Simon lampoons Davis in series of new TV ads

SF Chronicle ^ | 6/26/02 | Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers

[randita]

Sacramento -- In a pair of TV ads debuting today, GOP businessman Bill Simon lampoons Gov. Gray Davis as the denizen of a dusty office jammed with campaign cash, visited by a parade of dollar-laden constituents.

The new 30-second spots use parody to stick in the minds of voters while skewering Davis -- the Democratic incumbent who has raised more than $30 million for his re-election campaign -- on the fund-raising issue, where Republicans believe he is most vulnerable.

[Gophack]

I haven't seen them on tv, either, but I don't watch much. A friend of mine emailed me last night and said he saw one of Simon talking to the camera and liked it. He didn't say what station! If anyone's seen one, let us know! I'll watch that station.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I was going to put up the Flickering Davis -- Building a Bridge to the 18 th Century image but I can't find my Link. Do have a link?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Do have a link?

should be ----- Do you have a link?

[patton]

"Where's the BEEF?"

Funny adds can be quite effective.

[Gophack]

GREAT graphic. Governor PACman ... love it!

[Max McGarrity]

I just saw the one with various citizens asking to see Gov. Dufus and being turned away by an officious secretary. Then a sleazy guy pops open a briefcase full of money and she immediately ushers him in. I like it.

[John Jorsett]

No, I don't have a link. Sorry.

[heleny]

Link copied from one of your own posts:

[heleny]

The office set appears to have the exact same furniture as the set in earlier commercials where Simon speaks to the public.

I didn't notice, but I didn't watch too carefully. Anyway, most people won't watch them online, one after another.

I don't watch TV, but my parents said they saw a Simon commercial and a Davis commercial last night, possibly one immediately after the other. They weren't paying enough attention to notice the content, but they did recognize the faces, which makes me wonder whether there is any problem of Californians not knowing who Bill Simon is. I hope it's not severe, but, if it is, these ads will raise awareness.

[capitan_refugio]

Bill Simon and Garry South, here's my idea of a campaign commercial. You are free to use it:

Screen - film footage of Gray Davis making speeches in a collage with newspaper clipping headlines of Davis making denials

Voice over - Gray Davis says he's not responsible for the California energy crisis

Screen - ugly picture of Davis, returning to collage

Voice over - Gray Davis says he's not responsible for the $24 billion budget deficit

Screen - more ugly pictures

Voice over - Gray Davis says he's not responsible for offshore oil drilling.

Screen - really cruel, ugly picture

Voice - Gray Davis is right ... he's not very responsible at all.

Screen - fade to Simon Campaign logo

[daviddennis]

If you think about it, it would be surprising if people did recognize Simon at this early stage of the game. Remember, most Californians are pretty seriously disengaged from politics.

I would definitely say that we get a very exaggerated sense of politics from FR. Before FR started, I don't think there was any easy, systematic way to gain access to so much political information. But what this means is that attentive Freepers, almost by definition, learn more about politics faster than any other group(*).

Outside of FR, politics just isn't important to that many people. Why do you think half or less of this nation votes, even in Presidential elections?

D

(*) Visit DemocraticUnderground.com or smirkingchimp.com, and you'll see they're downright pathetic in their level of coverage and comments compared to FR.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks, what can I say, I lost track of the link!

[gortklattu]

I noticed that the California flag was reversed. Is that a way of saying that Davis' office is backwards?

[randita]

Good one. I hope they use that or something like it. Actually another good ending would be a shot of Davis shaking the hand of some fat cat donor with the comment of "He sure is responsible when it comes to showing up for big fund-raisers."

[randita]

Good one. I hope they use that or something like it. Actually another good ending would be a shot of Davis shaking the hand of some fat cat donor with the comment of "He sure is responsible when it comes to showing up for big fund-raisers."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I did see this on ....on Britt Hume's Foxnews show!

[JoeSchem]

Davis campaign spokesman Roger Salazar said the charges in the ads won't stick.

"You can be as clever as you like, but if it's not true, people will see right through it," Salazar said.

That's an irrelevant 'if,' son.

"It would be nice if Gov. Davis had inherited millions from his father, as Mr. Simon did. But Californians understand that regular people who aren't independently wealthy have to raise money to be competitive running for office. "

So if he had been born rich, he wouldn't have to steal?

In California, if you're black and steal a bag of potato chips, you go to prison. If you're Gray and steal the public trust, you go to the governor's mansion.

[stands2reason]

"...but if it's not true, people will see right through it," Salazar said.

Take notice, if you will, of the artfully weaselly non-denial denial in that single word "if".

[Gophack]

Good catch!

[goldstategop]

Having seen the commercials they have all the advantages of attack ads without any of the liabilities. Gray Davis is NEVER shown or attacked personally. The ads simply allude to his approach to state governance and they make their points with humor. That's why they're so effective --- they reinforce the image people have of Bill Simon as a nice guy not at all the gnarling smash mouthed Republican the Davis campaign people would like to portray and that helps ensure Simon's negatives don't go up too appreciably. On the other hand look for Davis to respond with heavy ended direct personal attacks on Simon and just watch Davis' already sky high negative ratings go even HIGHER. Bill Simon's sidestepped the caricature of a Republican conservative very neatly and I can just picture the Davis campaign and the liberal media tearing their hair out trying to figure out how to STOP that man. Its gonna be a long hot summer and a very interesting fall ahead...