Behold, the first TV ad of the campaign season from either Christine Gregoire or Dino Rossi:
Objectively, partisan politics and fisking of content aside, it's a very good ad. Upbeat, good visuals, touting accomplishments (or trying to at least), and forward looking. Abstractly, I like it.
First objection, however, that's no typical middle class family sitting down for dinner at the start of the ad. That's Edmonds City Councilman and prominent Snohomish County Democrat DJ Wilson and his family. DJ is a friend of mine, but putting his clan in the ad would be like Rossi putting mine in one of his spots to represent the typical middle class home. Doesn't work.
Second objection, while the ad is the positive sort one should expect from an incumbent - much more prudent in tone than the campaign going negative in its first two radio ads - it really doesn't match the mood of the electorate.
Yes, things are generally speaking better in Washington state than elsewhere in the nation. But gas prices are still high, food bills are still going up, the housing market isn't exactly ducky, traffic congestion still stinks, etc., etc., etc. On one hand this is an ad the Gregoire campaign needed to make. On the other, it's exceptionally cheery mood is dying to be refuted by, well, reality.
Third objection...kind of. Gregoire's ad is touting the state's legislative confirmation of Tim Eyman's 1% property tax initiative. Postman fisks the ad accordingly and the liberals are already annoyed at the Eyman linkage.
So, in the end, the content of my last objection means Gregoire's lefty base isn't thrilled and she herself continues this game of trying to have her cake and eat it too. Maybe I shouldn't invalidObjectTag too vigorously since eventually that tends to bite a candidate in the backside.
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