Commentary
Jeb & The Three Chairs: A Parable
- by December 10, 2015
So perhaps rebounding in the Iowa polls was his impetus, rather than a worry for our country’s future. Regardless, Donald J. Trump chose Monday, Dec. 7, (famously known as “the day that will live in infamy” after the attack on Pearl Harbor) to announce his own attack.
While speaking from the ship the USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, S.C., he called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims attempting to enter the United States.
And as we know by now, that radical declaration resulted in a total and complete shutdown of news coverage — except for overheated discussions of Trump’s inflammatory proposal — for the next 48 hours or so. With this ever-escalated bit of wrestlo/grandiosio/neo-trashtalktainment, Candidate Trump achieved a stranglehold on the news cycle that was unprecedented, even for him.
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Meanwhile, the Trump plan to ban Muslims generally horrified both Republicans and Democrats alike, while eliciting an outpouring of Hitler memes on Twitter, and sparking a peoples' petition in Great Britain to ban him from entering their country.
Undeterred,Trump proudly compared his policy to President Franklin Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese Americans in domestic camps during World War II. (Sunrise at Trumpobello?) Never mind that the internment is now seen as a human rights abuse that is thoroughly reviled. The FDR link certainly brought the Donald’s Dec. 7–attack-concept full circle.
So it was unfortunate that Dec. 7 was also the date that Jeb Bush’s Super PAC, Right to Rise, chose to unleash its most aggressive “attack” ad yet.
The Bush campaign and its Super PAC have been advertising like it’s 1998 since shortly after he declared his candidacy. Trump, of course, has spent next to nothing, as his genius for attracting free media has obviated the need for old-school advertising.
By contrast, the Bush campaign and Super PAC have spent $32.8 million in TV and radio advertisements so far this election season — almost more than the rest of the current Republican field combined, according to ad-buying data from SMG Delta.
That is hardly an endorsement of the ads, as Jeb’s candidacy is still flailing in the single digits. His campaign seems to be treating this latest ad, called “Desk” as a make-or-break entry, part of what will be his last stand in New Hampshire.
But as with the muted, disappointing performances of the candidate himself, the power of the attack is weakened by lumping Trump in with Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. As such, “Desk” never connects because it’s trying to cover too many bases.
The spot opens with a shot of the Oval Office, as our eye is directed to the President’s iconic desk. An announcer says, "When the attacks come here, the person behind this desk will have to protect your family.’”
We see a ghostly white empty cutout propped up at the desk, suggesting the creepy chalk figures that police draw of dead people on sidewalks. Each cutout then gets filled in with a photo, successively, of Trump, Cruz, and Rubio. (Props to the producers, who could have been far crueler and more gratuitous about the photo selection. All the portraits are decent, except for Rubio’s, who looks wan and in need of some water.)
But back to the show, for which the announcer, fresh off talking about “protecting your family,” asks “Will he be impulsive and reckless like Donald Trump?” when the guy in trademark red tie materializes.
“Will he have voted to dramatically weaken counterterrorism surveillance like Ted Cruz?” (This requires some explanation that is not forthcoming.)
“Will he have skipped crucial national security hearings and votes just to campaign, like Marco Rubio?" Bush brought this very issue up to Rubio’s face during the last Republican debate, but then caved immediately to Rubio’s response, which made him look tentative and weak.
Also, I’m not sure it’s a smart idea to show these three in situ in the Presidential chair — it somehow registers subconsciously that any one of the three could actually end up in that seat. Whereas Jeb is never shown taking command of the big desk.
There’s also a major downside to the focus on the Oval Office: It reminds us of the George W. Bush administration, which, by invading Iraq, got us mired in a war that ended up destabilizing the region enough to allow it to become a terrorist hotbed, the cradle for the growth of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other groups who are our enemies now.
The spot ends with the announcer saying "27 generals and admirals support Bush. …Jeb has the experience and knowledge to protect your family."
While admirable as a collection, “27 generals and admirals” is a little vague. I would have liked to have heard more about these generals.
I hate to pile on, but Jeb’s campaign seems to have had an intense case of the Mondays lately. His tag line, “Jeb can fix it,” was pilloried in social media and seems to have disappeared.
Bush’s website, Jeb2016.com, requires Googling to find; for unknown reasons, the campaign failed to lock down JebBush.com as a domain name, and on Monday it was discovered that the JebBush.com site redirected voters to Trump’s campaign website. (That has since been shut down.)
So it doesn’t look like “Desk” is going to be Jeb’s lifeline.
It’s early days, of course, but classic political ads, along the lines of “Daisy” or “Morning Again in America” have not been part of the national political conversation this time around at all. Announcing plans for Jeb’s Super PAC to “blanket the airwaves” seems so beside the point. Only Jeb can save his candidacy, by showing some passion that connects.
In that way, “Desk” is an accurate reflection of Jeb’s troubles. It’s an attack ad that is curiously subdued. Playing it safe, it is at once too complicated but also pulls its punches.
“Desk” was positioned as being the most aggressive spot yet, the one that allows the “gloves to come off.”
But so far, no one can lay a glove on Trump, least of all Jeb, whom Trump long ago dismissed with the lethal judgment of “low energy.”
