Sunday, Sep 7, 2008
Treleaven died of heart failure in December 1998, but his craft lives on. As proven by the ads put out in the last few weeks by Texas Gov. George W. Bush, publisher Steve Forbes, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Vice President Al Gore and former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, the unbearable lightness of being on television is more discomforting than ever before.
Here, then, is a guide to what's really being said:
Candidate: Texas Gov. George W. Bush
Name of Ad: "Every Child"
Theme: Bush loves kids. And not just little white ones!
Produced by: Maverick Media
Running on: Local TV in Iowa and New Hampshire
Style: With "Lifetime Channel" music treacling in the background, the ad shows kids of all hues in various settings intercut with Bush speaking to the camera about the importance of educating kids.
Substance: Bush makes a "solemn commitment: that every child will be educated." This will be achieved by returning power to states and school districts while also "measur[ing] results." Failed schools will be met with charter school and voucher opportunities, though the word "voucher" isn't used. Bush, hooked on Phonics, will make Head Start classrooms start teaching the program. "Every child must be educated," Bush says, "because there are no second-rate children, and no second-rate dreams."
Subliminal: Plenty of minority children shown, including a black boy standing on a street corner amid urban blight. When charter schools and vouchers are discussed, a white woman is shown teaching a black boy.
Of note: The tag line -- "George W. Bush, a fresh start" -- drives home the feminine-
Candidate: Bush
Name of Ad: "Successful Leader"
Theme: Sound bites from Fox News Channel, video from Children's Television Workshop
Produced by: Maverick Media
Running on: Local TV in Iowa and New Hampshire
Style: With an odd juxtaposing of conservative street-cred narration and images of "compassionate" squishiness (as well as that damn "Romper Room" music again!), this ad heralds Bush's inevitability while simultaneously attempting to reassure conservatives that that's a good thing. In a perfect symbol of Bush's campaign, the GOP message -- tax cuts, tort reform, etc. -- is almost hidden amid half a dozen shots of Bush hugging and smiling with little kids. One black-and-white shot with grown-ups is included to show that Bush can do the grown-up work when he needs to, though he prefers the Colorforms fun.
Substance: Calling Bush "the Republican Party's best hope to win the White House," an announcer highlights Bush's gubernatorial record: "the two largest tax cuts in Texas history," lower state spending, local control of public schools, reduced welfare rolls, fewer "junk lawsuits" and a 38 percent reduction in juvenile crime.
Subliminal: In just 30 seconds, Bush shakes a hand, gives a hug, waves to the crowd, pats a back, gives another handshake, smirks, pats another back and hugs his wife.
Of note: "A fresh start for America" takes on a new meaning when it's said over the closing shot of Bush lovingly embracing his wife. (And especially when combined with a clip from his Spanish radio ad, which says, "George W. Bush is a family man.")
Candidate: Bush
Name of Ad: "Hopeful"
Theme: I'm going to try to keep everything nice.
Produced by: Maverick Media
Running on: Local TV in Iowa and New Hampshire
Style: The ad features Bush, in a purplish shirt, talking to the camera about his "hopeful" message while intercut with sporadic shots of a random babe, some folks at a table and Bush at a state fair hugging his wife.
Substance: Bush blames America's "cynicism" on "broken promises" and the disappointing behavior of unnamed elected officials. He also faults negative campaigning, specifically "mud throwing and name calling." Bush says that "Americans are sick of that kind of campaigning," favoring instead hearing "what's on people's minds and where the candidates' hearts are." Bush promises to run a "hopeful and optimistic and very positive" race.
Subliminal: As Doonesbury has pointed out, Bush is decrying negative campaigning while taking a veiled slap at President Clinton's Lewinsky-related antics. The ad can also be seen as a preemptive answer to the anticipated negative ads against him by Steve Forbes -- who saturated the airwaves in '96 with ads slamming presumptive nominee Bob Dole -- as well as in response to the myriad media inquiries about Bush's personal life and possible past drug use.
