Just when you think that the man often lampooned as the "patron saint of 9/11", former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, cannot sink any deeper into self-parody, he finds a way to push the envelope in a new ad.
According to TPM ElectionCentral, Giuliani is running a new ad in Florida in which he uses actual video footage from 9/11 while the voice-over offer us this money quote in the ad:
"When the world wavered, and history hesitated, Rudy never did."
I suppose it was, in some ways, inevitable. Like the former high school star in decline who wears his letterman jacket at age forty and talks about that great game back in 19--er--something.
Indeed, Rudy Giuliani has become the Al Bundy of politics.
It is worth noting, of course, that Giuliani has never been exactly subtle about making the 9/11 connection to his candidacy. This is what drove Joe Biden to make the signature line of the 2008 campaign to date: Indeed, every sentence Rudy speaks consists of a noun, a verb, and 9/11.
But THIS takes it to a whole new level. And it absolutely asphyxiates the viewer with its desperation. The ad itself has incredible production values. But those last ten seconds are almost painful to watch.
The world wavered?
History hesitated?
If I were a first responder in New York, I'd really want to kick this man's ass after watching this ad. Giuliani has always leaned heavily on 9/11 for his political bonafides. But the exploitation of the event for personal gain has reached a level beyond description.
The ad makes it seem that he, and he alone, responded to the attacks. Everyone else stood around.
Stunning. The question now is this: Will this clear Hail Mary pass keep Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 political game??
SMALL UPDATE: Thanks for the great comments, guys. I just noticed something else in the ad. I might be reading too much into this, but did you notice that when the ad talks about the "world wavering", his ad-man specifically used imagery of people running away? The image tries to convey as message: the rest of these pansies ran, but I stood stalwart. Perhaps a coincidental use of video editing. If not, a sick, sick moment.