Hypocrisy is as Hypocrisy does Mr Gump
Republicans demanding to have it both ways in campaign ads?
Members of the Republican party, from local candidates running for city councils up to President Bush have used images of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan along with images from the 9/11 attacks in their campaign ads over the past 5 years. They did this when public opinion was more favorable towards our military actions and President Bush was receiving credit and praise for his response to the attacks of September 11th, 2001.
Fast forward to 2006 and public opinion on our military actions has shifted. Americans are growing more uneasy with the administration’s foreign and domestic policies, lack of attention to environmental concerns, rising gas prices and continued headlines of scandal among top members of the Republican party.
As the November mid-terms draw near the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has released a 75 second video ad that shows a burning car being looked upon by soldiers (apparently in Iraq), factory smoke stacks pouring pollutions into the air, rising fuel prices, flag covered coffins returning home and New Orleans after Katrina hit; followed by images of President Bush, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney with a caption reading “American families are paying the price”.
All of this is then followed by scenes depicting soldiers, mothers and children, police officers, veterans groups, construction workers and other Americans along with various leaders of the Democratic party who are smiling, optimistically at the voice-over message that Bill Clinton delivers, “There is nothing wrong with America that can not be cured by what is right with America”.
Today, members of the GOP are crying in outrage at this video. Claiming “Democrats will stoop to any low” and that “This despicable video exploits the deaths of our nations heroes and belittles their sacrifice.”.
Well, is that how Republicans felt about their own ads over the past 5 years which used images of soldiers and worse, images from Ground Zero?
Look, I don’t think any of these ads are in good taste and would prefer if neither party politicized terror and the war in Iraq any further. However, you [Republicans] can’t cry foul at Democrats for using the exact same images you have for the past 5 years just because public opinion has turned and it’s no longer favorable to your party.
Hypocrisy is as Hypocrisy does, Mr. Gump.
Image source: Salon
About Scott Bannon
A conservative liberal with a perspicuous perspective on American politics.
Scott's writings have been published on dozens of news and opinion outlets both online and off.
