Bush-His Job Gone or Yours
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| Tue, 08-24-2004 - 9:06pm |
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=7&u=/ap/20040824/ap_on_el_pr/celebrities_ads
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO - Young blacks walk to a city polling place, only to be blocked by a menacing white cop. Businessmen unwillingly parachute into Iraq (news - web sites). When Americans begin disappearing from their jobs, actor Matt Damon says, "George Bush (news - web sites) — it's his job, or yours."
Each scenario is part of a new series of anti-Bush ads created for MoveOn.org, an upstart political group that uses the Internet and other media to skewer the president and his policies.
The release Tuesday of 10 ads coincides with the final 10 weeks of the presidential campaign. The spots draw on the talents of A-list directors like John Sayles, Rob Reiner and Doug Liman and stars that include Scarlett Johansson and Kevin Bacon.
Many of the spots likely will remain on the Internet, circling among activists, rather than appearing on television. MoveOn says that while it has committed to a multimillion-dollar ad campaign throughout the fall, it will test market the ads and commit to airing only those that have a discernible impact on voters.
"We let creative people be creative, then throw it at testing and see what sticks," said MoveOn political director Eli Pariser.
Benny Boom, a leading hip-hop video director, produced the first ad in the series MoveOn will release. The group has committed to airing it next week on cable channels that target urban voters.
"We've got to get George W. Bush out of office, and it's very important that kids understand what a serious condition the world is in with this madman," Boom said.
With a throbbing bass line and wailing sirens in the background, Boon's ad shows a white police officer confronting young blacks out to vote. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's the problem?" the officer asks. "No problem — we're here to vote," a young man says, and those in the group raise their voting cards.
In a playful animated spot voiced by Bacon, Johansson and longtime actor-activist Ed Asner, a flight attendant straps parachutes to businessmen chortling over war profits and then pushes them out over Iraq. Bacon asks, "What if the same men who profited from the war were asked to fight it?"
The ad featuring Damon reunites him with Liman, who directed their 2002 hit "The Bourne Identity." In that spot, various working people — doctors, firefighters, auto factory workers and teachers — disappear as they do their jobs. "Since George W. Bush has been in power, he has lost over 1 million jobs. That's more than any president has lost since the Great Depression. George Bush — it's his job, or yours," Damon says.
Jonathan Wilcox, a Republican strategist who teaches a course on politics and celebrity at the University of Southern California, said MoveOn's ads are not likely to resonate outside the group's core audience.
"These ads are artistic portrayals, cool and interesting, that play to only themselves," Wilcox said. "They don't intend to turn a single undecided voter."

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I stopped watching Hannity & Colmes because all they ever do is have guests that yell their opinions at either of the hosts who oppose their viewpoints, and it gives me a headache.
I do like O'Reilly as he asks the tough questions, and tries to cut through the spin. I watched him make Michael Moore look like a child during the Democratic Convention as all Moore could keep saying was that Bush lied, even though he knows that is not the truth. I respect Moore for going on, but he is a bufoon.
I also like Tim Russert as, like O'Reilly he asks tough questions and tries to keep his politics out of the equation.
With regards to the news media, the NYT, Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Globe, CBA, NBC and ABC have all had their anti-Bush agenda working for a while.
I can no longer listen to Rush, his drug situation (where he sought special treatment for his violations of law), hiring Ron Black (a lawyer he once made fun of when he defended Kennedy-Smith (whom I still feel was guilty)), his failed marriage, uncertainty about how he's affected the children of an already broken home... the list goes on and on... Rush is no right role model.
My hero's of late are along the lines of Ann Coulter, Mary Maitlin, Joe Scarborough, Curtis Sliwa heck even Ron Kuby (my favorite leftist lawyer, too bad their show bombed on MSNBC, Kuby was so often absent, and he's harder to replace than Curtis, at least I can hear them in the mornings).
Sean Hannity seems too shallow, there is something about him I distrust... like Rush he seems to be more playing to an audience than being the real deal...
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/hof.php
I wish they would just stick to entertainment. They get payed millions to *play pretend*, they don't know what reality is like!
Thanks for understanding the I.Q. requirement idea. That's it. The election of our political leaders is too important. I could really change things...how about if you are on govt. assistence, your voter registration is suspended until you are off. Tax PAYERS get to vote! After all, it's your money paying their salaries.
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