O'Donnell's soft sell: 'I'm not a witch.... I'm you.'

[BurtWorm]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/05/christine-odonnell-witch-tv-ad


...



What do you do if you've won a sensational victory in a Republican primary, unseating the establishment favourite, but the media just won't let go of past indiscretions such as your youthful dabbling in witchcraft and belief that masturbation is a form of adultery?

Well, if you're Christine O'Donnell, you turn to an advertising guru called Fred Davis, a veteran of many past Republican races, and you get him to make you a 30-second TV advert. The new slot has O'Donnell speaking to camera with a large, homely smile on her face.

"I'm not a witch," she says, which as an opening line to a political advert is pretty grabby. "I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you."

A tinkling piano plays in the background and the lighting is soft and welcoming. It has the feel of one of those washing-up liquid ads from the 1970s.

It ends with a repeat of the line that looks set to become O'Donnell's mantra as she fights Democratic candidate Chris Coons for a Delaware senate seat on 2 November: "I'm you." All very cuddly for Davis, whose last big political ad was for John McCain in the 2008 presidential race. It labelled Barack Obama the "biggest celebrity in the world" over footage of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

[Brickbat]

1. This is a freaky, poorly handled ad. Her strength is clearly not reading from a card. You can

almost see her thinking the non-spoken cues ("Now look serious. Looking serious now! Now look sad. Looking sad now!") as she reads the cue card aloud. This ad gives me the creeps, and I don't creep easy.

On the other hand, I can't think of an ad that would play on her strengths, unless you count sitting around earnestly discussing masturbation while denying any sexual tension in the room as a strength. It just comes naturally to some people, I guess.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Yes--there is something about her girlish voice and face, coupled with her slow words, that

make me think of horror movies. "I'm you"...brrr.

[emulatorloo]

3. Who knows, maybe republicans like that sort of thing?

[marions ghost]

11. I immediately thought of the witch stereotype

her spooky voice, the lurid blue background, the canned lines.

And they thought this would help her?!?

"I am not a witch" goes down in history as the stupidest campaign statement ever.

[pipi_k]

4. Fuck her...she's not me...I AM a witch...

Well, that's what people say, anyway.

:7

[RedCloud]

12. She doesn't believe in fucking!

[Pathwalker]

5. You're me, Christine? Then, you're a witch. As am I.

n/t

[pipi_k]

8. And if she's me, then that also makes her

a "filthy godless heathen agnostic atheist" with rude and obnoxious religious views.

Wonder what her buddies would think of that?

[Blue Owl]

6. Ms. O'Donnell, I know me -- and you're no me.

Plus, what if I am a witch?

Then what the hell are you?

[BurtWorm]

7. 'I'm you... a masturbation fearing crackpot who believes mice are being given human brains.'

[Brickbat]

9. HA! Lloyd Bensen FTW.

:thumbsup:

[Bonhomme Richard]

10. Does she do that little Samantha nose twitchy thing at the end of the ad?

If not she ought to.

[flamingdem]

14. +1

[flamingdem]

13. She's clearly a witch! (How many people will be O'Donnell for Halloween, millions?) nt

[alp227]

15. Sheesh her base still is in Satanic Panic mode?

That's the first thing I thought when I heard about this story. I remember when conservative Christians were going berserk over Harry Potter books. Perhaps those same Christians might as well be O'Donnell's base.