only rings in a serious crisis. Keep it in the hands of a man who's proven himself responsible. Vote for President Johnson on November 3."

[wilhelmR]

Rifgt on! I also thought that after 4 rigngs she is already dressed: Maybe checking upon Bill? Maybe Bill could have answered the phone since he likes to be up all night long while she's not. Maybe after so many rings all I could say was: Please answer the phone so that the children are not awaken; lo and behold the mother picks-up the phone: Her husband is once again late!

[willowbarcelona]

In addition to Mr. Franken's points, the other main reaction might well be, "Why isn't someone answering the phone?" Has anyone on Senator Clinton's staff been brave enough to tell her that a consequence of this ad is that America is wondering why it took so long for her, as "President," to answer the phone?

Also, unless Senator Clinton is purposely targeting the 2nd and 3rd shift workers she felt were excluded from voting at previous caucuses, why is the mother in the ad in street clothes at 3 a.m.?

And why is "President" Clinton in HER street clothes at 3 a.m.?

Troubling.

[MarkieBee001]

Exactly. Hey Hillary, please tell the country about your experiences answering the phone at 3 a.m. when it was a non-Bill philandering crisis and taking action as co-president., the term you want everyone to associate to you. You keep trying to convince us that being first lady gave you all these credentials to be president. Prove it. Osmosis is a scientific phenomenon, not a political one. I'm so tired of the media not calling her out on her "35 years of experience" crap. I want concrete actions and evidence.

[AtlantaBill]

Bob,
Excellent characterization of the "3AM" ad. I too find it a bit silly to assume the US President awakes at 3AM in the morning to take a phone call, fully clothed, and "ready to go on day one." That ad in my opinion is not likely to convert any thinking person to the HRC camp: In fact it might lead to her losing some support from some voters who might be a bit fed up with the "fearmongering" that has gone on at the federal level for the past several years. We americans will not run out and stock up on duct tape, plastic blankets, etc. simply because some national candidate tells us to be afraid. In these waning days of the campaign, it seems Hillary is again consulting the GWB playbook for being president.

$$Obama08$$

[AnninCA]

Oh, I think there's not a single doubt that the message was sent and received. Obama's defensive reaction proves that one.

Ditto for the reactions of Obamamaniacs.

I can tell when she hits the sweet spot by the sheer volume on this blog site.

[PistonMoaned]

Hillary is not talking to people who surf the web or use Blackberries. She's not even talking to people who read newspapers. She's talking to people who get most of their information from, and let their reality be molded by, free commercial broadcast TV. That's why you see interviews with potential voters who say they have never "heard" any details about Obama's policies. Even though there are dozens of pages of policy positions available on the web. They haven't been spoon-fed them on TV yet, as if they'd have the attention span for it. Hence the feeling that a cult has risen surrounding Obama that they just don't get. This is also explains the strength of her support among senior citizens.

Old media vs. new media. Interactive readers vs. passive watchers.

[desmirl]

Ah, well, at least Hilary can pronounce 'nuclear' correctly.

[altohone]

Why does it take her six rings to answer the phone?



When anybody calls me in the middle of the night, I'm up on the first ring.
I guess the 45 second delay in a ticking bomb scenario can be made up by the guy who has to cut the wire...

[SamThornton]

Bob, great movie idea:

Title: "Honey, I Shrunk the Lead"

Stars: Bill, Hil

Synopsis: Campaign managers tell startled Bill every time he speaks, Hil's voter backing shrinks. Bill mistakenly thinks this mean Hil's voters are actually, physically shrinking. Hilarity ensues. Bill finally confesses to Hil he really doesn't know what the Hil he's doing.

Roll credits.