That apparently is the message the GOP (or at least GOP party loyalists) is going to run on this election cycle. Make sure you watch the entire commercial to fully appreciate how deep the mighty Republican party and their spinmeistersr have fallen.
Unfortunately, the commercial is only a minute long, so there was not time to explain how snooping through your private lives, torturing Afghani cab drivers, ignoring the Geneva conventions, over-stretching the military then lowering standards to make up the recruiting shortfalls, smearing menstrual blood on Gitmo prisoners, or ‘staying the course’ in Iraq makes you, me, or anyone else safer.
I have my doubts about certain Democrats- I have ‘learned’ over years to instinctively not trust them. But that is all it really is, anymore- old instincts. Right now, I KNOW I can’t trust the GOP on anything, let alone security, no matter what their bullshit spin machine tosses at me.
So go ahead, Red State. Cheer this simplistic bullshit, and keep trying to peddle the notion that we are all gonna die if Rick Santorum doesn’t get re-elected (btw- did you know that Albright was up for election in a few weeks- it was news to me).
Because a lot of us simply aren’t buying it anymore.
Eural
You know what I’d like to see – a politician of any party whose really dead serious about being a national leader. I’m sick and tired of everyone claiming to be telling truth to power and just regurgitating the same old crap from the last poll/spin/electoral cycle. McCain almost had me convinced and then he turned into Bush lite.
If everyone is so pissed with the status quo and politics as usual why are all the pols defending the status quo and politics as usual?
Anyone got any candidates to recommend?
Nikki
I tried real hard to be fair about that commercial, but it was hard to hear the narrator over the other noise and I found my attention kept wandering. David Zucker can do better.
emix
Jon Tester, Ned lamont, James Webb,
matt
But a game is all it is to these people, a political game. There’s so critical thinking or examination of what’s going on. They don’t look at things objectively, it’s all about party politics.
I think it’s horribly wrong to view national security through a partisan prism, as if there’s any correlation between someone’s ability to competently deal with Iraq, and their position on tax cuts or gay marriage.
The “D” or “R” next to someone’s name might give you a broad idea of where there stand on certain hot button social issues, but what does it tell you about their competency? Nothing.
I know criticizing Red State for being too partisan seems a bit odd, since it’s their mission to be partisan, but their inability to separate our national security from their partisan politics is destroying their credibility, and it gets more difficult every day to take them seriously.
Just…unbelievable.
Mike S
I don’t have speakers at the office but I figure that if the Redstate group thinks it’s great then it must be a load of crap.
The over-all theme of the GOP now seems to be pant-pissing fear. I saw some talk radio guy interviewed the other day and he said that a vote for Democrats will lead to the country being nuked. The child didn’t even caveate it, he said we will be nuked. I figure the sad little one must do his whole show from under a desk while cowering in his own urine and feces.
matt
Mike S, I really think some people are losing their minds, and not just in the “so and so is insane because they don’t agree with me” sense. There seems to be a genuine unhinging going on in this country with a lot of people.
There sure are a lot of weak-kneed, weak-minded, pussies running around these days. Seriously – man. the. fuck. up. and let’s face these challenges and threats with cool heads, wise strategies and competency instead of ideology.
Mac Buckets
Unwad those panties, guys. Guess you didn’t read the part where the “mighty Republican party and their spinmeisters” said this ad was a non-starter because it was too over-the-top. I mean, it was hidden right there in the second sentence of the post.
Paddy O'Shea
You know, if the Bush admin had at least some success with its military adventures the “Red State” position would be a little more sustainable. As it is we’re losing in Iraq, in definite jeopardy in Afghanistan, which, if we lose both, would mean the “War On Terrorism” would be in the crapper as well.
This whole idea that knuckleheads like Bush, Rummy and Cheney are the essential and irreplaceable men in these matters is just nutty. Like anyone else who has failed at their job they can and should be replaced.
Our problem right now is our leadership is incompetent and needs to be sent to the farm.
Vladi G
From the comments:
Iraq is right over there, big guy. Just let me know when and where, and I’ll gladly push you right on down to the recruiting office.
