Media Strategy
Finally, I want to talk about the RNC's media strategy. By and large, the Republicans know how to do media, and even at this convention they did some really smart things. Carefully running from their brand by not having the word "Republican" show up anywhere prominent in the hall, and playing "Barracuda" when Palin and McCain were on stage together. (Get it? "Sarah Barracuda"? Pretty awesome.)
However, the in-convention video intros and displays were consistently a miss from the Republican media machine. I was thoroughly underwhelmed by their efforts. They were ham-fisted and inelegant at getting their point across - spelling out not showing us what we were supposed to get from them. Additionally, when introducing two accomplished women, Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain, they spent an inordinate amount of time telling us how they were the product of their fathers and husbands. Also, I realize the intro telling us that both McCains lied about their age when they first met is supposed to make us feel less weird about the 17 year age difference between the two, but it also kind of made them both look like liars.
They also kinda sucked at coordination - I heard the same passage about how McCain learned to love his country in prison three times tonight - what should have been a powerful passage was trite by the time I heard McCain himself tell the story. Similarly, McCain's quote, "I'm not running for President because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has somehow anointed me to save my country in its hour of need..." seems to directly contradict the opening video: "134 men lost their lives [in a fire aboard McCain's carrier]. Jon McCain's life was somehow spared... perhaps he had more to do" That line, followed later by "What a life, what a faith, what a family. What good fortune that America will choose this leader at precisely this time. The stars are aligned..." struck me as all but a claim of divine right to the presidency. It worried me and weirded me out more than just a little.
However, my reaction to this claim was fairly muted considering that I was still reeling from the absolute worst miss of the night. Though the RNC claims to be moving towards change, they are still playing the same old politics of fear. McCain's in-speech promise that "they'll attack us again if they get the chance" was the milder example. The 9/11 "tribute" was nothing short of an abomination, and was so happy when Keith Olermann followed it up with the exact right response:
I'm sorry, it's necessary to say this and I wanted to separate myself from the others on the air about this. If at this late date, any television network had of its own accord showed that much videotape, and that much graphic videotape of 9/11, and I speak as somebody who lost a few friends there, it, we, would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize. It is a subject of great pain for many of us still and was probably not appropriate to be shown. We'll continue in a moment.
Now, the first hit I found for this was a blog post that submitted the event without comment, but the commenters were clearly on the righter-wing, saying that Olbermann, and later Blitzer were liberal wienies for being offended at honoring the dead of 9/11. Though I suspect I'm preaching to the choir, I want to say in no uncertain terms: that video was a travesty. It wasn't a tribute to the innocent people who lost their lives - it seemed like a tribute to the perpetrators - showing the footage of the towers getting hit for far longer than they showed the acts of heroism it inspired. The voiceover talked about those who want to destroy us and the war we must win, but not about the way Americans rose to help the victims, their families and to honor their memories. It was war propaganda, and it was reprehensible. I respect the Republicans, and their read on what the country likes to see - they're amazing at finding exactly what Americans want - I'm disappointed that they think that this is what we needed to see to honor our fallen countrymen (do not hit play if you don't have a strong stomach):
However, the in-convention video intros and displays were consistently a miss from the Republican media machine. I was thoroughly underwhelmed by their efforts. They were ham-fisted and inelegant at getting their point across - spelling out not showing us what we were supposed to get from them. Additionally, when introducing two accomplished women, Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain, they spent an inordinate amount of time telling us how they were the product of their fathers and husbands. Also, I realize the intro telling us that both McCains lied about their age when they first met is supposed to make us feel less weird about the 17 year age difference between the two, but it also kind of made them both look like liars.
They also kinda sucked at coordination - I heard the same passage about how McCain learned to love his country in prison three times tonight - what should have been a powerful passage was trite by the time I heard McCain himself tell the story. Similarly, McCain's quote, "I'm not running for President because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has somehow anointed me to save my country in its hour of need..." seems to directly contradict the opening video: "134 men lost their lives [in a fire aboard McCain's carrier]. Jon McCain's life was somehow spared... perhaps he had more to do" That line, followed later by "What a life, what a faith, what a family. What good fortune that America will choose this leader at precisely this time. The stars are aligned..." struck me as all but a claim of divine right to the presidency. It worried me and weirded me out more than just a little.
However, my reaction to this claim was fairly muted considering that I was still reeling from the absolute worst miss of the night. Though the RNC claims to be moving towards change, they are still playing the same old politics of fear. McCain's in-speech promise that "they'll attack us again if they get the chance" was the milder example. The 9/11 "tribute" was nothing short of an abomination, and was so happy when Keith Olermann followed it up with the exact right response:
I'm sorry, it's necessary to say this and I wanted to separate myself from the others on the air about this. If at this late date, any television network had of its own accord showed that much videotape, and that much graphic videotape of 9/11, and I speak as somebody who lost a few friends there, it, we, would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize. It is a subject of great pain for many of us still and was probably not appropriate to be shown. We'll continue in a moment.
Now, the first hit I found for this was a blog post that submitted the event without comment, but the commenters were clearly on the righter-wing, saying that Olbermann, and later Blitzer were liberal wienies for being offended at honoring the dead of 9/11. Though I suspect I'm preaching to the choir, I want to say in no uncertain terms: that video was a travesty. It wasn't a tribute to the innocent people who lost their lives - it seemed like a tribute to the perpetrators - showing the footage of the towers getting hit for far longer than they showed the acts of heroism it inspired. The voiceover talked about those who want to destroy us and the war we must win, but not about the way Americans rose to help the victims, their families and to honor their memories. It was war propaganda, and it was reprehensible. I respect the Republicans, and their read on what the country likes to see - they're amazing at finding exactly what Americans want - I'm disappointed that they think that this is what we needed to see to honor our fallen countrymen (do not hit play if you don't have a strong stomach):
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