Of note: The most notorious "broken promise" of a politician in the last 20 years was when Bush's father said, "Read my lips, no new taxes."
Candidate: Steve Forbes
Name of Ad: "Bio"
Theme: Steve Forbes is an accomplished guy with a wife and kids and everything. And he knew Reagan!
Produced by: Eisner/Johnson Political Consultancy
Running on: National cable, local markets in Iowa and New Hampshire
Style: Forbes is portrayed as mighty, as background music swells behind him -- as if you're being introduced to Forbes for the first time (which is the case, sadly, for a majority of the electorate). Hoping for a tabula rasa, the ad tries to sell Forbes as a man's man, family man and entrepreneur who just happened to find himself on top of the world. Tellingly, Forbes is not so much as once shown actually speaking.
Substance: An announcer calls Forbes "a champion of economic growth and a visionary," "a conservative with innovative ideas and practical solutions" and "a man with character and direction." Forbes' managing of the successful Forbes magazine -- as well as his "vast knowledge of America's role in an ever-changing global economy" -- is cited as an example of what he could do for this country. Forbes' call for a flat tax in '96 is represented by a picture of him on the cover of Newsweek, and the flat tax itself is described as "his call for reduced government and increased opportunity for all Americans." The most outlandish claim comes when Forbes tries to shore up his foreign-policy credentials by asserting that his leadership of Radio Free Europe "helped play a role in the fall of communism."
Subliminal: Number of photos/mentions of Ronald Reagan: 4. Number of photos/mentions of Forbes' gay father from whom he inherited all his wealth: 0.
Of note: Shot of headline reading "Forbes stunner in Arizona" -- a reference to his 1996 victory in the state over Bob Dole. Forbes largely achieved this by saturating the Arizona airwaves with negative ads about Dole, for which he's earned enduring animosity from the Republican establishment, leading to an ad by ...
Candidate: George W. Bush -- though via a group of establishment moderate GOPers called The Republican Leadership Council.
Name of Ad: "Warning"
Theme: Note to Forbes -- You'd best not go negative on Bush, bitch.
Produced by: Larry Weitzner of Jamestown Associates
Running on: Iowa, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., TV
Style: Camera pulls in on face of middle-aged woman who scolds Forbes for going negative in '96. Bad Forbes! Glasses perched on her nose, powder-blue Patagonia-esque fleece jacket worn over her white turtleneck, sitting in the backyard of her suburban home, the woman is Republican Everywoman.
Substance: The woman says she "kind of liked" Forbes when he ran in '96 until he "spent all his money tearing down his opponents" thus "hurt[ing] the Republican Party." She says she hears Forbes is planning another assault this time, which -- if true -- is "just going to help the Democrats." She concludes, "If you can't say anything nice -- don't say anything at all."
Subliminal: We're friends of W, and we want to win. Don't fuck with us, Stevie.
Of note: A majority of the RLC's advisory board has endorsed Bush, and many are actively raising cash for the man who -- they hope -- will bring them back to power.
Candidate: Steve Forbes
Name of Ad: "Social Security"
Theme: I'm Steve Forbes, and I've got some ideas about this Social Security thing.
Produced by: Eisner/Johnson Political Consultancy
Running on: National cable, local TV in Iowa and New Hampshire
Style: Shot in grainy black and white to best represent what we'll charitably refer to as Forbes' "old-school" style, Forbes (without sports jacket) sits at a lunch counter rapping with a cross-section of voters, including one African-American man.
Substance: Forbes proposes removing taxes and penalties on Social Security and offers "a choice" for younger voters, introducing "a new system where most of your Social Security taxes will be deposited directly into your own private account."
Subliminal: Gen-X chic -- ad cuts to attractive young 30-ish woman nodding in agreement when Forbes starts chatting about younger voters.
Of note: Despite the RLC's odd scolding ad, Forbes has been all about substance -- so far. Another ad, quite similar to "Social Security," is up and running on the subject of taxes.
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