Mike S
matt
Until we can get people to stop buying into the fear it will keep working. The talk radio blow hards are making millions instilling that fear. Republicans are gettin elected because of it. As long as it continues to work it will be used.
This country has faced far far worse than the crazy fucks we’re dealing with now. The first 3/4 of my life there was a mortal enemy with hundreds of thousands of nukes pointed at our country. I lived outside of Cheyen Mountain for 4 of those years and knew I’d be dead in a ball of fire if a nuke war started.
Sure, people were scared but it was almost always isolated into periods of heightened tensions and not a constant thing. That was with hundreds of thousands of nukes that we knew for a fact were out there. People like Bush, Hannity, Hewy, and Rush want us to think we are in more danger now than then. And the saddest thing about it is that there are some pretty smart people that buy right into their bullshit.
Jon H
“Anyone got any candidates to recommend?”
Al Gore?
cd6
Can anyone envision an ad for the GOP that RedState wouldn’t consider over the top?
I mean, I can see them cheering for an ad where Bill Clinton, Dan Rather and Osama team up to machine gun a bunch of school children to their deaths, saying “that’s exactly what Dems and the MSM want!!”
jaime
I guess the scene where Donald Rumsfeld is polishing Saddam Hussein’s shoes in 1983 was cut, right? Maybe Zucker could write a scene where Kim Jong Il could ride Rumsfeld in a barrel of profits from his No. Korean nuclear business dealings.
The 33 percenters are riding on the creative genius of the makers of BASEketball. Good luck with that.
jaime
Well the last shot of this ad has Albright about to get shot by Kim Jong Il. I guess that’s what you get for painting Osama’s cave.
The Asshole Formerly Known as GOP4Me
Bernie Sanders is a pretty good guy. He’s the only man in Washington who’s not afraid to be labeled a liberal.
Jon H
“Can anyone envision an ad for the GOP that RedState wouldn’t consider over the top?”
One espousing bipartisanship and compromise.
MM
Maybe I’m just projecting because I’m a fan of the ZAZ films, but that just seemed like a parody of a political ad. They may as well ended it with “I’m a former Secretary of State, and I approve of Americans speaking Arabic.” I loved the comment on RS that this would resonate with the South Park conservatives.
To quote Cartman: “Weak!”
MM
There’s a substantial number of RedState/Free Republic types who would consider it the first truly honest political ad.
Ted
Love this comment by a redstater:
“The Marxists at Google…” Hilarious. Who knew rapidly buying up any net companies that remotely showed profit potential was a communist endeavor?
KC
Though I hope John is right, I’m with Mike S on this one. There’s still a pretty deep resevior of true believers out there, and a less deep, but nevertheless real reservior of people who can easily slip into believer mode. If there’s anything the GOP has taught me, it’s that a little fear can go a long way to winning an election.
CaseyL
What did those RS clowns do before there were blogs? Stand on street corners yelling at people?
jaime
Listen to Rush on their radios at work and sneer at their Feminazi bosses.
Anonymous Jim
After this and Path to 9/11, I am waiting for the really good “liberal” story tellers in hollywood to get in on the act. Zucker can be funny, but are you telling me that Oliver Stone (as one example) couldn’t produce an ad on Iraq that will have people in tears? But then Reynolds and RedState will whine like little girls that this shows how hollywood is out to destroy this country.
PotVsKtl
I used to read Redstate for occasionally balanced and thoughtful commentary despite the fact I hardly ever agreed, while I read Freerepublic for amusement at the wackos. It’s pretty much the same game in both places these days though with front page commentators on Redstate openly calling for the deportation of all Muslims from the United States.
EL
I’d like to see the version where Ollie North brings the birthday cake to Iran – should be a good follow up.
The Other Steve
You know, it seems to me that if Kim Jong Il demanded a basketball signed by Michael Jordan in exchange for not making nukes… I’d arrange for Michael Jordan to show up personally and sign the ball.
This seems to be the problem with Republicans. They rather let the building burn down than bring themselves to piss on a candle.
