Hillary swan dives into youth-vote.

What I'm really wondering is...what do the hard-core Hillary haters around here genuinely think of this?

I personally think it's very clever. One of the reasons why I think it works? It seems to be aware of just how ridiculous it is. When we are talking about "out of touch" ads, a textbook example of that would be Lieberman's 2004 ad that was basically a rave. Remember that one? lol

PS: Yes I know this is "not a diary" but its worthy of being seen and discussed anyway.

•  about time, really...

  by ScanDroid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:16:26 PM PDT

  •  Loved it...

    ... Hillary ROCKS!

    by neoeconomist on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:20:00 PM PDT

    •  too bad too....

      She could've been the next Carrie Brownstein.

      by ScanDroid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:23:58 PM PDT

•  I know my two college-age sons...

  ... will not be there with open arms to catch her plunge into the mosh pit. They're Obama loyalists, and excited about making him their first-ever vote.

  by pat208 on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:17:55 PM PDT

  •  My son, 20, and daughter, 24 are:

    Fired Up and Ready to Go for Obama. My son emailed me the other day to say that in the middle of reading the Caroline Kennedy endorsement he decided to apply for a community service internship this summer. I also take great pleasure in the fact that my daughter read Dreams of My Father two years ago, the same time I did. Wow, a child who reads for pleasure.

    Sign me,
    One Proud Father.

    by Better Days on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:53 PM PDT

    •  Making change right now ! awesome

      it's starting already

      by ballerina X on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:34:39 PM PDT

      •  He spent spring break last year

        doing volunteer demolition work in New Orleans.

        I have been working in higher education for 25+ years and have notice a real change in regard to politics and service the past couple of years. Not everyone, not even a majority, but a lot more than the '80's & '90's. I saw it start with the run-up to the 2000 election as more said they would vote.

        by Better Days on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:49:12 PM PDT

  •  My sons, ages 23, 21, and 15, are really

    excited about Obama. They see him as the politics of the future and Clinton as the politics of the past. BJ dad and I are excited about Obama too.

    by blue jersey mom on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:24:57 PM PDT

  •  My sons, 19 and 22,

    have also committed to Obama, although one has also been throwing some support Edwards' way.

    One has seen Obama (last weekend) and the other hopes to.  I am just glad to see them actively involved in the process.

    by texasmom on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:34:39 PM PDT

•  Seems like she's trying too hard.

  The words "You are doing it wrong" come to mind.

  Right idea, flawed execution.

  by TheStormofWar on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:18:06 PM PDT

•  Oh, my god

  When the brown-haired fellow said:

  Some people called it 'the return of the guitar solo'

  I threw up a little bit in my mouth, honestly.  

  Gonna have to do a lot better then that guys, honestly

  by cycloptichorn on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:19:22 PM PDT

  •  "i'm hip, i'm with it"

    ducka ducka ducka...

    by RSA TX on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:34:07 PM PDT

•  Eh. This guy CAN rock.

  by ben masel on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:01 PM PDT

  •  Now THAT video has street cred...

    by Grass on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:22:09 PM PDT

  •  Wow! Love IT!

    by 8ackgr0und N015e on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:23:21 PM PDT

    •  Catch Mike's "Alternative Debate" tomorrow night

      With the network feed on a screen, he'll jump in with his answers. http://gravel2008.us will provide a link to the live feed.

      by ben masel on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:31:12 PM PDT

      •  Are you serious?

        that will be hilarious!  They should use him on The A Daily Show.

        by 8ackgr0und N015e on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:41:13 PM PDT

        •  His last was the best watch of the whole cycle.

          by ben masel on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:51:43 PM PDT

  •  I love that video.

    I just wish it didn't give me seizures every time I watch it. :)

    by wmtriallawyer on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:34:28 PM PDT

•  I liked this add. Thanks for posting n/t

  by Gram E on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:09 PM PDT

•  Hillary recycles TO THE EXTREME!!!!

  Simpsons reference.

  Trying too hard.

  by dansac on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:11 PM PDT

•  Pretty damn funny....

  Spinal Tap meets Network meets Joe McGinnis.

  by 8ackgr0und N015e on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:12 PM PDT

•  Pander much?

  Obama has played it straight and respected the intelligence of my generation. That is why we give that respect back in kind.

  by calistan on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:21:17 PM PDT

  •  That too.

