MI-Gov: New ad unveiled. Hard-hitting or too much?

The Michigan Democratic Party has e-mailed a link to its new TV ad in the Michigan governor's race.  

As Jordan LFW so kindly diaried today, the Detroit News shows our beloved incumbent Governor with a steady or slightly improved lead in this race: 50-42 vs. 49-42 last month.

Jennifer's Republican challenger is the chairman of the Amway company, who is known locally for outsourcing more than 1,400 jobs from Michigan to China.  While this is a particularly grevious sin for a manufacturing state that's keenly aware of offshore job competition, the Republican camp has reassured us that they weren't what we might call "real" jobs... many of the 1,400 who were put out on the street were just managers and other white-collar positions.

Would the Kossack community please offer their thoughts on this latest ad.  I'm interested to hear how you think this ad plays, and how you feel it fits with the Dem's overall message.

More importantly... is this a legitimate expression of angst against the death of American labor?  Or is it, as Stomp 442 thoughfully asked yesterday, nothing more than race baiting?

[City street with baloons, streamers, and a marching band; scene reminiscent of a New York ticker-tape parade.  Marching band plays Stars and Stripes Forever.]

If someone announced tomorrow that he was investing $200 Million to open factories and create jobs in Michigan, well, he'd be treated like a hero, right?  Might even want to run for governor!  

[Framed portrait of Dick DeVos (R-Amway) against black background]

So when Dick DeVos invested $200 Million, creating thousands of jobs,

[camera view draws back gradually; DeVos image shrinks less than subtly]

where did he do it?

[Screen goes blank.  A lone, loud gong sounds.  If you remember the old advertisements for Northwest Orient Airlines, you know which one I'm talking about.]

China.

[Lovely scene of the Chinese countryside.  Indiginous music plays softly.]

Do you suppose maybe there's a province in China that's looking for a governor?

•  Tips and additional disclosure

  For the record, I think the ad is spot-on.  I work in Michigan for a company that fully intends to offshore my job as soon as it can.  I think that at the State level, the issue of job loss is the most important, and the most potent, issue for this November.

  My opinion.  Others may vary.

  by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:01:16 PM PDT

  •  Works for me, I like it

    I think he'd be a good liberal governor there, mainstream actually.

    by NearlyNormal on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:03:30 PM PDT

•  Great ad

  Too hard hitting? pffft

  This is nothing compared to the coming onslaught of bilge from the GOP.

  by bumblebums on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:03:15 PM PDT

•  Excellent Ad

  Don't back down.  Don't back up.  Hit again and again.  And hard. Bastards.

  by bloomer 101 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:04:49 PM PDT

•  I like it.

  You know, Democrats need to stop with asking "Is that too much?"  Do Republicans ask themselves that question?  Do Republicans think about the Democrats' feelings.  

  Fuck no.

  Run the ad.  Fuck DeVos.  

  by Delaware Dem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:05:52 PM PDT

  •  I only wish...

    ...I had a dozen recommends for that!!!  :-)

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:07:25 PM PDT

  •  Hear hear

    and that last line is a killer.  Wow.

    by juls on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:08:07 PM PDT

    •  I think the

      Chinese music is a little much.  It's a good ad, but not great.  I think people may be turned off by it to be honest with you.  

      And this is coming from someone who thinks negative campaigning is the only way to really win.  

      This ad is fine, but not the best negative ad they could have come up with.  

      by Chidem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:07:59 PM PDT

      •  Who would be turned off?

        I can't think of anyone, except Dick DeVoss, who would be turned off by that ad.  As stated above, Democrats need to stop being such wusses.  Are Chinese-Americans in MI going to be offended?  I doubt it; they live in Michigan now, so they need jobs.  They only people I can think of who would be turned off are some tweedy, goo-goo's who wring their hands about taking the high road.  Ask Presidents Dukakis and Kerry how good that advice is.  Forgot, there is no President Dukakis or President Kerry.

        by Buckeye Terry on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 09:14:22 AM PDT

  •  EXACTLY, DD.

