Clark's new ad. What do you think?

[dobak]

I think it is a nice poke at Bush and the corporate scandals

http://www.clark04.com/ads/

[creativelcro]

1. it sucks

[Mattforclark]

2. Very insightful

commentary. I am impressed.

[creativelcro]

4. empty message calls for an empty commentary.....

Bush could say the same... Anybody could say the same...

[bhunt70]

5. not MTV enough for you?

...

[TLM]

9. Oh come on he's right, that ad was awful...

As par for Clark, nothing but platitudes.

[bhunt70]

17. just makes me wonder what your purpose was...

and would you say the same thing if Dean said it?

[TLM]

21. If Dean did an ad where he was just glaring at the camera

and droning on with empty platitudes and nothing really specific like that, I'd say it was a bad ad.

I said Dean first ad wasn't very good because it was mostly just him looking at the camera.

[juajen]

29. Yeah, but that camera loves Clark more than Dean

Come on, now, don't jump me. The man is photogenic and that's one of the most sincere smiles I've ever seen on a politician. Yeah, I like him, more and more, every day.

[John_H]

41. Dean could never do that because he looks more like the SNL parody of

Steve Forbes than Steve Forbes does.

[creativelcro]

45. But Clark looks like Bush

[creativelcro]

46. My take: the clark campaign has been infiltrated

that is the only explanation for these dumb ads..

[moz4prez]

50. what

exactly compels you to post these really quite vapid expressions of disapproval of a candidate you never liked in the first place?

slightly obnoxious. way to sow seeds of UNITY within DU!

:think:

[Mattforclark]

6. _

;)

[_NorCal_D_]

56. Yes,

he should have ended the Ad with you have the power!:eyes:

[codebled]

3. I like it alot....

heheh I have liked all of his commercials so far...especially when he says "I'm Wes Clark and I approve this message"

[dobak]

8. yeah - but all the candidates have to say that these days

[TLM]

7. What a train wreck...

feels like getting a lecture from the gym teacher.

[bhunt70]

10. oh thats right...he didnt mention "You have the power" enough...

...

[dobak]

12. LOL!!!

:-)

[creativelcro]

15. guys, why cannot you admit that an ad sucks ?

are you totally brainwashed???

[dobak]

20. While it is not creative, it will work

The ad is not flashy, nor is it noteworthy

But it does do something that other ads don't. It shows the candidate talking about accountability. Something that alot of Americans care about.

Therefore, it is a good ad.

----

Controversial and negative ads make news

Ads with substance and a message convert voters

[TLM]

16. No he just glares at you and says nothing of substance...

just droning platitudes... it was awful.

[bhunt70]

19. whatever...you slam him because he's not dean

and you have some kind of fear/hate/animosity towards him or something.

Why cant people get it through their skulls that dean and clark cn both exist in the same universe and so can their supporters?

[CWebster]

31. Did he blink?

That is so strange.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CWebster]

39. Republican talking points

Little like Dean's anger, hey General Clark?

With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?

[kiahzero]

13. Dean supporter doesn't like Clark ad

In other news, sky blue.

[TLM]

18. Hey i can give him props when he does something well

that move with the flag in FL was fan-fucking-tastic. But this ad sucks.

[SahaleArm]

32. Deleted

Deleted

[retyred]

44. feels like getting a lecture from the gym teacher

And you would know this why? Funny how some folks don't relate unless their being screamed at by a red faced, vein popping psyco with no substance or direction except the ability to spew spittle in order to gain attention.



retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are”
So I read this book

[Mattforclark]

11. Anyway

I don't really like ads in the first place, so I would have difficulty judging whether it is good or not.

I wish that candidates had significant time on news programs to actually talk about the issues, rather than having to squash everything into soundbites...

[creativelcro]

14. totally agree with you!!

There is no way you can say anything meaningful in 30 sec. All ads of this sort suck! -CV

>>
I don't really like ads in the first place, so I would have difficulty judging whether it is good or not.

