Bold Ad by Clinton in TX: This one’s for Ann
While browsing Hillary Clinton’s campaign website, I saw this remarkable ad suggesting that deceased, former Texas Governor Ann Richards would support Hillary Clinton. The theme is “this one’s for Ann.”
It will be interesting to see how this plays. The ad itself is very effective, but it definitely has the potential to backfire. Richards’ sons have already objected to the video. And in a higher way, it seems low to exploit the memory of a revered Texas political hero, and imply that Texas voters have a debt to Richards they can only pay by voting for Hillary Clinton. In this sense, the ad is exploitative and indecent.
It is a little tough to attack, because the Clinton camp will respond by saying, essentially that the ad was intended to honor Governor Richards memory, and that she was important to both Hillary and to history, and that Obama’s campaign should be ashamed of itself for daring attack the dreams of little girls everywhere.
Update: Obama to run ads in Ohio featuring endorsements from former Presidents Harrison, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, McKinley, Taft, & Harding.
Comment by Anna on 2 March 2008 at 10:16 pm:
I would regard endorsements from Grant, Hayes, or Harding in a similar light as as endorsement from William Jefferson. We can credit them, respectively, with Credit Mobilier, the end of Reconstruction, and the Tea Pot dome affair. Ouch.