The failure of the no-confidence vote on Alberto Gonzales reminds us of the general contemptibility of the Republican Party - plus their fellow traveler, Joe Lieberman. But how to express our contempt in a simple, memorable, effective way has eluded me. Until now.
Not only have I been wondering how to express my own contempt but also what kind of symbol could express OUR contempt every day until we can start cleaning up the mess in 2009.
Finally, I found a perfect symbol of contempt - the Cane Toad. AND I found a perfect example of a recent successful campaign based on a symbol.
For those who have never heard of the Cane Toad, it is an invasive species. It was introduced into the US to control insects, but soon became a pest in its own right. In Australia, it is considered a serious problem.
Cane Toads are ugly. They are also poisonous. And they serve no useful purpose in the environments they infest. Here is the Wikipedia entry for Cane Toads: http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Do a Google search on Cane Toad images and you will find lots of photos of these ugly spuds. Any of them will make a good email message.
Now to the campaign. Recently, CBS reversed its decision to cancel "Jericho". The reason? The network had received 57 thousand pounds of peanuts from angry viewers. Why peanuts? In the final episode, the hero responds to a demand for the town's surrender with one word: "Nuts!"
CBS got the message, and even asked that viewers stop sending them nuts.
Alberto Gonzales won't get the message, and neither will George Bush. But sending emails to them and all their Congressional supporters, containing only a picture of a Cane Toad, will express our opinions of them. The more Cane Toads they get, the more word will get around. And so it may go.