This is where I get confused. I think this is a horrible ad - it would have been better to just repeat the snippet where he says "macaca" as many times as possible.

The barrier to break with Allen was the giggle barrier. That is, if you could get people to laugh at him even just a little - because he's basically such a self-absorbed character - that's it, game over.

"What is George Allen? Is he a nice welcoming guy with a smile? (play 'welcome' bit) - or is he a sneering meanie (show Siddarth). Is he the descendant of a Holocaust victim (show something about his gramps) or somebody who thinks being Jewish is all about not eating ham (show reported quotes). Is he...

And then you take Allen's head, which unfortunately never shows any real expression at all (so you can't ever get him with a weird look on his puss) and do it as a cut-out on screen, bouncing all over the place.

Something like that. I thought the clip I'm commenting on was worthless. I never could hear macaca clearly and the announcer had to talk way too fast.

No theme, mish mash of editing tricks, this ad has to assume people already know what it's talking about, but then it doesn't even act as if it believes that assumption because it doesn't take the time to take voters a step further. Why did Allen vote against body armor. (Because he'a a rubber stamp.) Why did Allen say macaca? (Because he's a stuck-up son of a bitch who can't stand having one brown person in front of him to spoil his day.) And why not say things like that? Honestly, ads like this act as if they believe they're going to have their effect via subliminal suggestion.

Uhh, I guess we could say to sum up that I fucking disagree about this fucking ad.

Scandals and slurs

In a few seconds, the ad opens up a wound, without specifics, and then pours salt into it.

I like the use of credibilizing sources, political scientists and respected newspapers.

Bet this was Hillary Clinton's dough. Don't tell nobody.

I think the add works.

Wrong on the issues too

it makes a strong end line.

I think it works very well

You've got to be kidding, Steve. Credible sources? Respected newspapers? At that speed, you could have put up Source: MAD Magazine without anybody noticing. (And what political scientists appear in this ad??) The tic-tac-toe board and the flying fonts are just trickery. This is pure consultant grease. So Allen took money from Big Oil. Why? You have to lead people closer to the conclusion you want them to draw. "Big Oil" isn't enough. You have to say George Allen helped drive gas prices higher...but maybe you didn't want to say that.

I think that if you can't find anything better to jump on in Allen's record (and I can hardly believe that) then do a "rubber stamp" ad of some kind. But the single most salient aspect of Allen's public persona is its numb-nuts aspect. Here's a guy who wants to be President FOR NO REASON AT ALL, he just thinks he's God and it should be his for the asking. He has a supremacist attitude and every opportunity to bully him, threaten him, confront, anger, exasperate him should be taken because he may not pop like Jiffy Pop but he will pop a seam somewhere and people will see it. This is a guy who hates people, hates campaigning, just wants to get back to having everything the way he wants it if he didn't have to do this annoying business every few years.

Allen could explode. There is that much distance between his public and private thoughts. I suppose it was decided that his father being a football god and all, no mention should be made of what a nut he was, but I still would have asked Allen at some point if he thought his father would have approved...of something.

Every seat is the Senate. Win in Virginia, and avoid the possibility of Holy Joe being the next Jeffords, for God's sake. Can you imagine Joe in position to gift the Senate to whoever's lips he likes the best down there?!?

Somebody, choke this fershlugginer smorgasbord ad and let's get nasty on Allen. Make fun of him, snicker at him like his zipper was down, be patronizing and unctuous and snide, and even though his handlers have a combination lock on his mouth he will pop a cork. You have to provoke Allen - all that rebel flag business and nooses means he sees himself down deep as a guy who don't take no shit. Call him a girlyboy, say something like "real men don't hang nooses on the wall", give his sister's childhood recollections more play.

I just have the overwhelming impression that Allen deep inside is furious with all of us for making him campaign, that he's apoplectic inside about the damage to his Prez chances. Even a provocation that is a little unfair to Allen (not coming from Jim, I don't think Jim Webb would ever stoop as low as I would) might unleash the torrent.

Push pull polling in WA
The push poll asks voters if they'd be more or less likely to vote for Darcy if they knew:

Darcy stole votes from African American voters in past elections
Darcy is likely to be indicted
Darcy is losing in the polls by so much that her campaign is a sinking ship

Voters have called Darcy's campaign to report a push poll conducted last Friday by a firm called Venture Data, the same polling firm that has conducted push polls for Republican Senator Rick Santorum and former disgraced House Speaker Tom DeLay.

Truth Watch can be found at
www.darcyburner.com/truthwatch.php

I like it.

Negative ads work.

Meh, not as powerful as the votevets ad.  If you could run votevets a few more times that would be better than this checkerboard one.

The idea is good, putting in the macaca quote while taking up his challenge on "the issues", but the issues attack doesn't really convince.   Where are they going to run that ad?  Richmond?  Tidewater?  DC burbs?  SW VA?