404 Subtlety Not Found

October 20, 2006 5:48 AM

About as Subtle as a Terror Attack. We all know Bush doesn't do nuance. Well, apparently the GOP doesn't either, especially not in close midterm elections. The following is a (presumably web-only) video:

A ticking sound reminiscent of a bomb timer grows progressively louder until the last repeated phrase ("What is yet to come will be even greater") is shown, followed by the sound of a beating heart, fleeting images of explosions and terrorists in training, and ending with the message "These Are The Stakes. Vote Nov. 7."

The video can be found here.
posted by rzklkng (91 comments total)

So, showing us a very short list of some of the Bush administration's failures is considered a good way to convince people to vote Republican?
posted by Foosnark at 5:55 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

knettergek
posted by Substrata at 6:04 AM on October 20, 2006

Very Johnsonesque. Except they could have used some crying children. And flowers.
posted by fungible at 6:07 AM on October 20, 2006

I never understood the "republicans will keep you safe" argument. If you want to play those games, it was really the republicans who failed to keep the U.S of A safe on 9.11. Why does nobody say that?
posted by milarepa at 6:08 AM on October 20, 2006

Idiots. If they don't have fear, they have nothing. Get ready for some whupass, you thugs.
posted by fourcheesemac at 6:16 AM on October 20, 2006

Is everyone sure this isn't an ad for the next season of 24?
posted by SinisterPurpose at 6:18 AM on October 20, 2006

Hm. So apparently the GOP is doing OSB's propaganda for him now.
posted by Stauf at 6:23 AM on October 20, 2006

So far, redstate thinks this is a mistake for the GoP. Which is really weird.
posted by DenOfSizer at 6:24 AM on October 20, 2006

I thought web-only ads were just to rile up the base, since it's not like anyone else will see them.
posted by smackfu at 6:33 AM on October 20, 2006

This isn't really surprising; in fact I think I FPPed two years ago the news that Bush was finally putting Bin Laden and burning Twin Towers in his ads.

Problem is, two years and a few hundred more dead American later, for most people the war is only a reminder of how fucked up the GOP has made the state of global affairs. The same warbloggers who scoffed at 2,000, 2,500, 3,000 dead as an "arbitrary number" are now gasping to make the Dow Jones the top story and not the fact that over 50 Americans died this month in Iraq alone.

That any Republican (or independent candidate in Connecticut) can still see their support of the war as a positive at this point is embarassing.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:33 AM on October 20, 2006

So the Republicans are promising bigger terror attacks? Someone ought to tell the authorities.

One popular definition of "terrorism" is the use of terror for political purposes. Does that make the GOP a terrorist organization?
posted by clevershark at 6:35 AM on October 20, 2006

...since it's not like anyone else will see them.

DenOfSizer's RedState link:

"That's just for the GOP web site I think?"

"Apparently not, since I just saw it on MSNBC an hour ago."

Also, their main complaint seems to be: "Too many words. Lots of reading." Harrr...

Between this and those "Black" radio ads the other day, I am simply at a loss to comprehend how anyone in their right mind could identify with or be wilfully subverted by this baldfaced propaganda. Sickening.
posted by prostyle at 6:38 AM on October 20, 2006

Someone needs to take the DNC out of "training wheels" mode. This sort of crap can easily be countered in any number of ways, but the Dems need to come up with ads that have balls, so to speak.

The facts are on the Dems' side. They don't even need to artificially terrorize people in order to point out how misguided voting GOP would be.
posted by clevershark at 6:40 AM on October 20, 2006

funny, but not as funny as the latest talking point in wingnut blogs -- the hilarious "President Pelosi" thing, the famous Democratic secret plan to impeach both Bush and Cheney and elevate Pelosi to the Presidency

Colbert, if anything, is too restrained
posted by matteo at 6:42 AM on October 20, 2006

Awesome trailer, when does the movie come out?
posted by schoolgirl report at 6:46 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

I understand I'm not the target audience, but as a Norwegian I have to say: That's a mighty odd political ad...

