Andy Martin Cracks Me Up

After a year of very dull (read: healthcare) advertising, Andy Martin sends 2009 out with the most insane, over-the-top radio spot in the history of ever.

Sure, it sounds like an SNL bit, but it really is the candidate going on the radio for 60 seconds to say that there are "solid rumors" that his opponent is gay.

Happy New Year everybody.

Click here to listen to "Andy's Radio Spot"

US Chamber Saves Health Care

Maybe not the health care issue, but after watching about ten thousand horrible health care themed spots, the US Chamber saved the day and brought us one that has an idea and some decent production values.

Click here to watch "Hidden Taxes"

RNC Ruins Good Idea With Shabby Production

When the ad guys talk about "lighting" and "production values" and "color correction" and you only think about how much money that's going to cost, consider this commercial. A nice idea shot on a home video camera and given zero color correction. The edit isn't bad, but the look is so homemade it's an insult.

C'mon guys, I know message is critical, but no one wants to watch an ugly commercial.

Click here to watch the could-have-been-good "Listen To Me"

Farouk Shami Will Lose, Seems Like A Nice Guy

Farouk Shami, the guy who invented the Chi hair straightener thingie and really likes rockets, is running to lose the Democratic primary for Texas governor to former Houston Mayor Bill White.

Here's his bio story. It's a wonderful rags to riches, Horatio Alger, hard working American story. Enjoy it now, because he's out before the inner tubes start floating down the Nueces.

Click here to watch "Story"

Apparently Connecticut Democrats Aren't Too Crazy About Joe Lieberman

First they try to knock Lieberman out of the primary, now they steal his campaign and run it against him. That's cold.

Of course, Joe isn't up until 2012 and, while I'm not in the business of giving free advice, it doesn't seem like such a good idea to go up on TV three years early when you have a 2010 candidate that might not be able to get elected to the local elementary school Bake Sale Committee.

I'm just saying.

Click here to watch "All About Joe"

Okay, Okay, I'll Do Whatever The AFL-CIO Says

Here's the latest highly confusing ad in the health care wars. This one features my Kryptonite: Scary Middle Aged Lady With Glasses Too Far Down Her nose! Aaaaiiieeeee! Make it stop!

As near as I can tell, the AFL-CIO wants Congress to give them cheap health insurance, but also, they'd like Congress to find someone else to pay for it. I figure this is right, since it's how the AFL-CIO has operated forever anyway.

What do they want? The government to give them the whole company? Oh wait, that's what the UAW got. Never mind.

Here's the latest from the AFL-CIO

Remember When Move On Used To Do Good Spots?

I don't get it. Move On has tons of cash. All the most creative people are Democrats (so they say). So how come MoveOn.org produces commercials that are just one step up from Honest John's Used Cars "Push, Pull or Drag" Sale?

Seriously.

Here's their latest lame-o effort. Cheap set, bad acting and typography that makes Gutenberg sorry he invented movable type.

Click here to watch Move On's "Cost of Delay"

Mike Capuano: A Day Late And Several Dollars Short

In this spot, Mike Capuano attacks the policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney. Remember them? Mike Capuano uses a six month old argument in an ad that may have cost as much as ten dollars to produce.

Here's somebody who is hoping US Senate seats go on sale this Christmas.

Check out "George Bush"

It's Political Primary Season: Hide Your Babies!

There are hands to be shaken and babies to be kissed (not the other way around, please). Political primary season is heating up earlier than ever before. His Republican Senate hopeful Tom Foley talking about babies.

One question, why is there a super reading "30 Years Experience" jammed in the middle of a commercial about the national debt. I'm guessing someone wanted to cram in another message point, but it just made my brain jump out of gear.

Click here to watch "Babies"

Andy McKenna says, "It's Me Versus The Hair"

How do run against the idea of Blago? You take on the hair. Andy McKenna does just that in his opening salvo in the Illinois Governor race. The b-roll shots of politicians on the streets wearing Blago hair is straight up genius.

Click here to watch "Hair Today"

Paterson Poll Numbers Must Be Extra Stinky

Here's another nicely produced bio ad for Paterson that sets him up as a guy who worked hard to excel despite his disability. Everything's going along fine until they drop a bomb that says, "And sometimes you make mistakes."

In other words the poll said, "he seems like a nice guy, but he screwed this whole thing up, big time." Ruh-roh, Reorge.

Click here to check out "When You"

David Paterson Channels Teddy Roosevelt

Here's David Paterson doing his best impression of a populist politician in this very nicely produced re-election spot. He'll probably get shellacked, but this is a nice spot. Well done.

Check out "Some Say"

Yes We Still Can.org Takes Us On A Guilt Trip

These days it looks like everybody has their own reality TV show, so why not political campaign volunteers from Maine? Here you go. This spot from YesWeStillCan.org whines about how volunteers worked really hard to help Obama win big in Maine (like that was hard) and they did it because of healthcare and now Obama needs to get Olympia Snowe in line and he needs to put in the public option and blah and blah and blah.

Check out "It's Time To Fight" here.

Christie vs. Corzine – Or, Isn't Having Passaic In Your State Punishment Enough?

The Corzine vs. Christie race has produced the biggest collection of political advertising offal we've seen in a long time. Neither candidate has so much as lifted a pinky-ringed finger to do anything beyond normal, boring political hit ads.

