Oh G!
The G train, one of the most loathed subway lines in New York City, makes a special and unexpected cameo appearance in a new campaign video for Jeb Bush, a Republican candidate for president. A clip of the train pulling into Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn plays in the final 10 seconds of the ad, called “Why I’m Running.”
In the minute and 30 second video, Mr. Bush, the ex-Florida governor, is shown denouncing President Barack Obama and “progressive liberals” while touting his conservative vision for the country.
“There’s no way Barack Obama or the progressive liberals in Washington can just take away the bigness of this place,” Mr. Bush says. “I think the progressive liberal agenda—they tried it, it failed.”
The G, which travels between Brooklyn and Queens through the city’s gentrified quarters, follows incongruous clips of farm equipment and Mr. Bush speaking. When the oft-maligned train—known for its slow service and inability to travel to Manhattan—has its star-turn, Mr. Bush is saying in a voice-over that he can “improve the chances of people to rise up.”
Campaigns frequently use stock footage for ads, but why Mr. Bush, who is trying to win over suburban and rural voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, chose to feature a troubled New York City train line is not immediately clear. Mr. Bush’s campaign did not return a request for comment.
Benjamin Kabak, an attorney who writes about subways at the transit blog Second Avenue Sagas, said the G gets a “bad rap,” but is hated mostly for its infrequent service. “The service, while regular, is pretty infrequent. It has a reputation for long waits. If you miss a train, you can be waiting 12 to 15 minutes.”
Nick Rizzo, a Brooklyn Democratic district leader who happens to live off the Greenpoint Avenue stop, wasn’t so amused by the G chugging in Mr. Bush’s ad.
“Like the G train, Jeb Bush’s proposals are half-sized and almost always unreliable. Isn’t the Republican position to starve mass transit out of existence?” he asked. “I’m pretty damn sure Jeb has never been to Greenpoint.”