Are there really no other political issues in the US now?
posted by Harald74 at 6:54 AM on October 20, 2006

I want this game!
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 6:54 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

People who can read aren't the target audience -- it's aimed at the national reptile brain and designed to awaken the "sleeper cells" therein programmed by the RNC to tremble every two years in November.

And yes, trumpeting your failures as your trump card is a weird election tactic, but, golly, this is America.
posted by words1 at 6:57 AM on October 20, 2006

This is all they have. What else are they going to advertise? Want more corruption? Want more outting of national security forces? Want more not buying enough body armor for our troops? Want more government spending? Want more legalized torture and spying on Americans? Want more "privitization" of internet content? Want more National Debt? Want more profit for Haliburton? Want more offended national partners?Want more backing the president no matter how Unamerican his policies are?Please NO MORE!
posted by trigby at 6:57 AM on October 20, 2006

It would be very easy for the Dems to start hitting the Republicans on this. Just edit together some footage of Bush, early post-9/11, saying how he's going to find Bin Laden, then later footage of Bush saying Bin Laden isn't important, then end with a picture of Bin Laden and a voiceover pointing out that the September 11 attacks happened five years ago and Bush still hasn't caught Bin Laden.

Easy peasy.
posted by MegoSteve at 6:57 AM on October 20, 2006

May I please move to New Zealand now?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:57 AM on October 20, 2006

> A ticking sound reminiscent of a bomb timer grows progressively louder until the last
> repeated phrase ("What is yet to come will be even greater") is shown, followed by the
> sound of a beating heart, fleeting images of explosions and terrorists in training, and ending
> with the message "These Are The Stakes. Vote Nov. 7."

Somehow it reminds me of something we've seen before. Lyndon, now, there was a Democrat with balls like a moose. He didn't do subtlety either. (And also, wouldn't withdraw from his war either. Why do you think another Dem with balls would?)
posted by jfuller at 6:58 AM on October 20, 2006

Awesome trailer, when does the movie come out?
It's not for a movie. It's for the new season of that reality series that's been running for years now. "Enduring Freedom" or something like that...
posted by Thorzdad at 7:03 AM on October 20, 2006

They don't even say vote Republican.

It reminded me that "dead or alive" Osama is still on the loose while we're in the Iraq quagmire. Thanks GOP.
posted by nofundy at 7:04 AM on October 20, 2006

I quit following that show, it was obviously scripted.
posted by sonofsamiam at 7:04 AM on October 20, 2006 [2 favorites]

At what point does scaring the bejesus out of people for purely political reasons become "aiding and abetting the terrorists?"
posted by Afroblanco at 7:06 AM on October 20, 2006

They don't even say vote Republican.
It doesn't have to. I would guess that the only networks this thing is going to air on are the ones with an overwhelmingly conservative viewership already. Fox, MSNBC, CNBC...
This is more like preaching to the choir. They already know the message. This is just a reminder to go out and vote.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:10 AM on October 20, 2006

That, plus all the free airtime it's going to get once the outrage becomes news itself.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:11 AM on October 20, 2006

TERROR! Huh! Good God! What It Is Good For? Absolutely Nothing Scaring People Into Voting Republican! Huh! Say It Again!
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:13 AM on October 20, 2006

Thorzdad writes "That, plus all the free airtime it's going to get once the outrage becomes news itself."

No kidding. I had MSNBC on last night past Olbermann's show and what do I see on Scarborough? Those Paul R. Nelson ads we were discussing... so I switched to the cartoon channel. Somehow Family Guy seems less insane than what goes on in America these days.
posted by clevershark at 7:17 AM on October 20, 2006

weren't Republicans in power when the CIA was funding training for these people/organizations in the 80's?
posted by djseafood at 7:21 AM on October 20, 2006

If they win by a landslide and we don't get the bigger, badder nation-crushing terrorganza they promised, I'm going to write an angry letter.

