It would be interesting to see a study on how many of this year’s commericals will be skipped via Tivo and DVR technology. But, lest we decry technology entirely, I submit one of my favorite websites -Living Room Candidate:
http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/
You can watch the presidential campaign commercials from 1952-present. It is really fascinating to see how they have evolved over time. Kennedy and Nixon had commercials that were little more than brand name jingles (fair warning, if you watch those, you may wind up singing “kennedy kennedy kennedy kennedy” all day). The other famous/infamous ones are all there too. Some of the most interesting ones are:
- The “Ike/Bob” commercial from 1952 (arguably the original version of the “who’s pulling the strings” theme). Clever.
- The 1964 “little girl with daisy” commercial – talk about shock value!
- The 1980 “Morning in America” commercial masterpiece by the Reagan camp.

When I see a Coca-Coal ad is see cavities and expensive Dentist Bills. When I see Beer Ads I see drunks and deaths on the highways. When I see Democrat Ads, I see the Soviet Union and potatoe soup.
What Edward’s will not tell Americans, is that political party/government employees can see the Doctor’s of their choice. And their plans will pay for everything. On his socialist plan, we peasants that the Democrats want to tax into a communist state of being, will have to wait in line to see some squalid clinic worker who will not give a damn about what ails us.
Just pass laws that Insurance companies HAVE TO TAKE people with pre-existing conditions, witout raising premiums, and let us have our freedom of choice as to what company we go with.
All the Dems are selling is a civil strife sooner or later.

David, I misspelled Cola, but am I wrong about the health plan you had while working for President Bush? Socialized medicine, like abortion for convenience, will cause more suffering than it will help.

Donny, since you are kind of a stickler for proof, would you please quote me from the Edwards plan, the part that takes away freedom of choice? I haven’t read it.

Those first three adds are great. I don’t like the political adds featuring a “voice over guy.” Personally, I like Rudy’s add the most, it gives off a great short doc feel.

Yeah, that’s daring — hang out with senior citizens for a political ad.
Yawn.

OK, that was the Hillary ad.
As for the other three …
Rudy’s was by far the best. He evoked 9/11 without actually showing it. I admit, as a resident of the greater New York area, I got goose bumps.
Mitt’s … he’s more Fred Thompson than Fred Thompson with the “Ken Doll” thing (which may be why FDT is sinking in the polls). But I found the ad WAY too technocratic.
And Edwards’? Grandstanding of the highest order. Unbecoming of him and his campaign, IMHO.

Larry, I like the Romney ad and I think competence is something we could really use right now. The problem is the constitution is in tatters and immigration is a catastrophe and he’s promised not to restore the constitution and demagogued on immigration. I wish these were days when I could vote for the technocrat. The duty of the President and the citizen is to protect the constitution and it would be almost treasonous to me to vote for someone once he’s said he’d double the size of Guantanamo.
That said, I sure hope whoever we get can manage at least a little.

Single payer insurance does not take away choice. Where does this “socialized medicine” term come from? I would urge those using it to REALLY research the health plans of those countries that guarantee health care for their citizens. While none are perfect, and while no one is advocating that we enact any of them in their entirety, they all have guarantees of care that don’t wrench people away from their doctors, that in many cases improve the levels of care, and that see that children are checked early for many illnesses that currently on the rise here; lead poisoning, autism, ADD, and Juvenile Diabetes. Of course, if one is only interested in a child when it is in the womb, none of this is of any import. All, too, are done with greater cost benefit than our current system.

Only problem with the Edwards ad is that his threat violates the Constitution. I can’t happen. Both Obama and Clinton have pointed this out. It’s a ridiculous threat.

“Single payer insurance does not take away choice. Where does this “socialized medicine” term come from?”
Go to a medicare clinic. I go there often with the clients I work with. It is almost worthless. 30-peaople waiting at all times. Socialized medicne will implement this uncaring cattle call style medical business on us all. What ever happened to pro-choice?

I would love to see Edwards get elected and then try to carry out his threat. As was pointed out–he can’t!! The President has no say in how Congress conducts its affairs.
But it could get better as we see the first true bipartisanship since the Cold War as Edwards gets not only impeached by his own party, but convicted and removed by a near unanimous vote of the Senate. That would be entertainment worth voting for.

Donny, I’m on medicare due to early retirement due to disability (yep, I’m one of those slackers…12 orthopedic surgeries and counting), and I also have supplemental insurance from my former employer. Medicare, however, is my primary insurer. I can go to any doctor I please, and any specialist I please. Those who are going to medicare clinics must do so because they can’t afford the co-pays, something a national health care system would eliminate.

Doug:
I hope and trust you’re not one of those people who wants to close Gitmo and all the secret CIA prisons yet wants to round up 22 million illegal immigrants into concentration camps.