    I already commented, but I just realized what else bothered me about the ad - it's condescending in its approach.

    by alextmw on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:24:48 PM PDT

  •  Kind of reminds me of the

    "Rock the Vote" ad contest in '04--most of them were trying too hard to be "hip" and stylish, but the one that won was Wes Clark's that just had him talking to some younger people about his stances on the issues, with a joke at the end.  It didn't presume like the others that young voters were only interested in style and not substance.  Not condescending--if anything, it was a joke on himself.

    by oscarsmom on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:06:40 PM PDT

•  It's about as clever as any corporate commercial

  trying to act hip and cool in an effort to convince people to buy its product.

  This will be a joke in two days on college campuses across the country.

  by Dartagnan on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:22:15 PM PDT

  •  Agreed

    Obama is the only politician I've ever seen who can do irony. I guess Bill could a little, but even he seemed a little affected.

    Of course, if Franken wins he'll have them all beat.

    by Zackpunk on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:27:51 PM PDT

    •  you missed Feingold's ads?

      by ben masel on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:49:11 PM PDT

•  Pointless.

  Obama owns the youth vote, and he's the only one inspiring people to actually get involved - it's quite incredible what I'm seeing around me, personally. It's a far cry from the 2004 general in terms of overall awareness and enthusiasm. No amount of clever advertising (not that this quite counts) is going to trick people into becoming excited about anyone else.

  by alextmw on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:23:34 PM PDT

•  Can Tweens vote?

  Because I think that's probably the only age group that will find this cool.

  And perhaps some 60 year old "hip" Execs.

  by NotGeorgeWill on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:24:42 PM PDT

  •  This is why 60 year old advertising execs

    should stop using cocaine.

    It leads to ideas like this.

    by Dartagnan on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:28:33 PM PDT

•  Does she have any minority youth supporters?

  Or just these guys?

  by Bob Johnson on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:25:54 PM PDT

  •  Right here!

    by rigso on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:43:00 PM PDT

•  i did kinda like her version of

  "i hate myself for loving you."

  by rasbobbo on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:27:07 PM PDT

•  the swan dive

  Hillary is off the board, a half-gainer with a twist and... oh, she missed the pool!  This will definitely hurt her score!

  (apologies to MST3K)

  by Leggy Starlitz on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:27:14 PM PDT

•  I Dunno

  Definitely an Obama voter here (was an Edwards voter, oh well) but I thought this was a pretty cute ad.  Didn't change my vote, but it's a cute ad.

  by arvo on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:27:31 PM PDT

•  This was just awful.

  Awful, awful, awful.

  It is a forced attempt to pander to the "youth vote" in a blatently stupid stereotype.

  How embarrassing.

  I know they were trying to be cute, but geez...

  by wmtriallawyer on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:27:40 PM PDT

•  it's like mitt saying

  "who let the dogs out!?!"

  by strengthANDwisdom on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:29:04 PM PDT

•  Wait a sec?

  That was real and not a MADtv sketch?

  by VelvetElvis on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:29:23 PM PDT

•  very good

  I thought it was clever.

  by Lilipons on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:29:41 PM PDT

•  I think it's cute ...

  but I'm a 37-year-old married woman with two kids of her own. I don't think it does much to reach out to youth, which is always a tricky thing.

  The smart candidate would hire teenagers to do the actual ads. I'm not sure anyone has done that, but they really should.

  The youth adviser at our church drives me crazy with this stuff. He does a horribly designed Website himself because kids are so used to "My Space." Somehow he entirely misses that things like My Space and Facebook are successful not because they have terrible design, mixed up fonts and ugly colors but because the kids put the stuff together themselves.

  And I think a lot of adults think that way. We can't actually just put the kids in charge of communicating with the other kids. That would be TERRIBLE. But we'll do half-hearted mimicry of the way they communicate.

  Doesn't work.

  by Magenta on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:29:45 PM PDT

  •  Yup.

    That's exactly the problem.  It's too "cute" by half. And a lot of young people are going to see right through that, I'm afraid.

    by wmtriallawyer on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:33:18 PM PDT

  •  Gravel didn't hire

    took what was volunteered, and ended up with the best ads of the year.

    by ben masel on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:35:41 PM PDT

  •  Worse than you think

    I found it kind of cute, and I'm 57. Just the demographic she was after, I'm sure. (Actually, might be targeting the boomer demographic - see, I can be hip and appeal to the youth, too.)

    by Catte Nappe on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:12:10 PM PDT

•  Kind of reminds me of when

  Sony made that whole viral video site for its PSP, with this garage band singing about how awesome the PSP is. When people found out the whole thing was made by Sony, it became one of the biggest PR flubs of the year.