If I can still hold a pen.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:23 AM on October 20, 2006

Love those Red Staters:

The real stakes are whether we have a level-headed high school wrestling coach at the helm in the unfortunate case that Bush and Cheney go down, or a bugged-eyed heavily painted botoxed witch from San Francisco. Now that's enough to scare anyone to death--and to vote--we hope! It makes me want to run out now and grab a concealed weapon permit as fast as I can.
posted by octothorpe at 7:37 AM on October 20, 2006

weren't Republicans in power when the CIA was funding training for these people/organizations in the 80's?

Yup. And they did the job of enemy creation very well, thank you. Their tireless efforts have now paid off handsomely for BushCheneyCo. (a division of Halliburton). All part of the plan!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:43 AM on October 20, 2006

Very Johnsonesque. Except they could have used some crying children. And flowers.

The 4 year old picking flowers right before they cut to a mushrooom cloud was Goldwater's comercial, not Johnson. And it backfired famously.

(Oh bit were Goldwater still around, he'd be purple & aploplectic to see the state of the conservaqtive movement these days, and veered lefty in his final days, btw.

Even Nancy Reagan is openly disgusted afterall.
posted by Fupped Duck at 7:44 AM on October 20, 2006

Not gonna work. They are out of bullets.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:56 AM on October 20, 2006

The Daisy ad was by Johnson.
posted by zsazsa at 8:01 AM on October 20, 2006

"the hilarious "President Pelosi""...

Don't get me all excited, over here. And I thought Hilary was their bugaboo? I doubt most people could pick Pelosi out of a lineup.
posted by emjaybee at 8:08 AM on October 20, 2006

Very interesting how bin ladin is good for propaganda, isn't it? Yet, he's not important enough to find?

WHAT FUCKING BULLSHIT. Repuglicans are right up there with the NAZIS, when it comes to propaganda. You've got to give them credit, they are the masters of exploiting fear.

I just wish more people would recognize this.
posted by bobjohnsonmilw at 8:11 AM on October 20, 2006

> The 4 year old picking flowers right before they cut to a mushrooom cloud was Goldwater's
> comercial, not Johnson. And it backfired famously.

Fupped duck, the Johnson mushroom cloud ad video has been linked twice in the thread now. We of course understand that your kind doesn't pay any attention to things you don't care to know, and we understand we can't change you or help you. Just be aware that that's why your idiot beliefs are of no importance, not the minutest.


> I just wish more people would recognize this.

bob wishes a few folks, somebody, anybody, would please come join him in his baroque paranoid fantasies.
posted by jfuller at 8:17 AM on October 20, 2006

bobjohnsonmilw writes "WHAT FUCKING BULLSHIT. Republicans are right up there with the NAZIS, when it comes to propaganda."


That's just typical libtard hyperbole. Republican propaganda is nothing like Nazi propaganda. Nazi propanganda blamed everything on the Bolsheviks and the Jews. Republican propaganda, to the contrary, blames everything on Democrats and Muslims.
posted by orthogonality at 8:19 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Baroque paranoid fantasies?

You're saying the Republicans aren't blatantly propgandizing the public by pretending that only they can save you from teh bin ladens?

Or what are you saying here?
posted by sonofsamiam at 8:26 AM on October 20, 2006

The video backfired. In their quest to recreate the Johnson ad, they forgot that it worked because we were cautiously afraid of electing an unbalanced warmonger to lead us into war. This video confirms that fear. Play this in front of a group of paranoid NRA supporters (who collect guns as a surrogate form of investment property in order to feel like they belong to what they perceive as a successful masculine identity) and they will psychologically identify with the fighters carrying guns. The "Johnson" ad will work for global warming, because its the same idea.
posted by Brian B. at 8:26 AM on October 20, 2006

Brian B. writes "In their quest to recreate the Johnson ad, they forgot that it worked because we were cautiously afraid of electing an unbalanced warmonger to lead us into war."


