With less than two weeks to go before the election, it might surprise you to learn that the biggest TV ad campaign is not from BC04, KE04, MoveOn, ACT, or the NRA. It’s from the conservative Progress for America Voter Fund, a new Republican 527 group that’s launching a $14.2 million ad buy on Bush’s behalf.
It’s a bit of campaign curve ball. Most of the right’s 527s, including Progress for America Voter Fund, have unleashed vicious anti-Kerry smears in recent months. But this new and incredibly pricey ad campaign doesn’t even mention Kerry. Instead, it encourages voters to back Bush because he hugged a teenage girl.
The ad was inspired by a photo of Bush hugging Ashley Faulkner, who is now 16, while campaigning in Lebanon, Ohio, on May 4. The photo, taken by the girl’s father, Lynn Faulkner, was widely circulated on the Internet. As Bush shook hands in the crowd, the Faulkners’ neighbor told him that Ashley had lost her mom on 9/11. Bush enfolded Ashley in his arms and offered her comfort.
This actually a massive multimedia campaign. The 527 has created a website (AshleysStory.com), and the story about Bush hugging Ashley will be sent out to the voters via emails, automated phone calls and 2.3 million brochures.
www.ashleysstory.com
The next logical question is: Will any of this work politically? I’m not sure.
I’m not a cold, heartless person. I think it’s very nice that the president took the time to comfort this girl who lost her mother. I haven’t seen the new ad yet, but I’m sure it’s quite touching.
What I’m less sure of is what the ad wants voters to know. This is obviously an appeal based on emotion, but are we supposed to vote for the president because he’s capable of consoling a child? Wouldn’t any president with an ounce of compassion stop to comfort Ashley under the same circumstances?
I realize that emotional appeals can be effective in a way that exceeds logic, but I’m wondering how an out-of-work factory worker in Ohio with mounting health care bills and relatives under fire in Iraq will react when he’s told he should vote for Bush because he hugged Ashley. I have a hunch he’ll be looking for a little more, but I guess we’ll see.
On a related point, don’t believe the 527’s spin about how courageous it is for going positive at the end of the campaign.
“Most political messages in October are harsh and negative,” [Progress for America Voter Fund President Brian] McCabe said. “We’re going in the opposite direction to…highlight what everyone knows and likes about President Bush.”
Yeah, McCabe’s a real humanitarian. His 527 has spent over $10 million before this ad on eight attack ads against Kerry, all of which can be fairly described as “harsh and negative.”