NYT: RNC Ad Aimed at Harold Ford, Jr., Seen as Playing to Racial Fears

[DeepModem Mom]

Ad Seen as Playing to Racial Fears
By ROBIN TONER
Published: October 26, 2006


(Shawn Poynter for The New York Times)
The Democratic candidate in the Tennessee Senate race, Harold E. Ford Jr., spoke to a crowd on Tuesday at a campaign stop at the University of Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 25 — The Tennessee Senate race, one of the most competitive and potentially decisive battles of the midterm election, became even more unpredictable this week after a furor over a Republican television commercial that stood out even in a year of negative advertising.

The commercial, financed by the Republican National Committee, was aimed at Representative Harold E. Ford Jr., the black Democrat from Memphis whose campaign for the Senate this year has kept the Republicans on the defensive in a state where they never expected to have trouble holding the seat.

The spot, which was first broadcast last week and was disappearing from the air on Wednesday, featured a series of people in mock man-on-the street interviews talking sarcastically about Mr. Ford and his stands on issues including the estate tax and national security.

The controversy erupted over one of the people featured: an attractive white woman, bare-shouldered, who declares that she met Mr. Ford at a “Playboy party,” and closes the commercial by looking into the camera and saying, with a wink, “Harold, call me.”

A spokeswoman for Mr. Ford, who is single, said he was one of 3,000 people who attended a Playboy party at the Super Bowl last year in Jacksonville, Fla.

Critics asserted that the advertisement was a clear effort to play to racial stereotypes and fears, essentially, playing the race card in an election where Mr. Ford is trying to break a century of history and become the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/us/politics/26tennessee.html?hp&ex=1161921600&en=00b9655c05cd202b&ei=5094&partner=homepage


LINK TO VIEW AD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkrwENN5CQ

[zbdent]

1. Heard that B.S. O'Reilly was there

I think that Stephanie Miller played an audio clip of BS saying so ... Must have been fighting "underground" in the "Culture War" ...

[rodeodance]

2. yes, the Black man with White woman will bring out some low lifes

[Blaq Dem]

4. Doesn't Clarence Thomas has a white woman on his lap?

I guess he must have his "white woman" pass.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[goforit]

5. Racial??? It in my opinion is incredibly degrading to WOMEN!!!!

Blatantly saying ..."All woman think about is SEX!!!!"

The GOP is so far off base when it comes to women its pathetic!!!

[high density]

6. CBS News: Rove Protégé Behind Racy Tennessee Ad

Rove Protégé Behind Racy Tennessee Ad

Controversial RNC Ad Against Harold Ford Jr. Produced By Rove Consultant

A protégé of White House political guru Karl Rove produced the controversial Republican National Committee ad targeting Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Harold Ford Jr., that some have called racist, CBS News has learned.
...
Howell is no stranger to controversy. He was media consultant for Sen. Saxby Chambliss when his campaign ran an ad showing a picture of then-Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, who lost his legs in the Vietnam War, alongside Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

He also produced an ad for Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn that accused Democrat Brad Carson of being soft on welfare while showing two black hands counting cash.

Howell also worked for Republican Jerry Kilgore in last year's Virginia gubernatorial race when Kilgore ran an ad saying that Gov. Tim Kaine wouldn't have used the death penalty against Hitler.
...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/26/politics/main2125324.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

7. Thanks for the name, high density! It's great knowing who's responsible.

Scott Howell

( February 13, 2006; 11:48 AM ET )
washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog
Insider Interview: Scott Howell -- GOP Imagemaker
Scott Howell is the man Democrats love to hate.

A Republican media consultant, Howell has been involved in some of the most high-profile (and nasty) Senate races in recent memory, including Sen. Saxby Chambliss's (R) 2002 defeat of Max Cleland (D) in Georgia and Sen. John Thune's (R) 2004 victory over Minority Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota.

Scott Howell is the man who helped elect Sens. Chambliss, Coleman and Thune. No wonder the Democrats can't stand him. (Courtesy Scott Howell & Company)Liberal blogs refer to Howell as a "media hit man" (not to mention a number of other derogatory terms not repeatable in the family-friendly Fix).

Why?

Howell, himself, chalks it up to "woulda, coulda, shoulda" behavior on the part of his Democratic adversaries. "They don't like anyone who beats them," he said.

A look at Howell's record over the past two election cycles does show a remarkable record of success. In 2002, Howell was the media consultant for Chambliss as well as Sens. Norm Coleman (Minn.) and Jim Talent (Mo.). Two years later, Howell helped elect Thune as well as Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) and appeared to have elected Dino Rossi as governor of Washington -- though a lengthy recount had Rossi coming up a few hundred votes short and Republicans vowing revenge in 2008.

Howell has a roster stacked with top-tier contests again in 2006. He will handle the television strategy for Talent's tough reelection bid against State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D), and he will serve as the media consultant for Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard's (R) challenge to Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D). In Minnesota, Howell will handle Rep. Mark Kennedy's (R) bid for the open Minnesota Senate seat, and down in Florida he is working for state CFO Tom Gallagher (R) gubernatorial campaign.

When asked to describe his recipe for success, Howell demurred, perhaps not wanting to give away too much information to rival consultants or the Democrats. But as the interview wore on, he let slip a few of his tactics.

"We are telling a story over a series of ads that allows the voters to draw the proper conclusions," said Howell. "We're successful in taking that whole compassion playbook and shoving it back in {Democrats'} faces. We are successful in getting people to like and believe our candidates."
(snip/...)

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/02/insider_interview_scott_howell.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He has that same puffy, transluscent look, like Karl Rove, you have discovered with repulsion, on your hands since childhood, occassionally, as blisters. :scared:

[DeepModem Mom]

8. OMG!!! The same guy that had Osama alongside Max Cleland!

I'm sorry, but I hope someday, in some way, these people get their just reward.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Okay, I've calmed down a bit now. I think you should post...

this in a separate thread, hd.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Right on the money then.

:shrug:

[MasonJar]

11. I trust that the fine citizens of Tenn. will rise above this garbage.

I am so appalled that even the slime ball Pugs would be this despicable. Tennessee, do not let them cheat you again. Bill Frist, the famous cat killer, cheated Al Gore, your native son, out of the presidency and look what we got. Bill Frist is not worthy enough to wipe the dog poo off Gore's shoes. He is just another Republican liar, cheater, killer and thief.

[geniph]

12. They might as well have him squealing "Where da white wimmin at?"

a la Cleavon Little.

LAME.