Dude, the Johnson campiagn pulled the Daisy ad after one airing precisely because it was way too over the top.
posted by orthogonality at 8:41 AM on October 20, 2006

Wikipedia: Though aired only once during the Movie of the Week on September 7, 1964, it was a factor in Lyndon B. Johnson's defeat of Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election and an important turning point in political and advertising history. Its creator was Tony Schwartz of Doyle Dane Bernbach.
posted by Brian B. at 8:44 AM on October 20, 2006

Fupped Duck writes "The 4 year old picking flowers right before they cut to a mushrooom cloud was Goldwater's comercial, not Johnson."

er, no. It was Johnson's, and a reference to Goldwater's reputation as a foreign policy hawk.
posted by clevershark at 8:46 AM on October 20, 2006

It seems clear to me that under the Nuremburg Principles and the UN Charter, there is plenty of evidence to at least indict the Bush administration with conspiracy to commit crime against peace, prosecuting an aggressive war and war crimes, including torture, depriving prisoners of war a fair trial and settlement of occupied territory.

I don't expect the Democrats to have the courage to pursue indictment and impeachment of the President and VP on these or even lesser charges, e.g. lying to Congress. Nonetheless, if there is any justice, these murderous, manipulative, lying sacks of shit will never see retirement outside a prison cell.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:54 AM on October 20, 2006

Republican propaganda, to the contrary, blames everything on Democrats and Muslims.

Don't forget about gays. They're to blame for everything that Muslims aren't.
posted by octothorpe at 8:59 AM on October 20, 2006

I am going to vote for the party that supports strong military action, regardless of what the "civililzed" world thinks. The party that thinks gays and gaiety are affronts to God and nature. The party that wants to restore traditional cultural mores and values. The party that is not ashamed of its steadfast faith and trust in God. The party that will finally stand up to the degenerate secular hedonistic libertine liberals and say enough!

On November 7th, I am voting Al Qaeda.
posted by Mister_A at 9:24 AM on October 20, 2006 [4 favorites]

Funny how obvious it is that Mehlman phoned in the voiceover at the end. They couldn't get him into a studio?
posted by Ironmouth at 9:26 AM on October 20, 2006

Yeah, but the Dems are buying up marquees.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:28 AM on October 20, 2006

(And so should you)
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:28 AM on October 20, 2006

I call Godwin's Law.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:34 AM on October 20, 2006

On November 7th, I am voting Al Qaeda.

I mean the humour in this place sucks worse then ever.....dude, like, they are NOT on the Ballot....wait the DemokRATS are a runnin aint they.
shoo....
posted by clavdivs at 9:34 AM on October 20, 2006

I used to try to debate with republican, but really in the end, what is the point? They just "know" that they are right.

Following the leader to the slaughter. Good luck with that.

There was also another group that blindly followed their leader as well. They were called Nazis.

Republicans are good at one thing: being led to the slaughter. and really, it's all ok as long as they have their suvs, dvd players, etc. It's all good, right up to the point where they actually have to think for themselves.

What's even the point of posting this? The fucking fascists already won anyway. Just keep it up, republicans. Just keep supporting the continual slide of human rights, all in favor of your security.

The argument "if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" doesn't float anymore. It's being proven daily. Just learn to read, fucktards.
posted by bobjohnsonmilw at 9:48 AM on October 20, 2006

nofundy : They don't even say vote Republican.

The version I saw had this disclaimer on the end:

The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Paid for by the Republican National Committee.

And gop.com.

I did find it funny that the end buttons said "watch the video" and "vote early" which is from an expression most frequently used as a shorthand for voter fraud: "vote early, vote often."

Was this just a really poor wording choice on their part, or is it some of that coded-speech-for-the-base stuff I've been hearing so much about?
posted by quin at 9:52 AM on October 20, 2006

Ironmouth writes "Funny how obvious it is that Mehlman phoned in the voiceover at the end. They couldn't get him into a studio?"

It's not what they can't get him into, what they can't get him out of. This studio, it has a closet?
posted by orthogonality at 9:55 AM on October 20, 2006

Republican? Gay? How?
posted by Mister_A at 9:58 AM on October 20, 2006

Re-electing President Bush in 2004 kept us from getting attacked by wolves, so electing Republicans in 2006 will obviously keep us from getting attacked by the same people the Republicans failed to prevent from attacking us on September 11.

