The Best of the Worst Campaign Ads
A Collection of this Cycle's Kookiest Political Commercials
Becca Lucas
Issue date: 2/2/09 Section: Viewpoints
It is not necessary to look beyond the last year in order to find some of the craziest political advertisements, endorsements and parodies imaginable. From Paris Hilton to white rabbits to Moses, the ads range from funny to just plain bad and borderline offensive. The following are my take on the best of the worst:
10. Commander in Cute
Baby pictures are adorable, but hopefully not a criterion most Americans use for electing the next president. Hilary Clinton's commercial, "Scranton", released April 7, 2008 features adorable pictures of the candidate at her childhood summer home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While they are undoubtedly adorable, their applicability to global warming and the Iraq war are questionable.
9. Veto Happy
Romney announced in his ad "Vetoes" on April 4th, 2007 that he was fit to make the difficult decisions. He was so ready, in fact, that he was prepared to veto Congress as much as possible. Maybe that was the day I was absent in American history, but I seem to recall hearing that cooperation was more important than exercising executive authority just because you can. Unfortunately for his veto enthusiasm, voters did not seem to think Romney was quite as fit to exercise this presidential power as he did.
8. Old-Timer
It is a well known fact that John McCain has spent at lot of time in Washington; it is, after all, one of the reasons he thought he should be the next president. For some reason, however, the Obama campaign thought they should remind us of this, in "Embrace," released on August 10, 2008. Their demonstration, including pictures of McCain embracing Bush, is unhelpful at best and more than a little tacky at worst. Bad jazz music in the background doesn't help either, nor does the slow-motion image of McCain walking with a posse of aides. Obama's campaign has done better.
7. A Cut Below
At the beginning of the Democratic presidential primary race, there was a memorable moment when the nation discovered that John Edwards was using campaign funds to pay for $500 haircuts. His campaign decided that the best way to discourage disparaging remarks about Edwards' finances was to release a campaign commercial about his hair on July 23, 2007. The mélange of close-up views at numerous haircuts fails to point out why exactly one should have voted for Edwards. Adding insult to injury, the upbeat music seems inappropriate next to the scenes of poverty and destruction interspersed between the numerous hair follicles. Fancy haircuts or not, history shows us that Edwards just didn't make the cut.
6. Hare-raising
Hair was apparently a hot topic among the Democratic hopefuls. Senator Dodd also addressed the issue in his campaign commercial "White Hare," released the same day as Edwards' video. More confusing than Edwards' ode to follicular management, the ad featured an unexplained white hare in the foreground of the shot; hence the title, we are left to assume. While the pun of 'hare' and 'hair' is not difficult to figure out, why exactly it is funny remains a mystery, never mind its applicability to presidential fitness. While Dodd makes a few relevant points about his experience, it is hard to pull attention away from the mysterious rabbit.
5. Creepy Claims
Dodd's inclusion of a hare may be a little worrying, but not nearly so much as a series of McCain ads attacking Obama that were released early in November. They feature black and white film reels and music one could expect in the haunted houses we all visit for our cheap thrills around Halloween. However, the ads lack any kind of factual evidence, and the soft voice in the background is vague and elusive, jumping from topic to topic without clear grounding. McCain should have left the horror movies to the professionals in Hollywood and focused on the politics. Inquiries about Obama's associates would have been better made in a clear, audible voice.
4. Saturday Night Hilarity
The cast of Saturday Night Live's lack of affiliation with any political party, faction or organization leaves them free to mock everyone equally. It started with Amy Poehler in a pantsuit, giving her comedic impression of Hillary Clinton, but SNL really made its mark in Tina Fey's series of Sarah Palin skits. The resemblance is uncanny, and her jokes hilarious, with Amy Poehler managing to make some good jokes about Hilary Clinton and Katie Couric along the way. Fey's ditzy Palin is laugh-out-loud funny, proving that no matter how creative politicians are, they cannot begin to compare to what comes to you live from New York on Saturday night.