Another reason why they can’t be trusted with national security. They aren’t interested in security so much as being dead right.
t. jasper parnell
This is off topic but a really interesting letter from a marine
D.C
You left-wing nutcases are nothing but hatemongers looking to push forth your anti-American agenda.Also reguardless of what propaganda you and your media spew the war in Iraq is going well.As for the election well it looks like another huge loss for you as well why? Because you have nothing to offer other than “It’s all Bush’s fault! Oh and your hero ex-president Bill ‘Meltdown” Clinton just proved to America even more that he was the worse president who by the way invaded Iraq for WMDS that ever stepped into the White House.I’m looking forward to election night because again it’s going to be so good to watch you lieing losers go down in flames again!Question:Nancy Pelosi and Rham Emmanual have refused to take a polygraph test in the Foleygate case why? Could it be because Democrats were behind it? Of course it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out lol!Also when are Democrats going to ask Barney Frank who clearly was caught with the goods to step down? And will Democrats give him a standing ovation and allow him to be re-elected and put on a committee?You also might want to ask Jamie Gorelicke who sits on the 9-11 commission to re-cuse herself and go under oath like Condi did. After all she along with her Boss Janet Reno ignored several terrorist threats that lead to 9-11.
Mike
Hey D.C., or should I say MAnn Coulter, even your strawmen have Adam’s Apples. I am not going to justify most of your invective with a reply, except that FOLEY was behind Foley-gate, or as I prefer, Mastur-gate. Or maybe he was in front and the GOP Leadership who covered for him was behind…hmmm. maybe it was one of those reacharound things.
Chris Johnson
Liberal, hell. Bernie is a socialist :D I’m a Vermonter, and I want to make him a senator :)
Chuck Butcher
Hold the phone there DC, I’m the leftwing nutcase, these guys are moderates. Does that give you some idea where you stand??????
Beej
So the ad linked by Redstate is over the top is it? The Rep party rejected it? Isn’t it interesting then that it’s all over the internet and getting wide play on blogs? The Repubs get to say, “Oh no, we don’t think that ad is fair. Entirely too partisan. Over the top.” But millions still get exposed to it. And you thought Karl Rove was off his game!
Pb
This just in: the Trotskyites at Red State are warring with the ‘Marxists’ at Google! Meanwhile, Trotsky and Marx are rolling in their graves, counter-clockwise…
Jess
I think a lot of the fear, or the fascination with fear-mongering, is just sheer boredom. People want a bit of drama and excitement in their lives. After reading all the violence and glory in the Bible, and seeing it in those Mel Gibson and Schwartzeneger films, it’s just too mundane to go to work at Walmart and discuss sensible policies like better port security and more accessible student loans and healthcare. There seems to be a lot of self-indulgent fantasy behind the OH MY GOD WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE rant. Plus you have the epic battle of Good and Evil so simplistically laid out for us by the C-in-C–how can any small-minded fool insecure about his manhood resist?
Pb
I have met people who are genuinely that afraid. It’s not rational, but really, there’s no rational explanation for most of Bush’s base.
scs
I guess you should tell the Madrid and London subway riders not be afraid, or the Chechen parents of schoolchildren, or the hotel goers in Jordan not be afraid. This is why Dems won’t win – they just don’t get it.
Richard 23
D.C, update your blog if you want to be taken seriously. Or don’t bother linking to it. It’s October now, not August. Spoof!
scs
Those statements are SO overblown and exaggerated there’s no use to try and rebut them. But suffice it to say, mistakes have been made, as they always are, but better to be too tough than too safe. Again, the Dem’s and Dem converts, just don’t get it.
lard lad
Perfect! If that isn’t an ideal (and accurate) GOP campaign slogan, I don’t know what is.
It’s what Karl Rove knows: you can’t get Americans to piss their pants in fear if they’re feeling “too safe.”
Someone should direct a Democratic Party commercial where smiling Repubs proudly display their urine stains for the camera, accompanied by a vigorous thumbs-up.
“The Republican Party: We’re terrified… how about you?”
Richard 23
Humor us.
Without making jokes. BTW, I choose “too safe.”
Oh, I get it, you made a mistake.
Again, scs just doesn’t get it.
