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Anti-Bob Turner Ad Featuring Airplane Ominously Buzzing Manhattan: Slightly Terrorist-y?

Foster Kamer — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:30:16 -0400

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee just released their new attack ad against Bob Turner, the Republican candidate for the NY-9 seat vacated by Anthony Weiner. There's something slightly...off...about the timing of the ad. [UPDATED.]

Related: Bob Turner Brings Ground Zero Mosque Debate to Queens in First Ad >>

Just three days before tenth Anniversary of September 11th seems an inopportune time to use an image of a private jet buzzing right by the Manhattan skyline to illustrate Bob Turner's lax stance on corporate tax reform. Right?

Any other week, it'd be a huge stretch. Yet there's something about seeing replays of the attacks ad nauseum on broadcast news, and commemorative/memorial ceremonies taking place city-wide that makes it much, much worse. It's not a rhetorical question: Is there truly no better way to illustrate Turner's commitment to corporate interests twelve seconds into an attack ad?

UPDATE: Azi Paybarah at Capital New York noted that they've removed the old ad (which is why the video above no longer works) and doctored the spot to remove the skyline from it, an hour and a half after we posted it. All told, pretty quick work on the DCCC's part. One more time, now you see it:

Now you don't:

The full, new, working version of the ad is here:

UPDATE 2: One day later, and the ad is still playing on FOX5 in its 9/11-y iteration:

Rahm Emanuel Wants to Save Chicago From Second Tier Status

Hunter Walker — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:52:28 -0400

On Sunday, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel released the first commercial for his campaign to become Chicago's Mayor on Youtube.

Emanuel left his D.C. job in September. He officially announced his candidacy in the race for Chicago City Hall on Saturday.

The ad begins by emphasizing Emanuel's roots Windy City roots.

"Chicago is a great city with great people and I want my children to feel as passionate about this city as I did growing up," Emanuel says amid footage of him shaking hands in the streets.

The title of Emanuel's ad is "Tough," which is appropriate given Emanuel's reputation as an enforcer and the blunt assessment of Chicago's future that he offers in the commercial.

"We face big challenges from our schools our streets to our businesses," Emanuel says.

Emanuel ends the ad with a comment that, in the words of Mediaite's Rachel Sklar, "smartly appeals to city status anxiety" in Chicago.

"I think we're at a crossroads, we've got to decide whether we're gonna continue to be a great city or become a second tier city," he says.

Emanuel's campaign commercial makes its television debut tomorrow. It will be interesting to see whether playing into the local inferiority complex backfires or brings him votes.

Watch video of Emanuel's campaign ad below.

In Iowa TV Ad, Hillary Battles Bush, Not Obama

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:44:53 -0400

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign debuts its first commercial in Iowa today: a 60-second spot titled "Invisible."

Over at The New York Times, Pat Healy has begun the analysis.

The meat of the script is Hillary saying:

“You know, if you’re a family that is struggling, and you don’t have health care, well you are invisible to this president. If you’re a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, well, you’re invisible too. And I never thought I would see that our soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan would be treated as though they were invisible as well. Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this president, but they’re not invisible to me, and they won’t be invisible to the next president of the United States. I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approve this message.”

Healy writes:

Mrs. Clinton may be running in the wide-open Democratic primary battle, but this commercial leaves the impression that she is running against President Bush — which she is, to a degree. As a leading Democratic candidate, rather than attacking or elevating her Democratic rivals at this stage, she is trying to score points off an unpopular incumbent president and outline her priorities in broad strokes.

No Frills

Azi Paybarah — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:03:46 -0400

I'm not sure where this is running. But here it is: Una Clarke, Mathieu Eugene and a camera.