If you appeared on tv with Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry, unless you were strangling them, wouldn’t it send a message to those who saw you?
That’s the kind of message, like it or not.
I think you are reading things into the event for convenience sake. If that was the purpose than why not have them appear with Jesus in the Temple? Also, if you want to establish that God is now going to use dead humans to bring us his message why didn't they speak to us.