Russ Feingold is one of the ten candidates highlighted on Balloon Juice’s very own ActBlue page, linked over in the right-hand column —->
Jonathan Cohn at TNR posted a link to this Feingold ad on YouTube over the weekend, under the headline “Playing Offense on Health Care Reform“:
Cohn’s verdict:
… A few things about this ad stand out. It touts the elements of reform that are most likely to resonate with independent, middle-class voters. It makes clear that repealing the Affordable Care Act, even partially, would mean taking away benefits that Americans are already starting to get. And it frames health care reform as an explicitly populist cause. It’s all about the ways the little guy is at the mercy of big insurance companies–and which candidate is on whose side.
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I really have no way to know how these ads are playing or will play. Maybe talking about health care reform, even in this way, simply alienates voters who want to hear about the economy. But my gut tells me that Democrats are better off fighting the attacks on health care than ignoring them–and that pitches like these will help, rather than hurt.
If you can afford it, this might be a good time to show Feingold (or any of his ActBlue fellows) a little negotiable affection.
Lettuce
Once again, from Wisconsin:
No money to Feingold unless he apologizes for his past wrecking of the Democratic Party.
Not any.
Suck It Up!
I’m very impressed that Feingold put out this commercial. I’m impressed with any Democrat who is NOT running away from Obama or the Dem agenda. Good on him.
geemoney
@Lettuce: Please tell me this is snark.
Ideological purity, bitches! Breitbart got Feingold to do his work for him, apparently. It’s wheels within wheels.
Keith G
@geemoney:
Speaking of Brit(whatever). here is the new video rallying the Right. H/t to my bother the nutter.
gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/10/a-new-low-one-nation-rally-attendees-trash-world-war-ii-memori…
birthmarker
I’ve been very impressed by the generosity of BJers in John’s Act Blue campaign. Remember, if you are planning to give but haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time. The money needs to be spent in the next three weeks.
What a sweet victory it would be…
burnspbesq
@Lettuce:
Boy, is that a dumb way of looking at this.
Feingold, all by hisself, “wrecked the Democratic Party?”
That requires some explanation.
Chris
Only in the Democratic party do you have to tell anyone to fight back against an attack.
Stillwater
I find it humorous that Cohn’s ‘gut’ tells him that campaigning on the good aspects of ACA will help Feingold (even though this is entirely rational to believe), but that his ‘head’ tells him that it won’t (against all reasoned evidence). I think the best account for these types of head/gut inversions is for the pundit to pull his head out of his ass, where its proximity to the gut apparently leads to confusion.
geemoney
@Stillwater: You’re talking about the well-known anal/cranial inversion. The cynic in me says it’s a feature, not a bug.
Omnes Omnibus
@Lettuce: Huh? Feingold is not perfect, but, my god, he is so much better than his opponent that it is not even funny. I am also from Wisconsin, and I have given to one candidate this time around. I have given as much as I can afford to give to Feingold. Normally, I would spread money around, but I have a truly deserving candidate in my state who needs the money.
Omnes Omnibus
@Omnes Omnibus: This is a new Feingold ad I have been seeing on TV.
Stillwater
@geemoney: You’re talking about the well-known anal/cranial inversion.
(pundit)My operating principle is to evaluate evidence with my intestines and rectum, to see if it feels right, then use my head to express the feelings found in my bowels.(/pundit)
me
@Lettuce: Really? Seems an overreaction. Johnson is a complete nutter and I for one will have no regret voting for Feingold.
aimai
@Chris:
I kind of agree with Chris–who cares if the ads “don’t resonate” with some voters who are more concerned about the economy. What if it *does* resonate with other voters? I mean, what the fuck do we have to lose?
I’m in a bit of a state because I just spent last night at the emergency room with Mr. Aimai. He was in excruciating back pain and today he’s immobilized at home. We have “good” insurance–that is, so far we think we can pay for these amazing expenses in not-quite-adequate-care. Its true that I also worry about the economy: our jobs, his job, everyone’s job. But I venture to say that more people actually have direct experience of going without health care, refusing to go to the emergency room, receiving medical bills they can’t pay, being the relative of someone with severe medical problems/bills even than people are losing jobs in this economy. The current unemployment rate is, what?, around ten percent for the country as a whole, and as high as 15-20 percent for some places? Every single person, employed or unemployed, needs health care. So definitionally the number of people who are, or could be, worried about the repeal of the AHC act is larger than those worried about the economy.
aimai
Davis X. Machina
Would those be the attacks on health care from the left, or attacks on health care from the right?
Lettuce
To all who disagree:
You want to vote FOR Feingold, please do. Johnson IS a complete nutter and my staying away from Russ Feingold surely shouldn’t be a problem.
But I am going to stay away from Feingold, even as I vote FOR Tom Barrett and FOR Jim Sullivan.
If you think Russ has been GOOD for the Democratic Party, and you’re sure of where it’s headed, he’ll be good for you. He ISN’T good for me and mine, and we’re not voting for him (in Wauwatosa.)
I wrote in Ed Garvey, I will do it again.
Lettuce
To all who disagree:
You want to vote FOR Feingold, please do. Johnson IS a complete nutter and my staying away from Russ Feingold surely shouldn’t be a problem.
But I am going to stay away from Feingold, even as I vote FOR Tom Barrett and FOR Jim Sullivan.
If you think Russ has been GOOD for the Democratic Party, and you’re sure of where it’s headed, he’ll be good for you. He ISN’T good for me and mine, and we’re not voting for him (in Wauwatosa.)
I wrote in Ed Garvey, I will do it again.
JT
I am sorry, maybe you were at harvest fest and are confused? What are you talking about? Feingold is a statesman and a great leader! He even fought against the bailouts and demanded more from that wrist slap of a financial regulation bill. Feingold not only deserves our support but a solid
reelection victory. If Obama had listened to Feingold, the country would be in far better shape today. Wisconsin and America need more leaders like Feingold NOT fewer.
JT
Lettuce, put down the crackpipe and either explain your “position” or go away.
JT
Feingold was against the Iraq war, the budget busting Bush “budgets”, the bailouts, the wristslap financial regulation bill, and Feingold has been a solid leader in this state. Now Feingold has even proposed major cuts to wasteful government spending. Johnson says that he cannot tell us what he will cut because then he will be criticized? This Johnson guy thinks he should be senator? Johnson should either tell us the details of what he will do or just take his ball and go home. Feingold is an example of true leadership, not that sad Johnson who cannot even give us some real examples of where he will cut wasteful spending.