    Excellent ad. Step in to that uppercut when you throw it.

    by Danno11 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:44:31 PM PDT

•  It's not racist

  It simply makes the point very well, that devos is shipping jobs overseas. Doesn't matter where, just that he's doing it and he cares more about China than he does about Michigan.  Personally, I wouldn't wish him on China either. It was guys like devos that were the impetus for a lot of the bad things that have happened in China's history. I could see a peasant uprising if he were governor of a province there.  Frankly I could see one here in MI if he becomes governor.  He's a bad, bad man.

  by dougymi on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:08:42 PM PDT

  •  Hey, who are you calling a peasant?

    And where's my ****ing pitchfork?  :-)

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:11:48 PM PDT

    •  I'll bring the torches! :-)

      by dougymi on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:32:22 PM PDT

  •  the "racist" label is meant to

    make Democrats panic.

    Anyone who sees this ad or sees any other Granholm ads is not going to view it as "race baiting", no matter what Dick's robocalls say.

    However, the GOP is trying to play to our weakness - that we tend to worry about offending everyone in the slightest possible manner, that we might take a step back and be apologetic and DEFENSIVE. No, we don't need to be on the defense.

    Like DelewareDem said, there's no reason to apologize. We need to be on the offense and tell it like it is. Dick's sent jobs to China. Dick has no concrete plans for what he'll do as Governor in order to address his campaign promises, stating that he'll figure that out "after he's in office". Michigan cannot afford a politician who is learning on the job to lead our state out of the mess Engler left behind.

    by land of the free on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:23:21 PM PDT

•  great ad

  this is almost so good you would think rove was behind it!

  by JOEL1954 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:11:31 PM PDT

•  Love it. n/t

  by Caldonia on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:13:15 PM PDT

•  I Wonder

  If someone, and not to be a wiseass here, can site an example where a Democrat actually ran an ad that was 'over the top' or super-offensive, AND which ruined the candidates chances.

  I really think that, especially this year, that 'too' aggressive ads are an urban myth, probably advanced by the DLC.

  Seriously, the other side has run ads says we're everything but drug cartel leaders and that we sell young fatboys out of the back of van outside of Fenway Park.  Doesn't seem to hurt their candidates much, does it?

  Democrats, fellow Democrats, part of winning means doing things to win.  Kicking the GOP's rear end is our job, and the voters are looking for us to do that.  Hell, get a Dem candidate for the House in the middle of Illinois, running against a sitting Republican, and make an ad with our guy just ATTACKING how bad the GOP guy is.  Attack, attack, attack!!!!  It'll get poeples attention.

  We find our candidates acting way too much like referees, calling fouls or dropping their flags.  We seem to be on defense all the time.  In politics, it's impossible to score much on defense.  We all know how much regular folks love refs.  And defense isn't much fun to watch, either!

  Just get out there and kick ass.  What do we have to lose?  Mark my words, it'll turn the tide, and, for a change, the other side will start wetting their pants.  On force them over to the defensive.

  by vetman on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:15:38 PM PDT

  •  I can't think of a "Willie Horton" type ad

    and when's the last time something like that backfired for the person who created it?

    Fortunately, Granholm doesn't need to play dirty and lie or stretch the truth to shock and frighten people. She has the luxury of telling the truth. The truth will re-elect her, and the truth will send Devos back to his pyramid scheme Multilevel Marketing corproation that leaves the vast majority of "IBOs" with a deficit on the books.

    by land of the free on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:25:40 PM PDT

    •  And makes them feel guilty

      That is what I really hate.  The market is saturated, but the workers are accused of not trying hard enough and failing the team and their family and co-workers.

      SAD!!!

      by cfk on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:21:48 PM PDT

    •  Here in Ohio

      we've had some attack ads backfire.  Just this summer, the DeWhine ad with the doctored picture of the Twin Towers.  Almost all polls have Sherrod Brown ahead.  According to Buckeye State Blog, the latest Rasmussen poll has Brown ahead 47-41.
      In the past, we had an ad in a Supreme Court race run by an "outside" group that accused Dem Justice Alice Roby Resnick of being bought and paid for by labor and trial lawyers.  Even showed the statue of Justice taking off her mask and smiling at the gold being put in the scales.  Resnick was in a tight race-she won in a walk.
      We also had a race in 1988 between George Voinovich and Sen. Howard Metzenbaum.  Reps always like to run a Cleveland Republican state-wide and they always thought Howard was vulnurable.  This ad accused Howard on being soft on child porn.  It was so outrageous that Metz won in a landslide.  The win was big enough that I thought it might have ended Voinovich's career.  Alas, not the case.
      I agree with you that negative ads work, but their are some so over the top that they backfire.

