(no subject)

[tylik]

So I was thinking about this post from damiana_swan while ranting to craigp about the ways in which I think Kerry has failed to articulate his message. (Once again, I am missing Clinton almost embarassingly much. On purely rhetorical grounds... Gods, is there nothing worse than inarticulate politicians?)

And it occurred to me that in this, there was a political ad that I wish I had seen. Something like this.

[Opens with footage from W's last campaign, with him going on about how he was a uniter, not a divider, and how he was going to work with people from both major parties etc. etc.]

"From its first days, our country was founded on the idea that the best way, the only just way, to run a country was to allow the people, all of the people to be heard, and from those voices and those debates forge for ourselves a path that can serve all of us."

[Bush speaches fade into background, and the images of him speaking begin to be interspersed with images of police clearing away protesters from the sites of Bush political speaches.]

"But there has been little room for diverse voices under the Bush administration. So little, in fact, that the president has given the smallest number of press conferences of any recent president. So little that all protesters are cleared from the vicinity before he gives a speach."

[Cut to footage of Springsteen concert. Pan across crowds, drawing attention to the pro-Bush factions.]

"John Kerry has another view of America. He knows that in a strong country all voices need to be heard, and that a strong leader does not need to fear dissent. These are the values our founding fathers fought for." (Yeah, yeah, putting it on a little thick. Did I mention scary music and though previous images shot to imply "jack booted thugs"? Heh.)

[Image fades to dark blue field, bearing the simple words:
John Kerry
United We Stand]

I'm not even saying that Kerry is that strong on civil liberties. I wish it were so. Part of the point is that I'd like to see him claim them, because it would make it easier to hold him to it later. And damn it, I don't want to hear anymore that Americans don't care about civil liberties and it's not a campaign issue. I think people aren't that stupid, and if it's presented in a way that seems relevant it damn well will be a campaign issue.

At the moment, as with so many other things, Kerry will get my vote because when it comes to civil liberties, he's substantially better than Bush. But damn it, that one hell of a low bar, and I want him to be better than that. And I want him to articulate to the people for whom this isn't already a hot button why Bush is so fucking scary.

And it amuses me to take back the phrase "United We Stand" which has become so associated with the post 9-11 jingoism it makes me sick. Kind of the way the religious right has co-opted the words "family" and "life".