Check out "Sarah Palin" and "Hilary Clinton" and links to other skits at:
3. Mixed Messages
With one week before Christmas, Mike Huckabee decided it was time to tell the nation that he understood that their values were more important than political television ads…in a political television ad entitled "What Really Matters" (12/17/07). Huckabee went on to wish the nation a "Merry Christmas" and explain that family values were more important than political candidates and their incessant advertising. This may have left more than some people wondering why exactly he was spending money to say this in an ad. Maybe he should have followed his own advice.
2. Biblical Bullying
Anything is fair game with politicians, from their children to their toothpaste brand. However, you'd think that calling your opponent the Anti-Christ would seem a little excessive. Yet that's exactly what McCain did, according to several conservative Christians quoted in TimeLeft Behind books, between Obama and the Anti-Christ as he appears in these fictional books. Dispute Obama's politics all you want, but I think it is safe to say that, while this was an election that shattered political boundaries, the Anti-Christ was not a candidate.
1. One Hot Campaign
The number one slot belongs to another political commentator with no known affiliation-Paris Hilton. John McCain mentioned her in an ad intending to attack Obama as a celebrity. Every action has unintended consequences, and this one resulted in Paris launching her fake presidency. The two "ads" she has released on Will Ferrel's website funnyordie.com are hilarious: anyone who liked Sarah Palin's shoes will love Paris' bathing suit and lawn chair combination. Still funnier, and just a little scary, may be just how sensible she sounds, proposing drilling for oil (McCain's idea) until we can develop alternative technologies (Obama's line of argument) and advising that we declare victory and get out of Iraq. Despite her excellent advertising, however, it is probably safe to say that Paris will not be painting the White House pink any time soon.
Check out her first response at:
November 4th 2008 was a highly anticipated date for most, both for the answers it brought and the advertisements it ended. Few mourn the new lack of incessant and dreadful ads flooding our airways. If you are one of the few who miss them, rest assured: there will be a myriad of the best of the best and worst of the worst in three years.
10. Commander in Cute
Baby pictures are adorable, but hopefully not a criterion most Americans use for electing the next president. Hilary Clinton's commercial, "Scranton", released April 7, 2008 features adorable pictures of the candidate at her childhood summer home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While they are undoubtedly adorable, their applicability to global warming and the Iraq war are questionable.
9. Veto Happy
Romney announced in his ad "Vetoes" on April 4th, 2007 that he was fit to make the difficult decisions. He was so ready, in fact, that he was prepared to veto Congress as much as possible. Maybe that was the day I was absent in American history, but I seem to recall hearing that cooperation was more important than exercising executive authority just because you can. Unfortunately for his veto enthusiasm, voters did not seem to think Romney was quite as fit to exercise this presidential power as he did.
8. Old-Timer
It is a well known fact that John McCain has spent at lot of time in Washington; it is, after all, one of the reasons he thought he should be the next president. For some reason, however, the Obama campaign thought they should remind us of this, in "Embrace," released on August 10, 2008. Their demonstration, including pictures of McCain embracing Bush, is unhelpful at best and more than a little tacky at worst. Bad jazz music in the background doesn't help either, nor does the slow-motion image of McCain walking with a posse of aides. Obama's campaign has done better.
7. A Cut Below
At the beginning of the Democratic presidential primary race, there was a memorable moment when the nation discovered that John Edwards was using campaign funds to pay for $500 haircuts. His campaign decided that the best way to discourage disparaging remarks about Edwards' finances was to release a campaign commercial about his hair on July 23, 2007. The mélange of close-up views at numerous haircuts fails to point out why exactly one should have voted for Edwards. Adding insult to injury, the upbeat music seems inappropriate next to the scenes of poverty and destruction interspersed between the numerous hair follicles. Fancy haircuts or not, history shows us that Edwards just didn't make the cut.
