30 Second TV Spot Shakes Up A Congressional Campaign In Orlando -- Meet Alan Grayson
On Friday night a friend in Orlando sent me a .mov file of a TV ad progressive Democrat Alan Grayson had been running this week in his race to replace garden variety rubber stamp Republican Ric Keller as the congressman from Florida's 8th CD. I see a lot of ads but this one just knocked me out. I had read the Vanity Fair story on Garyson's ongoing battle against war profiteers so I was familiar with the content. I just thought the ad was incredibly powerful. I posted it on YouTube late Friday and I blogged about it at DownWithTyranny and Daily Kos. This morning I noticed there were nearly 20,000 hits and some incredible comments. Please take a look at the 30 second ad:
It's gone viral and I thought some of these comments would be worth looking at:
"This is the best campaign ad of the season so far."
"[Grayson] is running a good campaign with one of the best commercials I've ever seen, and doing it without any help from the DC establishment."
"Hell yeah, that's the kind of ad all Democrats should be running."
"Now THAT'S a campaign ad."
"That is what AWESOME is!"
"Alan Grayson, who is running for Congress in FL-8, has unveiled a powerful TV ad. I hope we see more like this."
"Alan has been the only candidate with a TV ad up, and what a TV ad! If every Democratic candidate had an ad this powerful to run, we wouldn't be talking about gaining 12-20 House seats; we'd be talking about 30-50. Of course, not every candidate has a story as compelling as Alan's."
"This is how Democrats win elections."
"Alan Grayson (Blue America, FL-08) is exactly the kind of Democrat we need. A don't-give-an-inch, take-no-prisoners, put-the-criminals-in-jail Democrat."
"It's nice to see a candidate who is running on kicking some ass."
"Alan Grayson will nail cheaters to the wall."
"This guy is on the right track."
"Our country will be better off with more people like Alan Grayson in office."
"Wow. Send this guy to Washington!"
[From a journalist:] "I never, ever, ever endorse candidates. It's not appropriate for a journalist, at least not for me. I mean, I try to be up front about where my biases lie, but I still have that voice in my head whispering: 'don't endorse.' That said: Alan Grayson, running for Congress in Florida's eighth congressional district, is exactly the kind of politician I want to see in office."
"This is really excellent. It appeals to Republicans and Independents with its theme of fiscal responsibility, and it appeals to Democrats with its reminder that the Iraq war has diverted funds from everything more important-- at home and abroad."
"As someone who is concerned about government accountability, I admire exceedingly Alan Grayson, now running for our 8th District here in Florida."
[From a Republican:] "Who would have thought that a Democrat would love this nation so much that he cares about where all of our tax dollars are going in the no bid contract war in Iraq? Alan Grayson cares, and he deserves your vote if you live in the Orlando area."
"We need a new type of Congressional representative. And Grayson is one behind whom honest Republicans as well as Democrats ought to rally."
"Grayson freakin ROCKS!"
"I love this Democrat running for Congress. He isn't running from a big business background, but on grass roots, and that is why he needs your help to keep this campaign running. It's your tax dollars that he is fighting for. I'm loving this dude!"
If you like it, you can help keep the ad on TV and help replace a zombie-like Bush follower with a progressive with a sharp and independent mind... one who means business, the people's business! The Blue America ActBlue Alan Grayson page is open 24/7.
Follow Howie Klein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/downwithtyranny
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
BTW. I think he is talking about the large sum of cash that was flown to Iraq on a cargo plane and then 'disappeared'. Not no bid contracts. There was a stir about it in the media a while back but it never took off. 9 billion dollars with a 'B' and nobody in the msm thought it worth an investigation. Cash flown over there on a freakin cargo plane. Then poof-gone.
Cowards reporting the news, criminals running the country.
I believe that shipment was the largest transfer in the history of the Federal Reserve. The weight of the billions speaks volumes...30 tons on 40 pallets. That was 12 billion dollars, and 9 out of that 12 billion went "missing"...which is a euphemism for stolen. You have to work REAL HARD to lose the better part of 30 tons of cash. Kind of hard to "misplace" something that large and heavy.
I'm thinking that money has gone a long way to ensuring that President Bush has seen virtually no challenges by the Democrats on ANYTHING he's done. No impeachment, no serious investigations into his thousands of illegal activities, no looking at what he's done to this country during his reign of (t)error.
9 billion dollars can pay off a LOT of people in the government, not the least of which are congresspeople and senators. And the "fog of war" can easily cover the tracks of embezzlers, regardless of how much they've stolen. This "war" is the greatest "bank job" in world history.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/10/iraq_billions200710
I LOVE the visuals... Wish I had a little visual aid for my pocketbook..