I wish that candidates had significant time on news programs to actually talk about the issues, rather than having to squash everything into soundbites...
>>

[Mattforclark]

23. ah, is that what you meant?

John Edwards had an ad a while ago that said something along the lines of 'I don't think you can say anything much in a 30 second ad. You can visit my website or call to get something meaningful sent to you at...'

I liked that ad :)

[Kathleen04]

22. I think it's a little too vague.. n/t

[dobak]

24. most ads are

If they are not vague, then they are negative

You can't talk about much in 15/30 second ads

[Mattforclark]

25. Yes

I would like to see a Clark ad like the Edwards one I mentioned earlier. But hey, I am not an advertiser. Whatever sells.

Maybe he could talk about the CCN ;) That would be interesting.

[Kathleen04]

28. I guess you are right about...

"if they are not vague, then they are negative", but it's okay to be negative about Bush*. ;) I don't know, I just think something along the lines of "George Bush has been looking out for himself and not for the people he leads (give an example), but leaders have to keep their part of the bargain and they need to be held accountable, as President I promise I'll never forget that." The ad doesn't do enough to convince those that don't know what Bush* has been doing and assumes he's a good guy, it just leaves them going 'huh?'.

[chaska]

26. So are all the fouteen year old Deanies present tonight?

Clark's ad team is fantastic, they are doing terrific work.

Clark is the thinking man's candidate. This is something I've been thinking about for a while. Dean is throwing red meat to the crowd. Some of us see that for what it is.... I've always thought that Clark's supporters were generally older for this reason. Dean supporters should consider that there are a lot of voters who are not raising their voices in order to be heard. You won't likely hear from them at all until election day. Please realize that those folks greatly outnumber you. Consider, do you appeal to those folks? Unfortunately, I don't see how Clark can avoid going down that same bombastic road himself. The people do like it loud and simple.

This ad focuses us on Clark the man. It is directed as much in opposition to Dean as to Bush. He is presenting an alternative to Dean. What we see is a quiet, likeable man, whose accomplishments speak for themselves. This ad will have a very strong appeal with older voters who remember politics before Crossfire and Hanity.

More later.

[creativelcro]

49. In this ad, Clark sounds like Bush on Prozac...

[Julien Sorel]

27. A no-nonsense message from a no-nonsense candidate.

All grey scale except Clark's face, the visuals match the tone and message: a short, straight pitch on leadership. It's the message of the campaign: this is about leadership, this is about accountability, and if that's what you want, I'm the person who offers it. I like it, not because in an of itself it's a great ad, but because mixed in with the broad theme of the campaign, it's the right ad at the right time. And it's different from what anyone else out there is pitching, both the message, and the visual, which means people are likely to remember it. No other candidate has the face, demeanor and resume to pull this ad or message off.

[katusha]

30. best political ad in a long time(from anyone)

back in the lombardi days after the packers had lost an important football game vince would go into the locker room hold up a football and state: "we are going back to the basics, this is a football."
this ad is the equivalent of that. what some of you so cynicaly call platitudes are just wes returning to political basics and let's face it we have gotten our butts kicked since 2000 and it is time to return to basics. no tricks, no gimmicks, no red meat.

transcript of ad:
-------------------------------
We need to get back to the simple principle that it's the duty of leaders, whether in business or government, to look out for the people they lead and not just for themselves.
Most of us keep our part of that bargain. We work hard, pay taxes, and play by the rules. But leaders have to keep their part of the bargain too, and they have to expect to be held accountable.
as president, I promise I will never forget that.
i'm wes clark and I approved this message.
---------------------------------

this isn't a sprite commercial after all. in a minimalist way i.e. speaking english, clark is saying "we are going back to basics, this is a government"

[chaska]

40. Welcome to DU, katusha!

Great point you raise there.

Great points by all the Clarkies. I'm proud to be one of you .