  Of course this is totally transparent, but I can't imagine this being received well. I shudder to think of what the comments on YouTube must say.  

  by dagnabbit on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:31:05 PM PDT

•  Three words,

  Desperate, overreaching, and

  PA-THE-TIC.

  by lawwoman on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:31:46 PM PDT

  •  ....

    

    by ScanDroid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:47:17 PM PDT

  •  RUDE! NASTY!

    by rigso on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:44:06 PM PDT

•  wow

  if you support Hilary... pray that this never sees TV

  by Irishkorean on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:33:45 PM PDT

  •  or worse..

    the latenight shows

    by Irishkorean on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:36:35 PM PDT

•  Better than this video:

  by Drewid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:36:40 PM PDT

  •  Aww...so awful its cute!

    These kids are young teens, probably younger than my son. I have to admire their enthusiasm and the work they put into this. My daughters, by the way, love it but of course they are only 7 and 19! :) I wouldn't be surprised if they ask me if they can make a movie for their favorite candidate.

    by rian90 on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:46:23 PM PDT

•  Sad...

  That's is so transparent.  It's about authenticity not pandering "I'm cool, too!" BS.  She not cool and that's okay, be yourself.  It's always better that way.

  This is the #1 video on Youtube.  600,000 views:
  

  by Hope08 on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:37:04 PM PDT

•  Reminds me of the ads where the cool dude says

  AOL 9.0 Rocks!!!

  McDonalds is Radical!!!

  K-Mart is the place to shop!!!

  Awesome.

  by deben on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:37:43 PM PDT

•  Wouldn't Call That A Swan Dive

  "Swan Dive" suggests something graceful.

  That was more like a belly flop.

  by Noah Jenda on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:41:26 PM PDT

•  really great ad

  Clinton has had the best.  I just loved it.  Cute.  Cute.  Cute.  And, I'm not being facetious.  I mean it.

  by nolalily on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 01:42:55 PM PDT

•  We the "youth" have words for these things...n/t

  poseur being foremost among them.

  by Dreggas on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:00:36 PM PDT

•  Hillary just quit the band!!!!!!

  Are you effing kidding me?  I'm 31, but I still listen to indie, I know who LCD Soundsystem are, I know college age kids.

  I'm going to show this to people tonight, but I already know the answer.
  This ain't gonna get Hillary the youth vote. They are going to laugh their ass off at this.

  by Norm in Chicago on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:12:29 PM PDT

•  OK, I'm officially an Obama partisan...

  ...but having her quit the band to run for President?

  The first thing that this does is remind me of my impression that she's willing to do or say anything to get ahead. And because of that, this is not a good ad.

  by maxomai on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:29:58 PM PDT

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  by SarahLee on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:39:34 PM PDT

•  Its just a joke, some are nasty enought

  to attack her because of it? Get over yourselves...

  by rigso on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:40:08 PM PDT

  •  exactly

    lighten up people! its just for fun.

    by ScanDroid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:48:39 PM PDT

    •  exactly, also, I checked out

      your site, i like it!

      by rigso on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:57:42 PM PDT

      •  thanks!!

        by ScanDroid on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 04:31:04 PM PDT

•  It's cute but I'm not the

  targeted demographic. If I were a young voter I'd probably find it vaguely insulting. Talk to them, engage, don't pander to them with cuteness. They will see right through it.

  by mentaldebris on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 02:44:19 PM PDT

•  Truly, I thought it was snark

  I really, really did.  I thought this was from a 'Kids in the Hall' type of show and then the ending came with the Vote for HRC.

  I'm a bit of a 'tweener in that I am certainly not a Baby Boomer (and this commercial REEKS of Baby Boomer ad execs trying to reach out), but I am not a Gen Y'er...I'm a Billy Idol-loving GenXer.

  So...let the GenYer's decide.  My take as a GenXer is that this commercial is also 'Simpsonesque' in it's attempt to cater to 'the kids'.  But, irony is NOT my strong suit.

  by yankeeinmemphis on Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 03:09:34 PM PDT