Damn, does it sting Mr. Lee?

That ad is brutal and is most definitely going to resonate with middle/working class voters. Talk about getting punched in the nose right after the primary! Ouch.

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by: nrimmer @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 13:36:34 PM CDT

Perhaps Effective, But What's The Policy?

It may be an effective ad, but the truth is that it's hard to keep certain manufacturing jobs in the US. People abroad are willing to work for far below the US minimum wage, or any wage that would be remotely reasonable in the States.

And no one in Congress is going to be able to change that.

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by: dsimon @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 14:29:38 PM CDT

You mean the Republicans care about policy possibility when they do dirty stuff against us?

Not that I remember.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 14:32:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The Policy Is . . .

Winning this election.  

I'm not interested in some ad that has an academic discussion of trade policy (and there are real differences in policy that effect the jobs of people here in the US).  While I may hold journalists to some higher standard in the news they print and their editorials, I expect parties to play to win.  And as the Republicans do not hesitate to use any issue, real or perceived, to win, I expect and want the Democrats to do the same.

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by: sicembears @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 15:02:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm All For Winning, But...

I think how one wins affects how one governs. If we run on saving American manufacturing jobs, and then we don't deliver on that promise because no one can deliver on that promise, then we get accused of, well, not delivering on that promise, and candidates who ran on that promise are vulnerable.

So perhaps we hold the seat for two years and then get kicked out. Is that a sustainable model for getting anything done? Or even for retaining the seat?

Saying anything to get elected may help people get elected. But if it locks people into bad policy positions, then it makes it awfully hard to get anything accomplished. And isn't getting things accomplished the real goal?

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by: dsimon @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 15:11:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Not Saying Just Anything

I'm not sure accusing your opponent of shipping jobs overseas in his personal business is the same as campaigning/promising to save all manufacturing jobs.  While I agree with you that we aren't going to save all manufacturing jobs or get them all back, there are real differences in trade policy that affect the number of blue collar jobs in the US.

This ad's implicit message to me is that the Dem is going to be more protective of blue collar jobs than the Republican who just doesn't care.  Assuming that's something our candidate believes in and would work for, I don't see a problem with sending that message in whatever way is most effective.

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by: sicembears @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 22:11:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Democrats demagogue trade

like Republicans demagogue immigration.

Actually, my guess is that the DCCC is going for Davis voters with this.  

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by: andgarden @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 15:19:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

now if voters

know who kryzan is on election day... she cut a new bio ad for the general, but she's not gonna have the money to match lee...

It is difficult to get the news from poems, but men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there. --William Carlos Williams

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by: RichardPlatypus @ Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 15:06:58 PM CDT