"Ah, not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm!"

wait the DemokRATS are a runnin aint they
Did you say DemocRATS?
[Previously, on MetaFilter]
posted by kirkaracha at 10:00 AM on October 20, 2006

if there is any justice, these murderous, manipulative, lying sacks of shit will never see retirement outside a prison cell.

My goodness, then there is no justice.
The only retirement options are whether a villa will be sufficient, or should it be a palace.
posted by dreamsign at 10:00 AM on October 20, 2006

It's just this simple - vote Republican OR DIE. I'm reminded of Bill Hicks and his thoughts on the inevitable purely visceral path that advertising will take.

Oh I wish Bill was still with us.
posted by davebush at 10:04 AM on October 20, 2006

Fupped Duck: "The 4 year old picking flowers right before they cut to a mushrooom cloud was Goldwater's comercial, not Johnson."

Right up there with ...




posted by ericb at 10:06 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Republican? Gay? How?

In related news -- Former top aide to Rep. Ney (R-OH) says GOP just pretending to be anti-gay to fool Christian right.
posted by ericb at 10:07 AM on October 20, 2006

...lying sacks of shit will never see retirement outside a prison cell.
posted by [expletive deleted]

eponysterical
posted by snofoam at 10:11 AM on October 20, 2006

Want more backing the president no matter how Unamerican his policies are?

Not only is Bush inspired by God, but also ...

Top US General: The “Good Lord Tells” Rumsfeld What Is “Best For Our Country.”
posted by ericb at 10:13 AM on October 20, 2006

OK, I'm stumped. What benefit is there to swapping Whitehouse and Chafee's party affiliations?

Any answer I can think of (IE, trick Democrats into voting for the wrong guy) could be reversed with equal effect.
posted by InnocentBystander at 10:30 AM on October 20, 2006

republican party threatens terror attack in US.
posted by Miles Long at 10:55 AM on October 20, 2006

OK, I'm stumped. What benefit is there to swapping Whitehouse and Chafee's party affiliations?

Republicans are leading in the polls, even while they're losing.
posted by ericb at 11:02 AM on October 20, 2006

Jesus panty-sniffing Christ! Those bastards know kungfu! Everybody run!
posted by Rusty Iron at 11:04 AM on October 20, 2006

New NIE: Republicans determined to attack United States...
posted by clevershark at 11:09 AM on October 20, 2006

GOP loyalty oath: Party before country!
(invented by Newt Lizard)

or: If we can't have it, our friend Osama (who also hates liberals) will blow it up!
posted by nofundy at 11:26 AM on October 20, 2006

Happy Dave called it.

C'mon. Nazis? What the fuck ever. You sound stupid when you throw that shit around.
posted by dozo at 11:29 AM on October 20, 2006

Republicans are leading in the polls, even while they're losing.
There's some bent logic to this. The last few times when I couldn't avoid Fox News (hell, my freaking dentist plays that crap in the waiting room!), I've noticed an amazing number of reports on the unreliability of digital voting machines. The foil hat on my head makes me wonder if they aren't preparing the faithful to start screaming about voting fraud when they get their asses handed to them in November? A national scandal! Why are the Democrats avoiding this issue!? They stole the election!
posted by Thorzdad at 11:30 AM on October 20, 2006 [2 favorites]

That's a good point Thorzdad. They will certainly claim that it was rigged if they get their asses handed to them... but it will be above reproach if they somehow hold on to majorities in both houses.
posted by Mister_A at 11:39 AM on October 20, 2006

Just be aware that that's why your idiot beliefs are of no importance, not the minutest.

still sore about good ole Barry getting buried under a landslide, huh? too bad Diebold technology was still shamefully primitive back then
posted by matteo at 11:39 AM on October 20, 2006

MegoSteve writes "It would be very easy for the Dems to start hitting the Republicans on this. Just edit together some footage of Bush, early post-9/11, saying how he's going to find Bin Laden, then later footage of Bush saying Bin Laden isn't important, then end with a picture of Bin Laden and a voiceover pointing out that the September 11 attacks happened five years ago and Bush still hasn't caught Bin Laden. "

Why isn't this ad being played? If not by the Democrats than by some independent or third party canidate. It's not like it would need a lot of production work. And it sure ain't the worst ever seen on either side.
posted by Mitheral at 11:46 AM on October 20, 2006

This is pretty lame compared to the 2004 "vote for Bush or be eaten by wolves" advertisement.

