Ever heard of the LBJ "Daisy" campaign ad?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

I actually remember seeing it on TV- it was played exactly once, on September 7, 1964. It freaked so many people out it was immediately pulled. As I was only nine years old at the time, this commercial actually gave me nightmares. And well it should have.

I think it's time to revisit that ad, both for what it said about the times, and for what it says about THESE times. What goes 'round comes 'round, and it's all coming 'round again right now at ramming speed, so get ready for the impact.

An odd thing I noticed- the voiceover of LBJ sounds almost EXACTLY like *bush... :shrug:

One, two, three, four....


Quicktime movie: http://www.pbs.org/30secondcandidate/timeline/years/1964b_l1.html

Wikipedia blurb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_%28television_commercial%29

[WI_DEM]

1. yes, I've seen it--was very effective in '64

on that one showing.

As for LBJ sounding like Bush--nah! LBJ sounded like a real Texan--Bush is a phony.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Irony

One would think watching that ad in 64 (I was not old enough to vote) that LBJ would have rapidly persued peace in Vietnam if elected. Don't let that lunatic Goldwater in the oval office, I'll do a better job of tending to Nam.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. I remember that commercial

and at the time (age 10) didn't give the atomic bomb and musroom cloud a second thought...it was so much a part of the mainstream it was like being inured from it.

[Syncronaut Seven]

4. I was only a year old, Saw it as a teenager as a bit of history

I remember it clearly and distinctly. Terra, terra, terra.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. The ad was for LBJ aimed at Goldwater

A Democratic strategy that year was to paint Goldwater as an irresponsible warmonger who would be too quick to use nuclear weapons or (gasp!) escalate US involvement in Vietnam. Of course, Goldwater lost and the war in Vietnam was still escalated.

While I admire Goldwater as a man and do not believe he was as irresponsible as painted that year, he still said many things about nuclear weapons that I found disturbing and I am glad he never became President.

Bush, on the other hand, is a genuine concern. He believes that in order to go down in history as a great president, he must have a war. He had one handed to him by Osama and quickly, unnecessarily and by using a series of lies and deceptions expanded it to a war against Saddam; this was a grievous error, both morally and pragmatically. Now, with his war going badly and his poll numbers threatening his agenda, his political allies and perhaps even his tenure in office, he rattles his saber at yet another country that poses no imminent threat, and this time the scuttlebutt is that he is planning a nuclear attack.

Bush and his aides have made so many boneheaded and irresponsible decisions and have played politics with national security in such a way as they should not be trusted not to carry out this threat. Bush may not be as brutal as Saddam, but he is definitely more dangerous and, for the safety of the entire world, needs to locked up where he can do no more harm.

[noonwitch]

11. Goldwater was a great senator

He was one of those intelligent conservatives who was not bound by religious fanatacism. Did you know that Malcolm X preferred Goldwater to LBJ? Malcolm liked Goldwater because Goldwater didn't pretend not to be a racist. He didn't endorse anyone, because he thought elections weren't fair to his people, but he called LBJ a "sly fox" who really was a racist, but pretended not to be.

[NoPasaran]

12. LBJ's "pretending"

Included working to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. I wish some of our current crop of leaders would pretend just half as hard as that.

[Jack Rabbit]

13. I don't believe Goldwater was a racist

When he said that he thought the Civil Rights bill of 1964 was unconstitutional and a cure worse than the disease, I believe that is exactly what he meant. Characters like Jim Eastland and Strom Thurmond were opposing the bill because they thought it was ludicrous to give blacks equal rights.

That doesn't mean that I agree with Goldwater. I don't. However, it is easier to respect his view than that of a die hard segregationist.

[H2O Man]

15. I'm not sure

that preferred is accurate. He did say that the differences between them were the differences between a wolf and a fox, and that while a wolf attacked you from in front, the fox would sneak up behind you. But he said they were "both from the same canine family."

Malcolm did think it was interesting that in 1964, he became the second most sought-after speaker on college campuses, after Goldwater.

[catmandu57]

6. I remember it

I wonder though if it would have the same affect today. Somehow, i don't think so, maybe the image of thousands of nuclear missiles launched would, I don't know, maybe I'm too jaded.

[Magginkat]

7. RE: Daisy Girl

I had forgotten that thing. I'm surprised that Bush and the republicans haven't pulled this one out to use in their fear campaign. Back in the 60's & 60's many people built underground shelters because of stuff like this. Might not be a bad idea for these times. It looks as though George is hell bent, bound and determined to bomb Iran.

.................................

Make a phone call today to demand a Congressional Investigation into this treasonous Administration & it's crimes.... Demand that Bush/Cheney be impeached & removed from office.
Toll Free to Congress -888-355-3588, 888-818-6641 or 800-426-8073

It's Impeachment Time !
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/806547876

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Here's a great place to look for it (Found the commercial)

Political commercials going back to 1952:
http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/index.php

It took me awhile to find this site again...now I'll be there for hours

On edit:
Took me about a minute to find the "daisy" commercial:
http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/style/index.php?nav_action=style&nav_subaction=110

[madrchsod]

9. yes--i was in high school just getting

politically aware of the days of reckoning that were ahead..

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. I saw it as a kid, but not during the original airing since I wasn't even

born yet.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Saw it . I was in high school.