Stick This Up Arnold's Budget!

Great heads up for everyone, Emily... (8.00 / 1)

...luvs ya. We need to ensure as many as possible see what the CRP actually supports: their rich bubba friends.

As Julia noted up top, big kudos for CA Nurses for supporting this. XOX.

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by: Sun Tzu @ Mon May 12, 2008 at 22:22:07 PM UTC

there are some issues with this add (0.00 / 0)

why exactly are you using glamorous people to portray republicans?
I mean, Paris Hilton and Lohan have a huge following. they essentially do everything that you see in this add.
A better alternative would be some less glamorous, "older", Republican looking people. Lets say, like Duke Cunningham type of actor using the Dukestir. Add hookers and all to the mix to show the lavish lifestyle...

Then, this add is too long, 30 seconds too long. With no dialog for about 50 seconds. You lost me on that one.
This looks more like an add for Club Med or Hawaiian Tropic.
It's like you are glamorizing what you are trying to make fun of.

Try a focus group of some college students, and ask them what they think of the Republican party before and after they see this add. You may be surprised. They might get a positive impression of the Yacht parties........:)

I am wondering why there is no contrast shown in this add, like from teachers getting laid off, or the poor in the street suffering, or students that can't get classes. Sort of like a Marie Antoinette type of scenario.
The yacht owners frolic while the poor suffer.

Then, I do not see a website where people can go for more information. I see the courage campaign at the end, but I think a more explicit website where people can get more information would be appropriate.

The first add, that was 30 seconds, I think was more effective.
Just my 2 cents.

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by: dan in sd @ Mon May 12, 2008 at 23:13:26 PM UTC

Thanks for your feedback, Dan... (0.00 / 0)

... even if you don't like it.

The web site is at the end of the ad. On the actual TV ad, it will appear for 4 full seconds and be more readable on a TV screen, but on this small YouTube version, it only appears for a few seconds.

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Mon May 12, 2008 at 23:19:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

er, this is a better link (0.00 / 0)

sorry about the broken link. let me try that again:

http://www.couragecampaign.org...

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Mon May 12, 2008 at 23:20:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Its strength is its unconventionality (0.00 / 0)

(Like Eden I also work for the Courage Campaign but my 2 cents here are my own opinions.)

I like this ad a lot because it isn't a conventional political ad. It grabs attention in a very different manner. I didn't see it so much as "glamorizing" the lifestyle as showing its ridiculous excess. I don't know many folks my age (I'm 28) or college students (I teach them every day) who think of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan has role models - they usually see them as spoiled brats with no regard for anyone around them.

This ad pretty strongly reinforces that point. The Republicans are good for giving yacht owners more money to waste on champagne. It's a great way to frame what they're really about.

Of course I'm all for even more follow-up ads to drive home the point you make about the costs of Republican excess. But not every valid point has to be piled into a single ad.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Mon May 12, 2008 at 23:53:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

we are going to disagree on this (0.00 / 0)

(I do not work for the Courage Campaign).:)

You know what else I thought the add reminded me of, the Corona Beer commercials.

I think this add might have the unintended consequence of making people think Republicans throw really fun parties.

Like I said, we are going to disagree.  

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by: dan in sd @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 00:06:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Of course (0.00 / 0)

Nothing wrong with disagreement, just wanted to add my own sense of the ad. It will be interesting to see how it is received.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 00:10:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

CapAlert and FDL's take on "Yacht Party 2" (0.00 / 0)

Here's how it's being received by Shane Goldmacher at the SacBee.

Shane drops a bit of news as well, from Rick Jacobs:

Rick Jacobs, co-founder of the Courage Campaign, said the group had already received enough donations to begin airing the spot in Sacramento on Tuesday night. They have reserved air time on political programs on CNN and MSNBC, as well as Comedy Central's Colbert Report and Jon Stewart Show.

Also, there are comments streaming in on the FDL front-page post on and Brave New Films linked it up as well.


Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 01:12:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope it works (0.00 / 0)

I support what you guys are doing. I hope it has the intended consequence. I am open to the idea of being completely wrong, and I hope that is the case.

From that article you linked:

But the ad may be just as successful in making the GOP out to be the sex-crazed, bikini-bearing, champagne-pouring, strawberry-nibbling party of the young and beautiful.

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by: dan in sd @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 01:31:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yep (0.00 / 0)

Thanks, Dan. I've been in your shoes before -- disagreeing with something, but hoping it succeeds anyway.

It's true -- this is not your traditional "political" ad by a longshot. But that's one reason why it's getting a fair amount of buzz, mostly positive it appears.

One interesting test of whether "Yacht Party 2" actually reflects well on the GOP is if Republicans (electeds, bloggers, whomever) actually adopt it as their own ad.

But somehow, I don't think they want to draw attention to their shameless support for this yacht tax loophole at a time when California is mired in fiscal crisis and the gap between rich and poor grows wider by the day.

Which is entirely the point.

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 01:50:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

hmm...I think I'm with dan in sd on this one (0.00 / 0)

But I do hope it works. CC, y'all know I'm still a fan. :-)

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Tue May 13, 2008 at 01:56:08 AM UTC