Howard Dean has a
new ad out (if the link doesn't work then go to blogforamerica, about 1/3 of the way down the page). Emphasizing his domestic record and his stands on issues where other Democrats were reluctant to tread. I didn't like it at first, but now I do. Read on to find out why...
First, a word on production values. They're great... none of this "sitting in a white room talking to the screen" crap. This is definitely a slick ad, on par with anything the Edwards or Kerry campaigns have produced. A lot of flag imagery and an almost Copeland-esque song playing in the background. The only possible criticism is the announcer. I honestly don't have a huge problem with him, but some people say he seems too whiny or soft-spoken. I wonder if that may be intentional, to blunt Dean's supposed hard edge.
As for content, Dean hammers on the theme of courage, saying he is willing to stand up for what is right instead of what's always popular. He specifically mentions civil unions and his willingness to criticize Bush when it was considered unacceptable to do so (he uses his opposition to the war and tax cuts as an example). You can sum it up in the last tagline: "What's politically popular is easy, but is that really what America needs now?"
At first I thought "oh shit, this just plays into the Dean stereotypes". Yes it talks about civil unions and the war. Yes it attacks other Democrats for complacency. No it doesn't bring out Dean's domestic record (although ads about those are apparently coming soon).
But here's the important thing: the tone of those sentiments has changed radically. Instead of being just grunted out towards the camera as in the Iowa ads, this one is well-packaged. The governor actually comes out in an almost heroic light. He doesn't take anyone to task by name, but he does condemn the period in which Washington was Bush's puppet. That may help him avoid the "negativity" charge.
It also is a direct response to what I think is the biggest problem facing Dean: "Thanks Howard" syndrome. You know what I'm talking about... things like the Michael Moore letter that basically write a post-mortem for Dean, say "he really energized this race", and then suggest they all come over to a real candidate like Clark (or anyone else). This ad addresses that. After seeing this ad, it's hard to make the argument that anyone else could be trusted to continue to stand up to the Republicans... why, Dean was so courageous doing it at such an unpopular time that even Jimmy Carter commended him on it! I think the message works, although I'd love to see more ads with a positive, hopeful approach that addresses his success on domestic issues.