Letters to the Editor
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Asa Hutchinson's "Kids" ad
You might have enjoyed Asa's ad in a critical way for the purposes of this column, but here in Arkansas it has caused quite a backlash. While the Monster.com ad on which it was modelled was effective because it made the viewer think about these kids' dreams and futures as well as the viewer's own childhood aspirations, this one just shows that an unscrupulous politician can get kids to recite words and accusations they probably don't even understand for his own political benefit. All the Arkansas voters I've heard from (and many, many Democrat-Gazette letters page writers) thought it was an apalling display of political callousness, to put attacks in the mouths of babes, and Hutchinson pulled the ad not long after it debuted. But in the end it hurt him more than it helped, however well-made it might have been.
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Rick Santorum's "Studio Wrestling" ad
Standing in a wrestling ring, Santorum proclaims his legislative and bipartisanship successes while professional wrestlers tossing each other around (presumably "wrestling with the issues"). In the background is a cheering studio crowd waving Santorum signs.
Although I loathe Santorum, I liked this ad. It was clever and entertaining, especially when the crowd gasps when he admits to working on legislation with Hillary Clinton.
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Squirrel Nut Zipper track..
On your #2 ad, you mention that the commercial uses the Squirrel Nut Zippers track "Have you had enough".
Though the vocals on the track have been changed, the original is actually called "Put a Lid on it" which seems like it might still have been appropriate for the context :)
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How Has the Congress NOT Been Raiding Social Security?
The Congress has been using the money from the trust fund to pay for items that should be paid for by general taxation for many mnay years. They have been writing IOUs, but Bush has said "Well, there is no actual money there" as if it hadn't been taken by the government. If this isn't a raid on the social security trust fund, then I don't know what is. That money was taken from payrolls and paychecks, put into "trust" (a misnomer if ever there was one), to be used primarily to support the elderly when they retire. It is a regressive tax in that you dont get taxed above 75K or so. The elderly paid into it their whole lives. For the past couple of decades, the money has been spent as if it was general tax money, primarily for a bloated defense budget. How exactly is this not a raid? When are the IOUs going to be paid off?
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Social Security
The "trust fund" is a sham, and always has been. Social Security is a pay-as-you-go program, as it has been from day one. The only way the trust fund ceases being a sham is if individuals actually get ownership rights to their retirement contributions. Otherwise, a simple vote of Congress and signature by the President could end Social Security tomorrow.
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the feel-good "Civil War" ad
It bears mentioning that much of the Spitzer ad's emotional weight come from its direct ancestor: Ken Burns' Civil War documentary. It has the same black-and white photos, the same slow pans across them, and, of course, the exact same music. And while it made me think of voiceovers like "After three bloody years of war..." it also leant an air of meaningfulness that political ads rarely have. It's odd that if you watch most ads, you'd think that chosing a bank or buying a car is more fundamental and more important than electing our leaders.