      by Buckeye Terry on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 09:27:49 AM PDT

  •  VA-GOV

    Recently, there was Kilgore's "Hitler" ad against Tim Kaine.

    by whogotthegravy on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 10:52:53 PM PDT

•  Just saw the ad on cable

  It's hard hitting and effective. And, by the way, it's far less inflammatory than the "morph into bin Laden" ads the Republicans ran against candidates such as Max Cleland in 2002.

  by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:18:24 PM PDT

  •  Far less so than Jesse Helms' infamous ad

    The one that saved his cracker ass from getting beat by Harvey Gant.

    by AustinCynic on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:20:17 PM PDT

    •  The man responsible for the Helms "Hands" ad

      His name is Alex Castellanos, and he's working for Dick DeVos (R-Amway). One more reason why Michigan Republicans are guilty of aggravated hypocrisy.

      by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:45:23 PM PDT

      •  As Alanis Morrissette sang

        "Isn't it ironic?" LOL

        by AustinCynic on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:51:54 PM PDT

    •  What was the

      ad?  

      by Chidem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:09:46 PM PDT

•  I don't think it is racist

  Though I'm sure the Michigan GOP will say it is. If they do, tell them you'll pull the ad if De Vos can prove he didn't send jobs to China. Sounds fair to me.

  I think it's great that you're pausing to ask this question, though. Sadly, given that we have to have everything in 30-second bits, you can't address the fact that outsourcing hurts all workers. American companies sent jobs to Mexico, until it was cheaper to go to India and China. And now Vietnam is starting to steal some jobs from China because they'll work even cheaper than the Chinese!

  Let's face it: corporations won't be happy until we're all working for a dollar a day and thanking them for their generosity.

  by AustinCynic on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:19:15 PM PDT

  •  Greenville, MI a small town north of Grand Rapids

    recently lost an Electrolux refrigerator plant where people had worked for three generations.  

    The jobs went to Juarez, Mexico.

    http://www.mlive.com/...

    by cfk on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:36:15 PM PDT

    •  And Jennifer Granholm worked like hell trying to

      keep those jobs here if anyone remembers.

      by angrybird on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:44:58 PM PDT

•  I'm a LIB and I HATE the China issue

  It is SOOO TIRED and BOOOOORRRRRIIIINGGGGG.  She should be SMASHING HIS SKULL IN FOR BRIBING GOP state legisators to renig on the SBT deal last year.  Then she should be saying that "Dick Devos will RAISE THE SALE TAX"  The China issue SUX!!!  This ad SUX

  by jeffwtux on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:20:12 PM PDT

  •  Jeff...

    ...I'm actually glad to hear that there are diverse viewpoints here, and I'm glad you replied.  Since yours is the first "against" vote, I wonder if you'd indulge me two questions:

    First, do you rely on a business or corporation for your income and livelihood;

    Second, do you oppose this ad because you think it's inappropriate, or because you think it's so much less important/effective than the SBT issue?

    [Full disclosure for those living outside Michigan:  SBT is Michigan's Single Business Tax.  It's a somewhat Canadian-style value-added tax, which carries a significantly lower rate than most state corporate taxes.  But it applies that rate against much more of the corporation's gross income, so it's harder to use fancy accounting to "show a loss" and avoid corporate taxes.  It applies to businesses with gross receipts in excess of $350,000 per year, and I'm sure that's unrelated to state Repubs' deeply held desire to gut it.  Hopefully someone will post additional informative links on the SBT.]

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:32:54 PM PDT

    •  It's the later, The SBT issue is more effective

      He has an answer to the China issue.  He has no answer to his SBT plan other than he wants to create a giant hole in the budget which will only be filled by a sales tax increase.  He has no answer to the fact that he DID IN FACT force GOPs to renig on the SBT deal.  

