Can you believe it? After almost two solid years of presidential campaign events and news, as of today Oregonians can finally begin voting for their choice of President. As the McCain campaign would say, turn those ballots back in soon after you get them, to avoid long lines at the polls on Nov 4th (cough). Seriously though, it IS a really good idea to turn them around quickly, because then the campaign you voted for can cross you off the list and concentrate on remaining voters. Obviously, the more votes that come in earlier in the process, the easier the job is to focus on those ballots not yet in. In states where early balloting has already begun, such as Georgia, turnout is high and as much as 50% of the electorate is projected to have actually voted BEFORE "Election Day." How long before everyone else votes like Oregon? Not long, I think.
The rift between myself and local curmudgeon Jack Bogdanski has been well-discussed and publicized, and there's no love lost. But to give credit where it's due, Bog has coined a wonderful phrase for the flurry of campaign literature that begins arriving in mailboxes the same time the ballots do: election porn. I don't know if other state campaigns have adjusted to the early voting period and disseminate their mailers accordingly in the cycle, but here in Oregon they know very well when to hit people as they're making up their minds.
At first it just seems like a laugh line or attention getting to use the term election porn, but it's actually a thoughtfully apt analogy. Like porn, the direct mail brochures we receive at election time are highly visual, usually sleazy, paid for by shadowy people--and while most decry them, in the privacy of our homes many of us still look at them.
The best porn usually comes from groups backing or opposing ballot measures, because typically there's no candidate who has to answer for the various scare tactics and misleading charges, and in many cases it's the only advertising the voter will see for the measure, as opposed to TV and radio for the candidates. And of course it helps when folks like Bill Sizemore and Kevin Mannix are the ones pushing the measures. (Not to say that Democratic advocacy is necessarily much loftier, for their part). Just yesterday I must have gotten a half dozen pieces, with three from the ballot measure campaigns that I'll show you and discuss below the fold.
I suppose given their penchant for unsubstantiated hyperbole we shouldn't trust the "Fair and Balanced" Fox News Channel judgement of political advertising--but if the overly cheerful goombah "anchoring" the Red Eye light news program is to be believed, he's just seen the best (only?) political ad EVER, and it's "Beer With Steve." To prove their love, they had Novick on live via satellite. Peep it:
Just a weekend wire update on a couple more media outlets duly impressed with Steve Novick's ad rollout this week. Of course, the best part is the nearly 8,500 views and dollars the ad inspired--but the state media continue to find energy and refreshment in Novick's campaign. The Statesman Journal made Steve a weekly Winner:
WINNER: Steve Novick. The 4-foot, 9-inch candidate for the U.S. Senate has a sense of humor. That’s evident in his first TV commercial. He also has taken strong positions on issues affecting the U.S. and Oregon. Agree or disagree, but at least you know where he stands.
Novick's ability to disarm people will work to his favor. His humor is a welcome and refreshing change. He is anything but a politically washed and dried, spin-cycle candidate speaking only in elementary talking points.
A theme I'd been sounding for months was that Steve's disabilities are less notable than the accomplishments despite them, and what that says about his talent for a challenge and tenacity. He knows sometimes you can only beat something when you realize you HAVE to. The D-T gets that: "The point is simple, he make not look the part, but he's clearly prepared to act the part. As Novick says in the commercial, 'I will fight for the little guys.'"
(So far so good--basically one-third there already, as of this morning. Just 4k more to go, to get this great ad seen by more folks. - promoted by torridjoe)
Hey, remember that ad I showed you yesterday, "To Tell the Truth?" It's gotten strong reviews and good press, and lots of views in the first day.
It's a great intro to a great candidate. Hey, let's watch it again...
Steve would also like to reward David Letterman for his settlement with the WGA, Oprah because she's Oprah, and also get ads up for the Democratic debates later this month. So he's set up a special ActBlue page to raise the $6K to get on all of them. If you like the ad, maybe you can drop a little something to get more people to see it. You gotta commit by the 18th though, so do it now, while I'm bugging you, if you can It's as easy as those choreographed Visa commercials make it, plus you can do it in your shorts! The goal is makeable; everything helps.
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