I'M HOPING, THAT ONCE OBAMA SECURES THE NOMINATION, WE WILL SEE MORE ADS LIKE THIS...UP TO THIS POINT, MCCAINS OBSSESSION WITH WAR HAS SET THE CONVERSATIONS....THE LATETS BEING THE IDIOTIC 'OBAMA' DIDN'T VISIT THE WOUNDED TROOPS' NONSENSE.....TELL ME..WHAT MAN, LYING IN A HOPSITAL BED, WANTS TO BE PART OF A POLITICAL AD? THESE SOLDIERS ETC. ARE NOT STUPID..THEY KNOW EVERYTIME A POLITICAN COMES TO'VISIT' THE WARDS ARE SPRUCED UP AND ALL THE PATIENTS ARE GIVEN ORDERS TO DO AS THEY ARE TOLD.....THE MAN WHO DOES NOT 'VISIT' IS SHOWING A RESPECT FOR THE WOUNDED SORELY ;LACKING IN MOST POLITICANS....IT IS CALLED 'RESPECT FOR THE PRIVACY OF WOUNDED SOLDIERS WHO HAVE NO CHOICE IN WHO GETS TO GAWK AT THEM'.
I agree with you but it was difficult to read with all your caps on.
No, Obama wants to be nice and polite and take the high road. He would never run something as hard-hitting as this and he's told all the 527s to stand down. I would like him to win, but I'm afraid we're going to get smear after unanswered smear and the sheeple will run baa-ing to John McCain in unreasoning fear. His campaign's response to the whole "he won't visit the troops" canard has been weak distressingly similar to Kerry's reaction to the swiftboaters.
My feelings exactly.
I don't know if going smear for smear is such a good tactic. The whole idea is to make the voter feel good about themselves when voting for you. I think a strategy of ignoring the smears from the other side and only pushing back when they go over the line is a good one. And when the other side does go over the line, it'll be to Sen Obama's benefit, not McCain's.
Wow! Someone running for congress on the premise that the emperor is naked and in fact there is an elephant in the living room!
What a horrific shame that this kind of message is rare enough to make news when it happens.
Now that is "Straight Talk" Express!
I love it! This has a lot of class, integrity, and social responsibility.
OK, this is a very good ad. One thing missing is where his opponent stands on this. Is s/he on any committees that could have made a difference? Has s/he done anything about pushing for investigations into the fraud and waste? Or if he's vying for an open seat, how does the repug feel about this issue? Anything on their web site? Any mention anywhere else?
There has to be something to contrast Grayson's stand.
The worst thing that can happen to an ad like this is for an opponent to follow right on its heels with "proof" that they've been fighting that same fight. And since Grayson hasn't cast his opponent's effort, focus, experience, or attention as against fraud justice, he's left the door wide open for an easy rebuttal.
I've seen comments characterizing this ad as strong - but unless it shows how his position contrasts with the repugs, it's really no different than the "typical" Dem ads that focus entirely on answering the question, "do you have a great idea?" Voters are wanting to get an answer to, "why should I vote for you instead of the other person?"
Just to provide background: there is no danger that Ric Keller has been fighting this fight. He is the typical Bush republican. He dittos everything the GOP does and provides nothing for his constituents. There is a big drive in Orlando to oust this idiot, and Grayson's ad is a great start.
Keep up the support !
Thank you for not taking my comment as negative. I'm glad his opponent is a typical dubya boot licker as that helps make for trite rebuttals.
However, I'd have advised Grayson to tie keller to the no-compete deals via his record of supporting bush.
Something like, "keller's voted with bush 100% of the time, helping give bush's contractor allies the cover they need to avoid any accountability to the fraud and waste, so how can Orlando's voters believe he's going to start now or ever be trusted with our tax dollars?" Fact is, if he doesn't tell the voters that keller's a bush lackey, it's doubtful anyone else will.
I'd also put a URL on the last scene that directs viewers to a list of the "known" fraud case allegations.
We need a man like Grayson in Congress. I'll have to start spreading a few more drachmas around Act Blue...
I don't know how he could have made it clearer, his opponent is a Bush Republic, an administration that allowed the no-bid contracts,etc
I listened to the ad for a third time just to make sure I wasn't suffering from some mental block... that somehow I missed what you think was made "clear."
That ad has absolutely, positively, no mention of his opponent.
There is no text and no audio. I was talking about the content of the ad.... what are YOU talking about?
Attorney General?
S - L - A - M dunk! Hope Orlando is paying attention!!!
It's about time Democrats start to clue in about running tough ads that shred the competition. Taking the high road is a noble goal but it doesn't seem to work during election time. Think back to 2004 and the campaign of John Kerry. He got swiftboated and seemed to cave. NOT THIS YEAR (I hope)! It's time to get in the trenches.
I agree - we won't get anywhere cowering under a blanket. Let's point out the obvious - we're being governed by the most corrupt administration ever.
And that was pitched perfectly. Aggressive, but practical.
It's time to get OUT of the trenches! It's time to expose the repubes for what they are - warmongers who care only about the rich. Out of the trenches I say, out and onto the political battlefield - we ain't backing down this time.
Now watch his opponent accuse him of having a black love child!
Here's a link to a story on Grayson which includes the commercial and an interview with Matt Stoller of Open Left:
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7159
it's not just effective, the production values are great! I wonder what kind of ad Ric Keller is doing, seeing as the NRCC is starved for cash. Skateboarding dog ripoff, anyone?
~s~
that wasn't our taxpayer money. its was irag money in our banks. and greenspan couldn't explan why the transfer of money was done without his knowledge. the ad was good and made a point but misleading information. war profiteers took the spoils after invading irag and got away with it.
I often wondered about that, more info please.
Wow. I can't believe that someone finally has the courage to stand up against this trash! Bravo, sir.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