      Dick Devos is the one who made getting rid of the SBT the centerpiece of his campaign.  It's more than fair game to slam him for not being honest about it, destroys his credibility a lot more than this issue that he has a answer for.

      by jeffwtux on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:06:14 PM PDT

      •  So what is his "answer" to the China issue? n/t

        by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:56:19 PM PDT

  •  ok, a third question....

    ...elsewhere in the thread, you implied that this ad would be ineffective because "Devos had answer waiting for this for a year".  What's his answer, how is it being purveyed, and will it be an effective defense?

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:34:37 PM PDT

  •  I agree to a certain

    extent, but try explaining this to the general public.  I'm not sure you can do it in 30 seconds.  This is a complicated issue.  The Republicans have not stated how they plan on replacing the revenue, but really Granholm has been ambivalent too.  

    This tax is not easily explainable.  Further, we don't need her coming across as anti-business, which could happen if the presentation isn't clear and persuasive.  

    by Chidem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:13:59 PM PDT

    •  I'm tempted to agree.

      The SBT is a good issue, but it's not a good first issue.  

      Personally, I think that DeVos has a more effective counter to the SBT issue than he does to this one.  His position is a brute force / make noise approach... just saying over and over that the "SBT hurts Michigan businesses" or that it "keeps companies from investing here".  If anything, the SBT is DeVos's excuse for exporting jobs and dollars.  Implicit in his anti-SBC noise is the idea that this bad old tax "forced" Amway to send the infamous 1,400 jobs overseas.

      by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:03:56 PM PDT

•  it's a beautiful thing n/t

  by shpilk on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:20:34 PM PDT

•  Somewhere today I read a note that Democrats need

  to start kicking people when they're down.  While I get a little weary of hearing everything that Democrats 'need to do' I think that advice is right on.  If they could they'd do ten times worse to her.  And they may...

  by St Louis Woman on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:21:03 PM PDT

•  It's very good

  Opposition to offshoring jobs to China is no more racist than opposition to reliance on Middle Eastern oil.

  by ripzaw on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:22:07 PM PDT

•  This commercial SUCKS BigTIME!!

  Slam him for forcing GOPs to renig on the SBT deal.  Slam him for wanting to raise the sales tax.

  by jeffwtux on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:22:18 PM PDT

  •  You said that already <n/t>

    by ripzaw on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:22:49 PM PDT

•  Devos had answer waiting for this for a year

  He has no answer to the ACCURATE and truthful charge that he forced GOPs to renig on the SBT deal or that he has no answer for how he will replace the revenue, Jen Granholm has.  Clearly, he will raise the sales tax.  That's the winning issue

  by jeffwtux on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:30:38 PM PDT

  •  Hate to divide the conversation or get repetitive

    ...so I'm back upthread.

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:37:12 PM PDT

  •  If I have researched this issue

    correctly, jefwtux, you are correct about the issue.  Amway sales have been flat in the U.S. and Devos cleverly figured out that he needed to go overseas where people are unfamiliar with his crappy company in order to increase sales - hence, China.  It is working for him, at least in the short term.  China won't allow companies to do business with them unless the company hires local workers.  He had to lay off Michigan workers because no one here will buy Amway anymore and all he has left to sell is motivational videos.  That's DeVos's rationalization for moving jobs to China (with a little editorializing from me).  I think this ad may be a little deceiving, but I still think it is extremely effective.  DeVos's explanation is kind of like Kerry's convoluted answers.  Voters here hate Amway and outsourcing (great buzz words) and don't want to hear what DeVos has to say.

    by myrealname on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:35:49 PM PDT

•  It's great! I love it!

  The loss of jobs here the USA (and the GOP encouragement of it) is one of the key personal reasons why I thought the 2004 election was so crucial to our future.

  If anything, that job loss and hollowing out of the US economy has gotten worse.  I am very afraid that we are on the edge of a cliff, with a very deep recession in front of us.

  Bush and the Rubber Stampers only talking point on jobs is the magic cure of EDUCATION.  This is close to moronic.  We have EXPERIENCED engineers, computer programmers, and college graduates who are having a hard finding jobs in their fields.  More inexperienced college graduates will not solve the problem when the problem is a shortage of jobs, not talent.