6. Hare-raising
Hair was apparently a hot topic among the Democratic hopefuls. Senator Dodd also addressed the issue in his campaign commercial "White Hare," released the same day as Edwards' video. More confusing than Edwards' ode to follicular management, the ad featured an unexplained white hare in the foreground of the shot; hence the title, we are left to assume. While the pun of 'hare' and 'hair' is not difficult to figure out, why exactly it is funny remains a mystery, never mind its applicability to presidential fitness. While Dodd makes a few relevant points about his experience, it is hard to pull attention away from the mysterious rabbit.
5. Creepy Claims
Dodd's inclusion of a hare may be a little worrying, but not nearly so much as a series of McCain ads attacking Obama that were released early in November. They feature black and white film reels and music one could expect in the haunted houses we all visit for our cheap thrills around Halloween. However, the ads lack any kind of factual evidence, and the soft voice in the background is vague and elusive, jumping from topic to topic without clear grounding. McCain should have left the horror movies to the professionals in Hollywood and focused on the politics. Inquiries about Obama's associates would have been better made in a clear, audible voice.
4. Saturday Night Hilarity
The cast of Saturday Night Live's lack of affiliation with any political party, faction or organization leaves them free to mock everyone equally. It started with Amy Poehler in a pantsuit, giving her comedic impression of Hillary Clinton, but SNL really made its mark in Tina Fey's series of Sarah Palin skits. The resemblance is uncanny, and her jokes hilarious, with Amy Poehler managing to make some good jokes about Hilary Clinton and Katie Couric along the way. Fey's ditzy Palin is laugh-out-loud funny, proving that no matter how creative politicians are, they cannot begin to compare to what comes to you live from New York on Saturday night.
Check out "Sarah Palin" and "Hilary Clinton" and links to other skits at:
3. Mixed Messages
With one week before Christmas, Mike Huckabee decided it was time to tell the nation that he understood that their values were more important than political television ads…in a political television ad entitled "What Really Matters" (12/17/07). Huckabee went on to wish the nation a "Merry Christmas" and explain that family values were more important than political candidates and their incessant advertising. This may have left more than some people wondering why exactly he was spending money to say this in an ad. Maybe he should have followed his own advice.
2. Biblical Bullying
Anything is fair game with politicians, from their children to their toothpaste brand. However, you'd think that calling your opponent the Anti-Christ would seem a little excessive. Yet that's exactly what McCain did, according to several conservative Christians quoted in TimeLeft Behind books, between Obama and the Anti-Christ as he appears in these fictional books. Dispute Obama's politics all you want, but I think it is safe to say that, while this was an election that shattered political boundaries, the Anti-Christ was not a candidate.
1. One Hot Campaign
The number one slot belongs to another political commentator with no known affiliation-Paris Hilton. John McCain mentioned her in an ad intending to attack Obama as a celebrity. Every action has unintended consequences, and this one resulted in Paris launching her fake presidency. The two "ads" she has released on Will Ferrel's website funnyordie.com are hilarious: anyone who liked Sarah Palin's shoes will love Paris' bathing suit and lawn chair combination. Still funnier, and just a little scary, may be just how sensible she sounds, proposing drilling for oil (McCain's idea) until we can develop alternative technologies (Obama's line of argument) and advising that we declare victory and get out of Iraq. Despite her excellent advertising, however, it is probably safe to say that Paris will not be painting the White House pink any time soon.
Check out her first response at:
November 4th 2008 was a highly anticipated date for most, both for the answers it brought and the advertisements it ended. Few mourn the new lack of incessant and dreadful ads flooding our airways. If you are one of the few who miss them, rest assured: there will be a myriad of the best of the best and worst of the worst in three years.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Los Angeles Movers
posted 5/21/09 @ 10:02 AM PST
There were definitely some strange and ridiculous ads this past election. I agree with you that the Paris Hilton was the most surprising and notable, though all the SNL skits were great too. (Continued…)
Post a Comment