Faux News
I see the Red State Kook Aid drinking morons continue to amuse us all with their “logic”.
Then again Al Gore DID invent the internet, so it is a Liberal creation. So maybe the billionaires/millionaires who invented and run Google really ARE Marxist!
Bill Gates is probably a Marxist too.
Glad to know that North Korean nukes are all Clinton’s fault. Lord knows the current administration did everything they could to engage the North Koreans over the past 6 years.
I remain, as always
BJ’s Axis of Evil
(Faux News)
Faux News
scs: Don’t forget the people of Oklahoma City. They should be afraid too. After all it was Islamist Terrorist who blew up the Federal building there right?
Moron.
Bombadil
So far, Wes Clark.
Bombadil
scs, please read this from Glenn Greenwald. Keep reminding yourself that Juan Padilla is an American citizen and this is happening on American soil. Keep that separate from the “charges” against him, which are fluid at best and specious at worst — this is what the American government has done to an American citizen on American soil. While you’re at it, Greenwald links to a comment from a police officer that is quite germane as well.
chopper
dude, DC, that’s the funniest sh1t i’ve read all week. this part is the best:
god, my eyes teared up after that line. that is pure comedy gold.
chopper
they aren’t. i ride the DC and NY subways every week, i’m not afraid either.
israelis ride the bus. they’re not afraid.
hiding under the bed is no way to go through life.
Tim F.
Despite everything I honestly ever expected to see somebdy argue in favor of fear. Or institutionalizing torture for that matter. Some days I wonder whether she’s reading out of a manual about how to be wrong about everything.
Guys, we don’t pay SCS to reconfirm our pooints for us. Honest.
Tsulagi
Damn, watched that ad twice and it was just as lame the second time. You’d think they’d be able to do better. They could save some money and just run that wolves one from the 04 election. That’s plenty to get the base to piss their pants. Doesn’t take much.
I can see D.C must be a hit with the Foley men in the base. That kind of foreplay talk must get them plenty horny. Or just a spoof. Kind of hard to believe someone could be so completely parrotized.
Bombadil
Ah, but what of Mac and Darrell? Surely no one is that consistently wrong without being paid for it.
John S.
I don’t know about in other places, but I’m pretty happy with my congressman, Robert Wexler (D-FL). I really started to like him for the way he handled himself when he was on the committee during the Clinton affair. More recently he fought like hell in 2004 to get our electronic voting machines to have some sort of paper trail – but to no avail. The Republican-stacked courts here shot him down three times.
Overall, he’s a standup guy and he actually tries to work towards some meaningful legislation. He has a voting record I can agree with most of the time. And he has a sense of humor, as evidenced by his appearance on The Colbert Report not too long ago. As long as he keeps running and performing the way he has all these years, I’ll keep voting for him.
sglover
This just in: the Trotskyites at Red State are warring with the ‘Marxists’ at Google! Meanwhile, Trotsky and Marx are rolling in their graves, counter-clockwise…
I always knew that the Google crowd was a pack of left deviationist wreckers.
As for the ad itself, I’m confused. Am I wrong, or do the right-wingers really think it’s shrewd, in 2006, to run against Madeleine Albright?!?!? If this is what’s passing for Republican “strategy”, this next election might be a real blowout!
scs
Tim I am waiting for you to ONE TIME, just one time, make a rebuttal post that actually has something to do with anything. I mean forget about the “inaccuracies” that you throw in about your links that you hope no one reads or catches, let’s just see a logical thought other that “I’m right, you’re wrong” from you. I can get that, as DougJ likes to say, from an 8 year old – not an “esteemed” blog meister. Step up your game man and use that brain for once.
scs
Tim , I believe your big idea on torture was not to bother to put it into any laws, but have the President maybe pardon the guy who used torture to save our lives afterwards. So yes, in your plan, we don’t “institutionalize” torture. We just use it- when we need it. Yeah – that’s MUCH better.
Your hypocrisy and cowardice knows no bounds, does it?
Tim F.
