Saxby supporters are at it again
December 1, 2008 at 1:19 pm by Scott Henry in NewsSix years ago, Saxby Chambliss authorized the most vilified political campaign ad of the past decade, one that questioned the courage of then-Sen Max Cleland — a triple-amputee Vietnam War veteran — by showing pictures of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
Well, prepare for deja vu. Last week, a new attack ad debuted on local TV channels, this one aimed at Chambliss’ runoff opponent, Jim Martin, and incoming president Barack Obama. This time, instead of using the magic of video to link the Democrats to bin Laden, they’ve chosen Mohamed Atta, leader of the 9/11 hijackings, to serve as the bogeyman.
On the left is Atta’s familiar FBI mug shot, taken from his Florida driver’s license photo:
… and on the right is a screenshot from about 10 seconds into the new anti-Martin ad; Atta’s mug shot is top center:
Not wearing your glasses? Here’s an enlarged detail:
The ad itself is your typically scurrilous GOP attempt to scare uninformed white voters shitless by using inflammatory, hyperbolic and even nonsensical claims. Here’s the full text:
Barrack Obama’s just one Senate vote away from total control.
He’ll give 12 million illegal aliens citizenship, Social Security, even driver’s licenses.
Don’t believe it? Just ask him.
[Obama video clip:] “We need to offer those who are willing to make amends a pathway to citizenship.”
And he’ll pay for it by crushing new taxes.
A vote for Jim Martin is a vote for Obama’s radical agenda.
Say no to Jim Martin and stop Barrack Obama.
The National Republican Trust PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
I don’t get the part about “even driver’s licenses.” You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to legally obtain a driver’s license in this country now, so having Obama as president won’t change anything on that count. I suspect that line is in the ad to confuse xenophobes who are ignorant of current law — or simply to have an excuse to slip Atta’s mug shot into the video.
I’m also struck by the breath-taking irony of trying to worry voters about our next president by invoking a terrorist who successfully carried out a devastating attack on this country under the watch of our current president. What’s the message here: Pres. Obama might be as big a fuck-up as Pres. Bush?
But, of course, an ad like this isn’t intended to stand up to logical scrutiny. It’s intended to stoke people’s unreasoning fears through carefully chosen phrases — “crushing new taxes,” “radical agenda” etc. — and, of course, scary images that have an almost subliminal effect.
Now, I realize this isn’t an official Saxby ad. The National Republican Trust PAC is a group behind some of the most despicable TV ads of the recent election season, most of them aimed at Obama. In fact, it played the Atta card before in a pre-election ad that asked, “Did you know that Mohamed Atta, the 9/11 ring leader, had a valid Florida driver’s license?” — and then claimed Obama wanted to hand out driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Never mind that Atta wasn’t here illegally — he had a valid U.S. visa — or that he didn’t need a driver’s license to buy his fateful plane ticket. Or even that driver’s licenses are issued by states, not the federal government…
But there I go again, applying logic to an illogical message. The real message that I get from the PAC’s latest ad supporting Saxby is: “It worked before in Georgia; maybe it’ll work again.”
December 1st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Is the one on the upper left Doug Monroe? Sure haven’t seen him around here in a while. Not since I’ve needed reading glasses that’s fer sure.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Who doesn’t like another opinion?
http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200402200857.asp
December 1st, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Adam,
A 2004 opinion piece isn’t going to help you recruit new members for the Georgia Socialist Republican Party..
U.S. Bank and Insurance Company Bailout at 8.5 TRILLION, thanks Saxby, George, Dick…
December 1st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
WE HAVE MORE TO DO:
Democrat Jim Martin is in a runoff against Bush Republican Saxby Chambliss for the Senate seat from Georgia. Bush’s Saxby Chambliss voted against spending a few measly dollars to provide health care coverage for Georgia, and Americas needy children. But he supported wasting hundreds of billions of your dollars, and the life BLOOD of Americas finest on an unnecessary war in Iraq.
At a time when 47 million of you have no health insurance coverage, and over 100 million of you with insurance are just one major illness away from complete financial destruction. Bush and Saxby Chambliss voted to make the heart break of bankruptcy relief even harder for all of you to use.
You see, Bush and Saxby Chambliss, and his family don’t have to worry about their health care coverage. They have the finest health care coverage your tax money can buy for them. Courtesy of you. The American Tax payer. In fact, no one but the super rich can afford the health care coverage you the tax payer provide for Saxby Chambliss, and his family for FREE! with your tax dollars.
He supposedly works for you. But he doesn’t think you and your family should have access to the type of taxpayer supported FREE health care that you provide for him, and his loved ones for FREE!. Doesn’t that just make you BURRING MAD!
Vote for JIM MARTIN for US senator from Georgia. Vote for JIM Martin who will be on your side. Vote for JIM MARTIN who will work with President Obama and a majority congress for you. Vote for JIM MARTIN most of all for your-self, your family’s, friends, and loved ones. Vote for JIM MARTIN for a better America, and a better World.
Don’t let Saxby Chambliss make a chump out of you by tricking you into voting against your own best interest. Saxby chambliss is NOT! on your side. He’s not one of you. He is on George Bush’s side. And we all know what a catastrophe the Bush Chambliss administration has been the past 8 years.
Contact all your family and friends and do every thing you can to see to it that JIM MARTIN and GEORGIANS! take that senate seat back for Georgia, and America. No matter where you live in America. This is important to you. President Obama will need all the help, and power you can give him to try and fix this catastrophic mess that the Corrupt Bush Chambliss administration has created.
As I said before you will have to vote in overwhelming numbers to overcome the Bush Chambliss “Let Them Eat Cake” vote fraud machine. Vote early if you can. Then help everyone you can get to the polls and vote for JIM MARTIN. You and your loved ones don’t have to be Saxby Chambliss’s victims anymore.
I know you will get it done. Just like you did for President Obama.
God bless all of you
jacksmith – WORKING CLASS… :-)