People in New Jersey must be afraid to turn on their TVs. If anyone wins this race, it will be a shame.

Here's a dreary, cheap, poorly made attack spot from Corzine.

Whatever.

New Spot From The AMA Proves Doctors Are Cheap

Here's the latest in the frickin' blizzard of healthcare spots. This one talks about how much seniors love their doctors. It also demonstrates what kind of commercial you can make for about $5. Doctors really are cheap. (SIDEBAR: I think they reuse those tongue depressors.)

It's not a flashback from 1992, it's the new spot from the AMA.

Watch AMA "Support"

Harry Reid Rocks The Sideburns

America's most powerful senator, for now, has gone up a year before election day to try to save his job. Two things worth noting about this bio spot. Check out the shot of Harry rocking some serious sideburns and, seriously, if Harry was your client, would you let him talk?

Check out "Work"

Comedy Is A Dangerous Business

The nice folks at Funny or Die are using sarcasm to try to push for a healthcare public option. It's more die than funny, but on the plus side, it has Megan Fox in it.

Click here to see "Protect Insurance Companies."

Creigh Deeds Clonks Bob McDonnell A Good One

The Virginia governor race is getting nasty. (I know you're shocked.) Creigh Deeds lays a pretty good lick on his opponent with this very nicely produced ad about women's rights. It plays in DC, but will it work outside of NOVA?

Click here to see "Why Did You?"

DCCC Ad Has Finally Gone Too Far

The DCCC's ad tearing into Republicans for their opposition to Obama's health plan didn't even move the meter here at PAG World Headquarters until we hit the :34 second mark.

Make fun of Rush Limbaugh? Fine.
Abuse Glenn Beck? Go for it.
Talk trash about Grassley? Ho-hum.

But when you start attacking Fox News uber-hottie Megyn Kelly, well, them's fightin' words.

DCCC, we're calling you out. After school, by the swings. Apologize for sullying Megyn Kelly's good name or we're gonna have to step outside.

Megyn, we got your back.

Click hear to watch the DCCC's "Fight Fear"

Chris Daggett Steals (borrows?) An Uplifting Idea

I've read some nice reviews about the new ad produced by NJ Independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett. The same reviews I read when a company called Becel did the ad the first time in Canada.

For some reason "independent" and "copying" don't go together so well. Stealing ideas is bad. Fire the agency. Today.

Click here to see Chris Daggett's "Escalator" Ad
Clck here to see the Becel "Escalator" Ad

RIP, Ted Kennedy

Senator Kennedy worked the airwaves right to the end. Here's his last spot in support of Sen. Dodd's work on healthcare. Godspeed, sir.

Americans United For Change "Hammers" Home The Metaphor

In their new ad called "Blueprint," Americans United For Change urges Congress to support the Obama budget plan. Hopefully, we can get some money for new metaphors because the construction ones are all used up.

Build your opinion, click here.

The Dallas Hotel Battle: Going Up?

There's a big fight brewing in Dallas. The city wants to pay to build a $500 million convention center hotel. Hotel owners aren't so excited, so they managed to get it on the ballot.

Now, the day after the city started demolition on the selected hotel site, the anti-hotel people have gone on TV. (One odd note, the "anti" hotel people are campaigning for a "yes" vote. Ask the Prop 8 people how well that worked out for them.)

This is gonna get nasty. Oh wait, it already has. Click here to watch "Anti-Hotel."

President Obama, Can You Buy The DNC A Microphone?

The DNC has pooped out another "he-said, she-said" internet spot that seems to keep both sides busy during these political dog days. This one is noteworthy only because the voiceover appears to have been recorded via cell phone.

I'm sure the Obama campaign has a little cash left over to spring for a nice, new Neumann M-149, right?

Click here to watch the DNC's "Economy"

Scott Murphy Runs From Cameras

It's time for shaky tracking video and the good ol' "ripped from the headlines" effect in the New York-20 race. Things are getting tense.

Click here to watch "Doesn't Want You To Know"

Jim Tedisco borrows a tagline from Darrell Aubertine. Hey, taglines don't grow on trees.

Apparently upstate New York has only one tagline, "he's one of us." The Tedisco campaign is using the line just months after Darrell Aubertine used it in his successful state senate campaign. Hey, if it works, uh, borrow it.

Click here to watch Darrell Aubertine's "One of Us"

Click here to watch Jim Tedisco's "One of Us"

Tedisco Is Off To The Races in NY-20

In what should be the hottest Congressional special in the country, Jim Tedisco has come out of the blocks with this RNC-funded bio piece.

Do me a favor, will you? Leave the overcoat home.

Click here to see "One of Us"

I Thought Tom Daschle Had A Limo?

From the Political Ad Guy archives located deep beneath the sub-sub-basement of an abandoned J. Walter Thompson corporate retreat camp, here's an old campaign ad from Tom Daschle talking about how he drives to work every day in an old Pontiac.

My how times have changed.

Click here to watch "Old Car"

My Favorite "Congratulations Obama" Ad So Far

From a surprising source with an angle that actually moves the advertiser's position forward. Check out this spot from CatholicVote.org.

Click here to watch "Imagine."

Rod Blagojevich: A little older, a little wiser?

Cleaning out the archives, I ran across this little gubernatorial tidbit where Governor Blagojevich touts his many accomplishments and then promises to do better because he's a little older and a little wiser. Hmm.