Meyer and Carney’s TV Ads
I hereby retire one of the old rules of Delaware Politics: that you don’t do paid TV. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Sean Barney aired ads. Lisa won. John Carney and Matt Meyer are virtually assured of winning in two weeks, yet they are also running ads.
I know this will not be a popular thing to say about the person I phone banked, donated to, and voted for….. I also know it’s been discussed…. and I also know that Tom Gordon made the same stupid criticism………. BUT
I dont really like the subtle implication that Meyer served in the military. I understand he was embedded, I understand he was in probably danger, I understand the soldiers he served with have a great deal of respect for him (all of this, way more than I have ever done)……….. However, wearing a flak vest in camp saying “i served my country with integrity” is misleading… and unnecessarily so. It’s not like he is in a tough race and has to pander for every last vote. There is so much other good he has done that he can point to without any political theater.
It’s tough to include a ton of context in a 30 second ad. However, Matt is clearly wearing a dress shirt and khakis under the flak jacket. Furthermore, “serving our country” is not reserved only for members of the military as there are many ways to serve our country, including as a diplomat embedded in a war zone.
The Carney ad is a complete muddle. He’s your friend and neighbor. And although there just might be some teensie-weensie problems facing the state, you can count on your friend and neighbor to ‘work like hell’ to address them.
This may well be the most content-free campaign that a future governor has ever run.
Just the way the Delaware Chamber of Commerce wants it.
I feel like with all the zeitgeist and fetishization around the military in our country, the implication is there… probably unintentionally.
“I served my country” carries a specific meaning for a lot of people. Im not gonna go to the mat on this one, he still gets my vote and effort…. Just pointing out a minor flaw.
Mr. Meyer is a duplicitous POS and you asked for him. enjoy!
HI tom!
“I served my country” carries a specific meaning for a lot of people.”
That’s their problem. Maybe they shouldn’t have tried to co-opt the phrase.
People who serve their country in a non-military capacity are under no obligation to make apologies or explanations for their non-military service.
“I hereby retire one of the old rules of Delaware Politics: that you don’t do paid TV.”
I argued otherwise before the election, but I agree. With a shell of a newspaper reaching fewer people than ever, I suppose it was inevitable that candidates turn to TV simply to make their names known. It certainly worked for LBR, and I think it also helped Barney. Most people have no idea who any of these folks are, and even the fairly generic 30-second spots, mostly clips of interactions with humans interspersed with shots of the candidate at a podium, allows them to form an impression.
Interestingly enough the Carney ad is not in slow-motion; that is how fast he moves in real life.
Matt Meyer, may have grown up here and has done great things to help others. But, when it comes to working in the county on issues of jobs, development and land use issues, Mark Blake is heads and tails above Matt Meyer. Mark has worked tirelessly on many issues in New Castle County.
Unfortunately, not all will vote for experience, but for their own party which is sad. Vote for experience and leadership, vote for Mark Blake!
I admire your earnest enthusiasm. Don’t be sad. It’ll all be over soon.
Those LBR ads during the primary ran on TV, but they were all over the web as well. Every time I clicked on a YouTube video link in the days leading up to the primary, one of her ads would play. Certain websites with dedicated video advertising space also played her ads.
While I’ve always believed that tv is more valuable than some folks on this blog contend, I think LBR investing in tv and web advertising was a smart, thoughtful approach for her campaign.