The Grinch Who Doctored Photos [“The RNC's fraudulent new ad”]

Slate ^ | Monday, Dec. 12, 2005 | By John Dickerson

[johnny7]

The RNC's new Web video "Retreat and Defeat" starts with a flat-screen TV playing clips from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and Sen. John Kerry. As they speak, a white flag waves over their faces while ominous music moans. Dean says the war in Iraq can't be won; Boxer says withdrawal should start after the Iraqi election; and Kerry says U.S. soldiers shouldn't be "terrorizing kids and children, you know, women." Then the camera pans back, and we learn that we've been watching these clips over the shoulder of a U.S. soldier dressed in desert camouflage, his semiautomatic rifle strapped to his back. Candy canes hang on the wall just above the screen, which flashes the message: "Our soldiers are watching and our enemies are too."

The video conveys the impression that somewhere in Iraq, a soldier is having his mission and Christmas tarnished by weak-willed Democrats. Here is a frame from the ad and the actual picture of the soldier, taken two years ago. As shown below, the soldier was really watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The soldier and the Grinch, pre-doctoringWeb ads are a special low art meant to stir the base. Both parties use them: They are cheap to produce and usually highly misleading. Both parties also hope the media pick up on them and spread their messages without the party having to buy actual, expensive air time.

[johnny7]

“It goes almost without saying that some of the quotes from Democrats are taken out of context in a way that completely distorts their meanings.”

Oh really... then I actually didn't see it on the MSM news? Am I using the wrong dictionary when I look-up "can't win” and “terrorizing kids, old people and women”????

[paudio]

Is there any political ad that actually provides 'context' in 60-90 sec ?

[mallardx]

Dear RNC - you are preaching to the choir. Get these on network TV. You are wasting your time.

[msnimje]

OH Please! Like using "stock photos" is something new in the press and advertising????

They ad does not say "THIS SOLDIER" is watching. This is a pathetic attempt at a Red Herring defense of the DeanFeatocrats.

[68skylark]

The New York Times and other MSM outlets routinely use so-called "photo illustrations," especially to make the U.S. military look bad. Liberals don't have a problem until a Republican does something similar.

[upcountry miss]

I thought the ad was quite good.

[Darkwolf377]

When I read the clip I wondered "How the heck can they be saying a series of direct quotations is fraudulent?" They're complaining about the pic of the soldier, which anyone could tell was faked--the pull-back from the "TV" is obviously an invention meant to make a point. It's not an actual video of a soldier watching those clips. If you want to get technical, we should point out that those clips didn't all happen together, that they were cut from three different interviews.

The left is pretty desperate. Obviously, Slate came up with the headline and then looked for some kind of story to go with it.

[Bahbah]

At no time did I think that a soldier was actually standing in front of the screen watching the ad. I understood that they put the soldier in to make a point. Nothing fraudulent about it.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

It goes without saying because it ain't so. The meanings have not been distorted. They're just used to getting away with that kind of nonsense.

[gidget7]

Actually Kerry's statement was live, not on the news.

[Feiny]

The quotes were not doctored....let them defend their actual words....oh wait...they can't. I wish the MMM would just STFU.

[Congressman Billybob]

Is Slate pretending that American soldiers in Iraq are unaware of the crap that Howard ("The Scream") Dean and John ("Winter Soldier") Kerry are saying back in the States? The Republican ad is dishonest only if the American soldiers are stupid and pay no attention to the news. But there's no suggestion that most soldiers are like low-level Democrats. LOL.

Stick it where the son don't shine, Slate.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "My Friend, Gene McCarthy, 1916-2005"

[FormerACLUmember]

Here is the ad. Watch it and decide for yourself. I say it is 100% dead on devastating to the evil rats. What do you think?

http://www.rnc.org/Default.aspx

[tsmith130]

“It goes almost without saying that some of the quotes from Democrats are taken out of context in a way that completely distorts their meanings.”

It should go without saying....because they weren't taken out of context. The meanings were quite clear.

[zerosix]

U.S. troops "terrorizing kids, old people and women" then finishing up with "that's something that the Iraqis should be doing."

Well, duh Senator Kerry, that's precisely one of the reasons we went into Iraq in the first place and threw out Saddam - Iraqi solders were "terrorizing kids, old people and women."

What an idiot! I sure hope that Ms. Heinz Kerry thinks she got her money's worth in this worthless bum.

[plain talk]

I agree. These ads were never designed for the real world. They are pandering to us by throwing us this "bone". The RNC is too gutless to air them.

[mnehring]

The video conveys the impression that somewhere in Iraq, a soldier is having his mission and Christmas tarnished by weak-willed Democrats.

YES! I know many solders and they feel betrayed by Murtha and the ilk, one Marine actually having a ceremonial 'piss' on a news report about him (Murtha). They feel like this IS similar to Vietnam in that a bunch of hippie politicians are trying to loose the war by keeping the military from running it.

[Old Seadog]

Well, I think it is a great ad.

[Bommer]

I say it is 100% dead on devastating to the evil rats.

Of course it is! They only scream like stuffed pigs when their words and the true are used against them!

[somniferum]

Anyone who quotes a Democrat is lying and engaging in mean spirited attacks.

/MSM spin