In the closing days of the 2000 presidential campaign, the DNC produced this great ad on Bush's Social Security privatization scheme, broadcasting it in eleven battleground states over the course of ten days:
[TEXT: Question: What happens when you promise the same money to two groups of people?]
MALE NARRATOR: Question. In politics, what happens when you promise the same money to two different groups of people?
[TEXT: GEORGE W. BUSH'S PLAN]
MALE NARRATOR: According to the Wall Street Journal, George W. Bush is promising young workers a trillion dollars from Social Security to put in private investments. That would threaten Social Security benefits for seniors. Bush is also promising seniors that same trillion dollars for their Social Security checks.
[TEXT: Question: What happens when Bush promises the same money to young workers and to seniors?]
MALE NARRATOR: So what happens when Bush promises the same money to young workers and to seniors?
MALE NARRATOR [and TEXT]: Answer: one promise gets broken.
MALE NARRATOR: Next question: which one?
[TEXT: Question: After November 7th, which promise gets broken?]
As you can see, the ad is nothing fancy. Nonetheless, it manages to accurately and credibly convey a wonky though crucial message in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
The thing that makes this ad great isn't just that it says Bush's Social Security privatization proposal is inherently dishonest. The thing that makes it so good is that it explains why that claim is true, and it is that explanation that makes the ad so convincing.
If you think about it -- and after watching this ad, you will -- Social Security privatization is obviously snake oil. Giving today's workers the option of opting out of Social Security means you won't have enough Social Security revenue to pay for the benefits owed to today's retirees. As a result, if you support privatization, there's no way you won't end up breaking your promise. Sure, you can always kick the can down the road by adding to the national debt, but that bill will eventually come due and it's a horrible idea to fund ongoing programs like Social Security by borrowing.
Given that Republicans across the board support the scheme, it's something candidates and consultants in close races across the country should consider focusing on. Many Republicans candidates are going so far as proposing that the entire Social Security system be replaced with private accounts, but even though there is some superficial sex appeal in their proposals, the reality is that under their proposals, we'd either need to eliminate Social Security for current retirees or borrow nearly $1 trillion each year to pay for the lost revenue.
This might not be the right issue for every district or every state, but it's such a powerful line of attack that every campaign facing an opponent who supports privatization ought to consider it. And this ad provides the template for how to go about making the case.