FDR: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

GWB: The only thing we have is fear.
posted by JackFlash at 11:55 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

JackFlash writes "This is pretty lame compared to the 2004 'vote for Bush or be eaten by wolves' advertisement."

Funny how that works... what with the new security bill one gets the eerie sense that the wolves were in fact supposed to represent Cheney & the neocons, ripping liberty apart one bite at a time.
posted by clevershark at 12:09 PM on October 20, 2006

We held back on the number of troops in Afghanistan and Osama slipped away at Tora Bora. Then we got diverted by the train wreck that is the Iraq war and we have given up on catching Osama. All this ad does is show how the GOP has failed to make us safer. Time for a change. Even the peacenick Dems can keep you safer the current crew of Keystone Kops.
posted by caddis at 12:09 PM on October 20, 2006

Someone needs to take the DNC out of "training wheels" mode. This sort of crap can easily be countered in any number of ways, but the Dems need to come up with ads that have balls, so to speak.
posted by clevershark at 2:40 PM

I don't know if this was done specifically to counter this ad but there's always this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=TMjjPdESMIc

(this was on DKos yesterday, btw)
posted by kaemaril at 12:58 PM on October 20, 2006

I hate to put on my tinfoil hat, but this ad will be brilliant the moment they pull Bin Laden's body from some rubble next week. (/paranoid)
posted by Bookhouse at 1:05 PM on October 20, 2006

Dedicated to ericb

Jesus:
Hey Rummy.

Rumsfeld:
Hey Jesus.

Jesus:
So Satan called...


Rumsfeld:
Wow, I didn't know you guys were still tight.

Jesus:
My dad wants me to help him out. Pain in the ass. He needs like 600,000 extra arabs down in hell by 2007? Think you can help?

Rumsfeld:
Sure Jesus! My pleasure.

Jesus:
Oh, thanks so much.
posted by Mister_A at 1:32 PM on October 20, 2006

Be very very afraid, and then vote!
posted by homunculus at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2006

I lolled.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 2:52 PM on October 20, 2006

The Democratic slogan that is accurate and would work, but we'll never see:

"Voting Republican Means You're a Pussy."
posted by bardic at 3:08 PM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

> still sore about good ole Barry getting buried under a landslide, huh?

Not so much. They tried to claim Barry was pandering to us beetle-browed bigots but I didn't really get that warm, fuzzy he's-pandering-to-l'il-ole-me! feeling until it was Dick and Spiro doing the pandering.
posted by jfuller at 5:13 PM on October 20, 2006

Hell, Goldwater would be called a foul mouthed, godless liberal these days.
posted by UseyurBrain at 6:33 PM on October 20, 2006

LaHood Admits He Was ‘Playing Politics’ When He Asked For Intel Staffer To Be Suspended
posted by homunculus at 8:08 PM on October 20, 2006

A nice companion piece to the commercial, courtesy of Keith Olberman.
posted by maryh at 10:41 PM on October 20, 2006

The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.

There's irony here somewhere. If only I could find it...
posted by Kiell at 12:42 AM on October 21, 2006

The Republican national Committee is responsible for the events of 9/11. The World Trade Towers were brought down by thermite charges places weeks earlier by Controlled Demolition Inc. as a pretext to invade and control the remaining large oil deposits on the planet. Remember to vote early to prevent us from having to perpetrate another heinous terrorist attack against the american people to secure their allegiance in the never ending war on truth.
-Sincerely Project for a New American Century
posted by nasim at 1:01 PM on October 22, 2006