It’s low hanging fruit, I know it is, but I just can’t resist commenting on Christine O’Donnell’s latest campaign commercial.
When last we saw Ms. O’Donnell, she was, of course, telling us that she was not a witch while wearing a black dress in front of a dark background with and eerie mist/smoke-like effect going on behind here. There are all sorts of nuance to that commercial that made her seem ‘witch-like’ to many people. Not a great start to her ad campaign.
Despite the fact that this ad was widely panned not only for the “I am not a witch….” start to it, but also for the visuals that I just described, it is odd that the campaign has decided to stay with the theme. Obviously, this is the “I’m you.” ad campaign internally. The problem is that it is now the “I am not a witch.” ad campaign to everyone else.
I understand the social conservative aversion to education, but many of us would like our kids to attend an institution like Yale, so I’m not sure that it is a great idea to treat a Yale education as a disease. It’s also interesting that she name drops schools she allegedly attended, like Oxford University earlier in her campaign, but now that is a liability. Finally, given her generally dismal and embarrassing record on her education C.V. in the last few months, why would you want to bring up your opponents education at all?
She looks a bit uncomfortable and awkward early, I think the director should have worked with her on this. Of course, she’s out of character. She’s trying to act the somber, serious part and has to slow herself down to do that.
I am really not sure why, other than money, the campaign would have continued with this theme after the reaction to the first commercial. I really feel that just the whole look and feel of this series was compromised as soon as the candidate uttered “I am not a witch.”
Finally there is the title: “What I’m made of.” There is only one thing that comes to mind when you still have the first commercials’ “I am not a witch.” in your mind. It’s instinctive; indeed, reflexive for many of us, and cannot help Ms. O’Donnell one iota. When she says they “saw what you were made of” there can be only one answer: wood.
I'm sorry. I said I knew it was low hanging fruit but I simply could not resist sharing my impressions.
P.S. – I’m still not you.
Comments welcome,
Pat McGovern
