Who knew there were good political commercials nowadays?

[thistlechaser]

Since turning off my cable TV service, I watch TV where I can get it. There are websites out there that stream live TV around the country (and world), so when I want to watch basic stuff (news, daytime TV), that's where I go. For some reason, almost all feeds come out of New York or Ohio. Of the two, I like the Ohio feeds best -- I grew up in NY, so Ohio is more different and interesting, in everything including the political ads.

Ohio's political ads are scary. I've spent all my life in New York and California, two of the most liberal places in the US. We never got Conservative-targeted ads. Ohio? Ohio is full of them.

Picture a middle-aged white man, military haircut, holding some kind of big rifle. He stares into the camera as he speaks. "Washington wants to take our guns. *cocks gun* But I'm not going to let them. *raises gun to his shoulder* I'm going to do something about politicians who want to take our guns! *fires repeatedly*" Excuse me, but that's damned scary. And that was someone RUNNING FOR OFFICE!

However, I also saw an ad that was the opposite of the gun one. I'm in love with this commercial.

Anything with Simon and Garfunkel in it tends to win me over, but this is just so positive and nice and kind and ... no guns. No threats. No anger. Just kindness and love and nice.

I wonder why the Democrats won't do a Hillary/Bernie or Bernie/Hillary ticket? Seems like that would be the best of both world.

Now and again I want to write a post about Trump, but I get all grumpy and close the window before I get even close to finishing it.

Comments

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I think whoever's in office doesn't really make any difference. Or maybe Obama let me down..?

It just goes to show how big a factor the US is in all of our lives that I even care about what's going on over there? I guess it will be China next..?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

It makes a big difference for those living in the US, though understandably less so for you folks living elsewhere. :)

Agreed, China is probably the next big one. Though Russia sure does want to be high on that list...

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

Yes, definitely. The empires come and go.

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Excuse me, but that's damned scary.

That's downright disturbed/disturbing. :(

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Fully agreed...

More information than you probably wanted ;)

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

So I asked my husband (grysar), who's a political science person, about why people don't choose Vice Presidents right away and the likelihood of Clinton/Sanders or Sanders/Clinton as an eventual ticket. Here's what he had to say:

"Presidential Candidates typically announce their VP pick at the convention. There is nothing statutorily keeping them from an earlier announcement, although there are advantages to waiting. First, generally speaking, picking early is seen as a sign of weakness, if you wait until you win you've got a broader array of choices and can pick a good complement for the general election rather than trying to finish off the primary. Secondarily, the VP pick is one of the few bits of suspense about a typical convention, unlike the Republican convention this year (or Dem in 1968). If you don't hold something back, you won't get as much coverage for what's basically a half-week infomercial for the party. Third, VP is sort of a weird position, it's not a great position from which to implement even part of your agenda. This is probably why then Sen. Clinton went for Secretary of State. (I do think there are restrictions about announcing your cabinet early, those rules are dumb and should be repealed. parliamentary democracies have full shadow cabinets so you have a firm feel for what the other side would look like governing)."

"A few specific things to this case (Clinton/Sanders or Sanders/Clinton):
1) They're both a bit on the older end and would probably prefer to round out with a younger VP candidate, particularly as VP's most important role is emergency backup President.
2) Clinton does still have reason for confidence on the delegate count and Sanders best hope is that he's seriously over-performing the polls. So they both have reason to wait.
3) The winner effectively co-opting the other part of the party is really important, but it's typically done through other sort of mechanism that are very much not in the public eye. There's some gap between the end of the primaries and convention may also let people calm down a bit. Elections are by their nature contentious and that's okay, but it's hard to instantly switch over."

Re: More information than you probably wanted ;)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's great information! Thank you (and him)!

This is especially interesting as I'm rewatching West Wing again. I'm just at the part of the first election. :D

Thanks!

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this was the Bernie ad that did it for me.
No complaining. No yelling. No insults.
People working together to look for America.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed, it's perfect for me.

[bacchuslives.livejournal.com]

The part of NY where I live isn't very liberal...you'd be amazed at the pockets of republican rural rednecks. But the population is comparatively small so liberal downstate prevails :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Good point! And there are right-wing sections of California, too. I should have narrowed it down more. :)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Don't write about Trump, I think he draws power from his name being said or written down, probably why he has his followers chant "Trump" at anyone they don't like ugh.

Political ads like that one you mentioned are just sick. They PROMOTE gun violence! Do they not remember the fiasco a few years back when they put the targets on the map and then that shooter tried to kill the Senator? Just disgusting, I don't get it.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hahah! I think you might be on to something there... Every time someone says his name, even to complain about him, he probably gains more power.

They PROMOTE gun violence!

So agreed. He couldn't have been more clearly threatening people if he outright said he was...