[JNelson6563]

34. I didn't think it "sucked"

I think the General is right. This is a decent GE commercial actually.

And I have to say, he looks fine in black. ;-)

Julie

[retyred]

48. Thank You!

retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are”
So I read this book

[GOPBasher]

35. I didn't really like it.

I liked all of his other ones, but this one just needed to be more specific. Maybe he could have specifically mentioned the corporate scandals.

[jumptheshadow]

36. It was a good commercial

It will resonate with people. I liked the softly modulated voice. He even blinked twice (once at the very end, when he probably thought, "Whoops, time to blink.")

[moz4prez]

38. per blinking

"Blinking occurs between visual fixations and may be timed so as not to interfere with significant visual input. Blink rate is low when information memory is operating, and cognitive processes utilising display areas accessible to visual input are disrupted during the blackout period of a blink. Blinking is thus suspended during certain cognitive activities to avoid disrupting these processes."

Blinking and operating: cognition versus vision

edit for the hell of it: "The normal, resting blink rate of a human is 20 closures per minute, with the average blink lasting one quarter of a second."

[SadEagle]

42. I liked the message...

... but I found the direct eye contact to be a bit too intense for an ad. It just seemed kind of more like something one would like in a conversation than starting at you from TV...

[maddezmom]

37. like it..direct and to the point. n/t

[KittyWampus]

43. I Think Clark's Ads & Campaign Are Evoking "NOSTALGIA"

I may start a thread about this specific point.

IMO, Clark's black & white ads not only go "back to basics" such as leadership and accountability... and MATURITY.

They also evoke a nostalgia for a time when such basics were valued and respected.

When I was in high school, Happy Days was really a popular tv show (along w/Saturday Night Live & Taxi :) ).
Why would kids who weren't even alive in the 50's want to watch a show about that era?

Why do kids today love a "Christmas Story"?

Clark is using the longing we all have for a simpler, more noble time & the desire we have to look up to our leaders.

Also, as time seems to move faster and Life becomes ever more cluttered... it is a balm to see his ads give us a firm yet reassuring glimpse into what a potential President can be.

Would like to hear others opinions on my thesis.

[moz4prez]

52. I think you may have hit the nail on the head

on the 'je ne sais quoi' of these Clark ads. the black/white footage, the refusal to attack or even MENTION any of his opponents (excluding Bush, albeit subtly) and the relative simplicity of the ads . . . they are pretty uncluttered . . . the transition from frame to frame is smooth, the first two consisted wholly of stills. The latest ad demands the viewer's attention BECAUSE it is irregularly QUIET

I think you should start a new thread concerning your thesis.

[ResistTheCoup]

47. It is excellent

The General's been bringing up Bush's lack of accountability over and over again recently in different interviews and speeches. I think the ad is reinforcing that point in a very classy way.

Well done.

[robbedvoter]

51. Back to basics. Definition of a leader - with illustration next to it

I guess it won't bring around many deanies but foe many open minded people it will say: you want a leader? TaKe a look! And they will.

[creativelcro]

53. fine, it appeals to the already converted... BIG deal...

[moz4prez]

54. can you say anything that DOESN"T fit in the subject field

no text

[TLM]

55. Exactly... the general can do no wrong with the converted...

This ad looked more like a "The More You Know" public service announcement about why dishonesty is bad. I half expected a little star to shoot across the screen after he was done droning on.

They try to take an ad that is boring and vague and spin it as an ad that was mature? So apparently the Clark Corps think maturity is the opposite of excitement. Honestly I was waiting for Clark to start saying "Bueller... Bueller... Bueller..."

It came off like an old out of touch guy trying real hard to do a "Real World" style confessional segment. Yeah he won't forget accountability? WTF does that mean? He might as well have said that as president he would acknowledge that puppies are cute and cuddly.

Clark could come out and take a dump on camera and the Clark Corps would form ranks to announce in unison how innovative and creative it was… and how nobody else has the honor or maturity to take a dump like that.