  The harder you hit this issue, the better.  This ad is great.

  by DarkestHour on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:41:01 PM PDT

•  We need

  more ads like this one. Wow, it's hard hitting and funny at the same time!

  by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:41:25 PM PDT

•  Message fine. Voice over makes me want to gag

  God I hate those kinda voiceovers.

  by Little on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:42:11 PM PDT

  •  I thought it sounded

    a little like Donald Sutherland, lol.  I liked the ad, btw.  Short, sweet, and packed a big punch.

    by Heiuan on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:36:12 PM PDT

    •  I am a BIG (Little) fan of Donald

      but that sounded much more pretentious than Don to me.

      by Little on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:57:18 PM PDT

  •  The awful thing is...

    ...it's the same guy who does the voiceover on (seemingly) EVERY political ad that runs here...

    by STEVEinMI on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:40:05 PM PDT

    •  Yes, I agree

      This guy must not have a life during politcal season.  It's like the female voice you hear for every automated phone system.  "Press 1 for...", etc.
      You'd think that in a country of nearly 300 million people, there would be more than 3-4 people who could do voice-overs.
      As an aside, could this familiar voice even be a turn-off?  As soon as a viewer hears that voice, he/she knows it's a political ad and automatically tunes out.

      by Buckeye Terry on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 09:37:09 AM PDT

•  Well

  I wish that they would air an ad hammering DeVos for the havoc that the MLM industry has caused for lots of people.

  by jiacinto on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:49:37 PM PDT

  •  they don't have to go there

    a recent survey of Michigan voters showed something like 72% having a negative image of Amway. Just saying Amway around these parts makes people groan, roll their eyes, and back away.

    Attacking his "successful business experience" isn't a bad idea. They can just show that he hasn't really accomplished much to be proud of since he took the helm at Amway - other than changing the name to obscure the company's terrible image, or sending jobs overseas. The latter will ring very true with the thousands of people whose jobs are being eliminated and sent overseas.

    by land of the free on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:30:24 PM PDT

•  This kind of ad....

  only works for those who are already on your side. It's somewhat humorous, but I don't think it convinces anyone. The DCCC seems to be enamored of this type of simplistic approach lately. Same kind of stuff running in Northern Indiana.

  by IndySteve on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:51:27 PM PDT

  •  I couldn't agree more. This is the DEMs version

    of guns, gods, and gays.  I hate when GOPs run worthless issues(like guns, gods, and gays), and I hate this.

    by jeffwtux on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:10:26 PM PDT

•  DeVos supports

    school vouchers, right to work laws, sales tax increases, and a host of other unpopular ideas. The Granholm campaign should hammer him with all this stuff. The China jobs thing is just a good start.

  by happy camper on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:15:03 PM PDT

  •  It is a great opening salvo though

    it won't be enough - but of course, we all knew that.  Going after him on the SBT, school vouchers, provide a good plan for the next add.

    by FerrisValyn on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:46:04 PM PDT

•  It's perfect

  It targets the issue viscerally for MI voters: loss of American jobs to offshore interests and linking that specifically to unemployment in Michigan.

  Naysayers, IMHO, just don't know how to win elections. They like debating "nuance" (oy! oy! oy!)

  by Glinda on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:26:53 PM PDT

  •  Agree

    I actually think it takes a lot of balls for a multi-millionaire to fire over a thousand workers in his home state, take those jobs overseas, then decide that makes him qualified to be Governor.
    Talk about hubris!  This ad makes that pretty clear.
    Ask President Kerry how discussing "nuance" got him elected.

    by Buckeye Terry on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 09:41:25 AM PDT

•  I like the ad

  I like diaries about Michigan politics and I sure hope you don't lose your job.  Recommended.

  by myrealname on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:38:31 PM PDT

•  No, Not Too Much!

  Just enough.

  Bwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaa

  by InquisitiveRaven on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:42:09 PM PDT

•  I love that ad and will be working toward having

  it repeated often.   No way its anything but a good commercial

  by maybeeso in michigan on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 07:46:57 PM PDT

•  MDP ad

  The new MDP ad is by far the best it has put out.  Whether or not I think its messaging is the most effective or not is another story.

  by whogotthegravy on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 10:37:08 PM PDT