Apologies

[demnan]

A campaign that I am actively working on, for a man I deeply respect, had a misstep today. And my fear is that they won't correct it.

The Jim Webb campaign published an ad using Ronald Reagan talking about Jim Webb's many accomplishments. Politics, being the big ugly thing that it is, especially for a capable man who switched parties, upchucked.

Some people in the Republican Party must have contacted the frail, elderly Nancy Reagan and I believe she was persuaded to ask that the ad be pulled. So there really is no choice but to pull the ad. You can't disrespect a First Lady and most importantly, you won't win any votes doing so. Not in Virginia, where going against an elderly widow's wishes won't win you any votes. So you need to apologize your ass off and do it graciously. I'm a master at this, as I've done stupid things at work I needed to apologize for.

Even if you think you are right, you should apologize. Why? Not because it's your truth but because it's societies' truth and this is a entirely different thing. A very hard lesson for me to learn personally, but having learned it, I can only pass it on.

You know what, if you're sincere, they'll probably forgive you. And you can graciously turn this kind of negative stuff around. Everyone screws up, but to apologize gracefully is a God-given gift. One that will be remembered come election day.


A Postscript:

Here's the way I look at it. What if Joe Lieberman were to put out an ad for his Independent Senate race with footage of Gore praising him or even the nominating speeches at the Democratic Convention of 2000. If Gore's voice was used to praise Lieberman wouldn't he be in the political hot seat to renounce these comments now that the candidate has left the political party? Would you let that stand, if you were Gore?

[Virginia Dare]

1. I don't see it as a misstep....

and I'm glad he ran the ad anyway. I don't see it as disrespecting Nancy Reagan, after all, maybe it was she who was wrong for asking him to pull it.

As I understand it, George Allen uses a picture of himself with Reagan on his website, alongside a quote by Reagan, is Nancy Reagan requesting that Allen pull that image?

Ronald Reagan obviously at one time respected Jim Webb, perhaps now he wouldn't approve of Webb's running as a Democrat, but after all, Ronnie himself jumped ship from one party to another all those years ago, so what goes around comes around.

Webb is trying to appeal to "Reagan Democrats". Many Virginia voters may still be unaware of who he is and how he came to prominence.

I'm not sure your Gore/Lieberman analogy applies here, but so what, politics is politics, I don't think Gore would fight it.

[Catchawave]

2. Nancy never saw the ad....

It was the Reagan Library Foundation who sent the letter, at "who's request?".

Nothing to apologize for. The ad will run :patriot:

[magnolia]

3. Here is the complaint:

"It has come to our attention that your Senatorial campaign in Virginia is using video footage of President Ronald Reagan, his photographs, and/or quotes in campaign materials and political advertisements, some of it very negative."

There is nothing negative in that ad!

Keep in mind, Nancy is for stem-cell research and so is Webb...Allen is not.

Previous statement from Ron Jr:

Reagan says his mother shares his "distrust of some of these people. She gets that they're trouble in all kinds of ways. She doesn't like their religious fervor, their aggression."
Reagan says his family feels particularly alienated from the Republican Party over its opposition to embryonic stem cell research, which could have significant benefit for Alzheimer patients like his father. "Now ignorance is one thing, ignorance can be cured. But many of the Republican leaders opposing this research know better, people like Bill Frist, who's a doctor, for God's sake. People like him are blocking it to pander to the 20 percent of their base who are mouth-breathers. And that's unconscionable -- there are lives at stake here. Stem cell research can revolutionize medicine, more than anything since antibiotics."

I DO NOT believe Nancy Reagan would go out of her way to help Bush clone, George Allen!!!

[Captain Hilts]

4. He worked for Reagan, the film is of a PUBLIC event.

He has NOTHING to apologize for.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. He has NOTHING to apologize for. That film is of public record.

He never said that Reagan endorses his candidacy and Nancy Reagan is a moranic old 'just say no' asshole.

More power to Jim Webb, the next Senator from the great state of Virginia.

[Captain Hilts]

6. The WashPost ed page said that the complaints had NO grounds....

in logic or the law.

Keep 'em running Jimbo!