You argued in favor of fear. That people who face a threat should respond to it by being afraid. Among other points of stupidity that argument either completely disregards the reason why people call terrorism “terrorism” as opposed to “murderism,” or else argues that we should give the terrorists precisely what they want. Either way you have to understand the effort that it requires to take that sort of statement seriously. I’m a patient man, scs, but I’ve got my limits.
I do believe that you just posted something about how wrong are substance-free dismissals. Own goal!
Seriously, your denseness on this point amazes even me. Try to imagine the difference between a country that officially, legally sanctions torture and a country that punishes anybody who commits torture, with the caveat that in the unimaginably rare case that torture saves some lives that person will probably not have the most enthusiastic prosecution. The difference, my neutron star of a friend, is that by traditional standards the first country is evil and the second country is not. I understand that 9/11 changed everything but I would not have believed that 9/11 changed that.
DoubtingThomas
Many of us “get it” SCS, but what we don’t get is the incompentence of this Republican Administration and Congress. Execution of this war on terror has been a disaster everywhere you look and you can argue that it’s for all the right reasons, but until words speak louder than actions your credibility with the majority of the American populace is zilch.
I’ll give you this–your party and leader can win elections and I suspect they will win this one as well, but 5 years of your rule has proved it is the ONLY thing they can do competently. For my entire life of 47 years, the Republicans have always polled as the party most strong on foreign affairs. So what does it say that the polls have reversed and now the majority give the Democrats more credence than Republicans? That’s a historical first as far as I can tell.
To me is says incompentence. That’s what I get.
scs
Ummm, your point is? Let me explain a few concepts to you Tim – i.e. fire = burns = danger= death =fear. It’s not a very complicated equation. Maybe your Mom never got around to telling you not to touch the hot iron.
scs
Tim, if you can’t be honest about the reality that torture MAY, even as you say in your words, in uimaginably rare circumstances, save lives, then why not recognize this legally? Why use it when we need it, but pretend we don’t? Why be a hypocrite about it? It might make you feel better but it won’t fool anyone.
Again, there is also a big difference from a country that “legally sanctions toture”, and a country that uses it to save innocent life, even in unimaginably rare circumstances. I guess it’s like the difference between murder and killing in self defense. One is illegal, the other is not, and we have laws to codify when it is or is not illegal. Why not do the same with torture? Or is burying our heads in the sand preferable?
jaime
Scs’s inner monologue:
Mike S
Guess what, fool? They aren’t afraid. I rode the tube all over London and didn’t see a single bed-wetter like yourself.
The question is whether your mom ever told you not to sniff glue. Judging from the intelligence of all of your posts here I’d say she supplied the glue for you.
Bombadil
And of course, only Republicans can save us from hot irons. If the Dems and the Dem converts have their way, no one will be safe from hot irons. We must stop the hot irons over there so we don’t have to iron our shirts here. Be afraid, everyone, be very afraid. We know that Iran has started up their hot iron program. It’s only a matter of time before they have Irons of Mass Destruction.
Bombadil
fire = burns
burns = danger
danger = death
death = fear
Therefore, we must be vigilant in eradicating anything flammable. Curse you, Bill Clinton, for discovering fire!
scs
I bet they aren’t completely comfortable either. I used to take the subway to the WTC before Sept 11, and I always had the danger somewhere in the back of my mind, even back then. Now I see it was with good reason. There’s a difference between paranoia and caution, and common sense. And you know what they say – just because they’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you…
Richard 23
They’re coming for you all right, with a clean white coat with arms that tie in the back.
Not teh gay jacket, but the strait jacket.
demimondian
In fact, if *they’re* paranoid, it’s highly likely that they’re out to get you. Paranoid people tend to become aggressive.
If you meant to accurately quote the old saw, by the way, be aware that it is false. If they are genuinely out to get me, then I am not paranoid if I’m afraid of them — fear, itself, even generalized and non-specific fear, is not paranoia. Paranoia requires an irrational fear, and an imputation of malevolence to individuals who bear no malice to the purported target.
uptown
I’m a lifelong Dem (progressive)…that was the funniest ad I’ve seen for a long while. Kind of a parody of itself with the creators not getting the joke. They should run it – then no one would take the neo-cons seriously again.