Posted on 03/21/2016 8:43:20 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
What was the most significant political campaign commercial ever? Many of you might answer the "Daisy" ad produced by the Lyndon Johnson campaign in 1964. Well, that might be the most memorable campaign commercial but it did not change the outcome of that election. With that ad or without it, Barry Goldwater was destined to lose in a landslide.
The one political commercial that most likely changed the outcome of a presidential race was the Swiftboat ad in 2004 during the race between George W. Bush and John Kerry. If you don't believe me, then ask John Kerry.
But here is the mystery about that BRILLIANT commercial which you can watch HERE. Who created it? Was it the Swiftvets themselves or an ad agency? No. It was Brian Craig, co-host of the Steve Kane show, the longest running radio show in South Florida. I can prove it and the Free Republic can provide final proof of his authorship but I shall get to that later.
Here are the details of the genesis of how that commercial came about as related in this DUmmie FUnnies EDITION published in 2007 in which the words of Nat Trayger (sp?) are related here:
Before this election, I was channel surfing and I came upon a rebroadcast of a debate on C-Span. The debate had been originally aired in 1971 on the Dick Cavett Show. The opponents were two swift boat veterans, John Kerry and John O’Neill. The subject they debated, largely without interference from Mr. Cavett, was John Kerry’s public accusations concerning the alleged large number of war crimes committed by American soldiers. I watched and was fascinated by the obvious distaste and vitriol these men had for each other and I knew that there was political gold in them thar hills.
I sit in as a once a week guest on a radio show hosted by Steve Kane. The show broadcasts to Broward and Palm Beach County in Florida, the scene of electoral confusion and conflict during the 2000 election. On the show we discuss politics and social issues and we definitely lean conservative. I contacted the producer of the show, Brian Craig and he had also seen the debate and sensed what he had to do: Find John O’Neill.
...I informed Brian that John O’Neill was a lawyer in Texas and gave him the most up to date E mail address that I could find. Brian had also been tracking down John O’Neill and one of the first talk shows in the country to have John O’Neill and other swift boat veterans who opposed John Kerry was the Steve Kane Show. To our surprise they had many negative things to say not only about John Kerry’s anti war protests but his service also. These allegations became the focus of a national debate. Other local and national radio and television shows also began to interview the anti Kerry swift boat veterans.
...Senator John Edwards came to Fort Lauderdale and echoed the dominant theme of the Kerry campaign by stating “If you want to know about John Kerry, just spend three minutes with the men who served with him thirty years ago.” Brian Craig took Edwards statement as a challenge and played this statement followed by some of the negative comments that had been made on the Steve Kane Show by some of the swift boat veterans. Brian contacted the swift boat veterans who by now had organized and informed them of Edwards’ statement and his response to it. This suggestion was turned into the television ad that received so much national attention. Many analysts believe that the swift boat ads slowed Senator Kerry’s building of momentum.
So there you have it. The REAL story behind how the Swiftboat commercial, the MOST EFFECTIVE political campaign commercial was created and by WHO. But wait...there's more! The Free Republic itself provides final proof of Brian Craig as the creator of this commericial. The Swiftboat commercial originally aired in August 2004. However, weeks earlier on 07/14/04 this was posted here in the Free Republic by your humble correspondent (note: "Larry Elder" should read as "Bob Elder."): Brian Craig (Steve Kane Show) Takes Up Edwards Commercial Challenge With DEVASTATING Results
The latest John Kerry campaign commercial features John Edwards challenging anyone who questions Kerry's war record to talk for 3 minutes to anyone who served with him. This morning, Brian Craig of the Steve Kane radio show, took up this challenge with DEVASTATING results. It's one of those things that just has to be heard to be believed. Craig played a 3 minute clip of an interview with Larry [Bob] Elder who served with Kerry in Vietnam.
So there you have the REAL story about how the original Swiftboat ad and WHO originally created the most effective political campaign ad in history.
Watch “Race for the White House” this Sunday to see if they set historical record straight to reveal who really created the MOST EFFECTIVE campaign ad ever.
Good post. Thanks for the info.
John Kerry might have a strong desire to punch out Brian after this Sunday's episode so watch to find out. Hee! Hee!
We could have done without the 'great society' and the rest of that.
Pity this didn't take: Ronald Reagan ad for Goldwater
After the election, when he wrote his tell-all, he admitted that the Kerry campaign failed to respond to the Swift Boaters because "Most of their claims were true."
I heard Craig’s ad. Almost identical audio to final TV version.
BTW, this Sunday Race for the White House will be about Truman vs Dewey in 1948 but I thought it would be about 2004.
Also WHO put it all together FIRST? The Edwards challenge followed by the Swiftvets response. Brian actually DID it. Who else actually produced such an ad BEFORE Brian?
No, it wasn't. It didn't even include any Swift boat veterans.
I refuted your little fantasy in great detail back in 2007 while doing research for To Set the Record Straight, the book Tim Ziegler and I co-authored on the 2004 election. I interviewed everyone involved at that time.
If anyone is interested in the facts, I recommend reading all my posts on this thread.
I'm done here.
Robert Elder is a Swift boat vet who served with Kerry. He's the sixth guy down in this list of Swift vet quotes.
I posted Larry Elder originally because I had that radio host on my mind but it was Robert Elder.
No, voice for voice it wasn't exactly the same as the TV ad weeks later but the format was almost the same. Edwards challenge followed by voices in reply.
Let's see... Well aware of the contents and format of the Brian Craig broadcast that day. Also strong connections with the Swiftvets. CHECK!!!
Brian is very happy that the Swiftvets used the format which he ORIGINATED 3 weeks before their ad ran on TV but TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT for the sake of history, let us give credit where it is really due.
After that no more such references by Edwards until the end of July at the Democrat convention. Edwards statement at the Ft. Lauderdale airport was ignored by the national media. Brian heard it on local broadcast.
Yes, the claim that Brian Craig did the FIRST Swiftboat ad which was the genesis of the later Swiftboat ad in early August is ROCK SOLID.
CNN's Race for the White House or any other researcher is invited to check this out for themselves.
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