Fog of Advertising

Is anyone else seeing these commercials, or missing them because of the power of TiVo/DVR??



I have no problem with expressing an opinion and even paying to express that opinion, but who are these commercials directed toward actually. Or a better question maybe why would they waste money running them in the Philadelphia market. My Congressman is Patrick Murphy, an Iraqi war veteran himself. Based on his experience, it would not even be intelligent for me to call him up and give him any advice on the war in Iraq. (I do think it was cute by the way to get someone that sounds a bit like him for the commercial, if you are just listening and not watching, its sounds like Murphy has changed his mind). The only Republican representative in the Delaware Valley won by the hair of his chinny chin chin. He is not going to be going out there and standing up for W. The rest of them are staunch democrats, in staunch democratic areas. Its not going to change a lot of minds around here. I guess, maybe they are trying to get at the Southern Jersey Republicans, Lehigh Valley Republicans and maybe Arlen Spector, but at least in Senator Spector's case, he does not strike me as someone who is going to be strayed from the beat of his own drum.

Now the group putting out these ads has a less then mainstream slant to them. They probably get out of bed everyday to the right. Ari Fleischer is one of the founders. Bradley Blakeman is the president and CEO of the company/PAC and he is a former aid to W. Anthony Gioia, another benefactor of the PAC is the former ambassador to Malta, appointed by W and is one of the head fundraisers, for yep, Rudy Giuliani who can only run on the fact that he is America's mayor. And, finally there is Dr John Templeton of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He problem explains why money is being spent in the Philly TV market in the first place. He is the son of Sir John Templeton, the Templeton in the Financial Services company, Franklin Templeton and is a member of one of there boards of a FT mutual fund. Plus, he is a evangelical Christian who wants to get the idea of intelligent design back in the schools. So, not only is he probably getting rich off the ideas that the PAC is advocating, but he is also an ultra conservative in W's circle.

Again, I have no problem with the Ad, free speech and free market are rights in this country, so if you have an ad and some money, put it on the airwaves. But, don't hide behind an ambigous name, ambigous website and just spew talking points of the White House while still trying to fein neutrality. Plus, the timing of the uptick of advertisements from this group, about a week or so before 9/11 stinks light 3 day old gym shorts.

Now, to be fair and balanced, something some people need to learn, I am also going to take Move On. org to task for the Petraeus ad they ran in the New York Times the other day. It was stupid and insensitive. You do not go around insulting 4 or 5 star generals, no matter who they work for. It will not build up any support from people that already don't trust you as just some fringe left wing group and it will piss the right wingers off even more. I don't blame the Times for taking the advertisement, business is business, trust me, The Philadelphia Daily News sports section is littered with ads for XXX videos and Adult Cabarets and the like and it is still a good newspaper. But Move On, come on, how is this going to help win anyone over to your arguement? And there is no way it was going to sway anything Petraeus was gonna say. You could have called him swell and put him in a picture with puppies and it would have done nothing to change the report. Think!

And this is why I do not give to Political Action Committees. When you give money to these groups, all you are doing is perpetuating the anger and strife felt in this country between parties. Not the best way to get out of a war, whether you agree with it or think it is W's folly like I do.