As he survives, and goes on to offer each new outrageous pronouncement, the Donald is like Monty Python’s Black Knight -- except in Trump's case, the limbs regenerate. It’s evening again in America: Welcome to our new political breakdown.
This entire political mess is insulting and embarrassing. Almost as bad as those new GE commercials that portray Americans as blithering idiots.
Thanks, Mike. Yeah, you mean the ones where they make fun of the guy who works at GE cause it's not techy enough?
so Trump is an earned media genius?
the choice of timing his Dec 7th, South Carolina based, aircraft carrier launched bombshell came atop Jeb's "27 endorsements" desperate play to remain relevant.
Despite his message toxicity, Trump succeeded in thwarting Jebs move, while not "spending" a dime. And he remains the Republicans favorite.
unintended consequence or clever high-risk play?
Living in New Hampshire, we see an endless stream of political ads – or would, if we didn't have a DVR.
Jeff-- I don't live in a battleground state, or watch Fox, so I never see them. Are any of them good?
How's Bernie's advertising?
Brian-- Trump is indeed an earned media genius!He's a flame waiting to happen. ;-)
Bernie's ads are nothing to write home about. He captures some of the inspiration from his supporters, then retreats back into the line, "American's want real change!" which any moron in the field can claim (and does).
Hey, hijacking a rival's domain name is (still, unfortunately) a pretty smart thing to do. If I thought Trump was trulye smart, I'd believe his whole campaign has been meant to draw out the right wing's endemic racism, bigotry, fear of women, fantasy economics, and just plain stupidity. Hey Republicans, like how you're seeing all your dirty secrets coming right out into the open and being publicly, enthusiastically endorsed?
Jeb's ad was a big, big mistake. Mentioning his opponents by name, showing a representation of them in the Oval Office. Woefully incompetent. Trump, on the other hand, doesn't have to spend a dime. The daily media coverage serves as campaign spots.
This is one of the smartest comentaries om this week's buffoonery within the ranks of the GOP, Barbara; great job at doing what so many have failed at......sizing it all up with candor and verve.
Edited: This is one of the smartest commentaries on this week's buffoonery within the ranks of the GOP, Barbara; great job at doing what so many have failed at......sizing it all up with candor and verve.
Yeah, Barbara. Question: How many GE target audience members does it take to screw in a lightbulb? GE? I guess it's a stretch to suggest Trump and his followers review their WW2 history about the Japanese Americans serving in the 442nd and/or the Tuskegee Airmen.
Here's what I posted on AdScam today... My good mate, Barbara Lippert, over at MediaPost, has an excellent piece today talking about the lameness of Jeb Bush’s campaign compared to the total, all invasive, douchenozzelry of “Der Trump.” As she points out the Bush campaign and Super PAC have spent $32.8 million in TV and radio advertisements so far this election season — almost more than the rest of the current Republican field combined, and he’s still in single digits. “Der Trump” has spent less than $300K and has massive 24/7 media coverage. F**k, I’m even writing about him! In a twisted way, it’s proof that content is superior to reach, even when the content is f**king insane! As usual, barbara nails it. Cheers/George
FDR supported andhad passed the ruling that the citizens involved with our enemies of the countries with whom we were at war - Japan, Italy, Germany - were not allowed to enter the US. That was the comparison, not the internment. 2 disgraces at once. For the record, Muslims live in countries all over the world, 1 in every about 4.5 people, not just from Arabic countries and many look just like white people. Religion is not a requirement for a passport. Wonder how many people know their investments are tied in with and dependent upon the Arabic areas.
At least the Jeb logo lost the exclamation point. But stupid in that right now why would those guys ever support him and he might need one of them or two to get nomination. He's chicken excrement to do it on the debate stage so he has some ad group do it for him although it may be a pac and we know he can't collude with them, right?/ GE spot worse as it wallows in condescension which i hear every time any politician says the words: MIDDLE CLASS. Can't you see them loolking down their noses when they say it. GE brings petty things to life, I suppose. But one thing Obama knows: Trump is not contained. Good column to read, though. George Parker may be a Tory left behind; I would check his papers.
Jeb's ads reminded me a bit of Hillary Clinton's "It's 3AM" ads where she attacked candidate Obama's lack of experience in international affairs. By then she had fallen behind in the polls. Thinking that Jeb's continuing disconnect with voters is causing him to run misguided advertising.
visionary and astute, as always. my favorite line is advertising like it's 1998 ... why does no one ever talk about advertising bubbles?
A Pnny's comment is noteworthy and correct and funny too. The bubble can be burst, but the bursting needs three things: a) a news/campaign event (example, Obama's dreadful performance in Debate #1 2012) that the ad/ads can build on b) shock and awe media weight, gross rating points that are really gross c) intensive viral social media pickup (example of success: Obama neg spot against Romney that connected him to the death of a wife of a worker laid off when Bain closed the company; this time Trump has mastered this by skipping the production of an actual ad, being a living breathing commercial)
An interesting look at the flailing Jeb who simply does not have thepliticalacumen to run a campaign against the likes of Trump.Trump has seemingly dazzaled the liberal media into making this campaign nearly cost free.I live in florida but have never seen or heard a jeb ad. Yes there are notions of jeb the younger in the Bill GE ads and can only wonder what Jack Welch thinks when he sees this sort of sad creature featured as the future of GE. Enjoyed the read and ride. Fine job.