It doesn’t particularly matter who does, just as long as he’s mentioned.
Perhaps Joe Biden will think he can get a jab in at the Romney campaign for threatening to cut the funding to PBS. Or maybe Paul Ryan will choose to bring it up sua sponte. Either way, I hope it’s brought up.
Why?
First watch this newly released ad from the Obama campaign, and then I’ll explain. Also, please note the first eight words of the ad:
I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
Quite the ad.
At this point in the campaign, I should know to expect the unexpected.
Even so, I’m struck that what a sitting President would choose to take from an hour and half of honest debate about the serious issues facing our country, is an offhand remark his opponent made about a fictional giant yellow bird.
Seriously, is this the state of the Obama campaign? This ad says more about what the President hasn’t done in the last four years than Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan ever could. What’s more, the President knows that his only remaining tactic available to win the election is one that is the hallmark of a desperate candidate.
The President’s own remarks from the 2008 campaign underscore this point perfectly. (h/t CNN)
“If you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things,” Obama said.
This is essentially a retroactive admission that Obama’s 2012 campaign is in panic mode, and its something that Ryan needs to exploit in the debate this Thursday. The Obama campaign is out of ideas, and their entire strategy hinges on the hope that they can distract people from the real issues.
So please, somebody, anybody, bring up Big Bird at the next debate.
If this happens, Paul Ryan can expose to the wider American public that by President Obama’s own admission, he has not earned reelection from the American people.
UPDATE: Sesame Street wants the Obama campaign to take the ad down.
“Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns,” a Tuesday statement on Sesameworkshop.org reads. “We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down.”
**Facepalm**
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Think they’re desperate now? In two days the last of the pre-debate, pro-Obama poll data drops off the running poll – Romney’s lead will tick up another 1-2 points. Then comes the Ryan/Biden debate Thursday night, where Biden will have nothing but snark and pettiness to offer up against Ryan’s facts and figures. Does Ryan know how to proceed in a big stage debate? Well, he’s certainly got a good example, a good model to follow from October 3rd, doesn’t he?
Obama cares more about fictional character Big Bird than real people such as Ambassador Stevens, Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, and Glenn Doherty. Or rather former real people. Now those four are really dead.
Yes, and in the free market Big Bird is doing fine. I’m worried about the rest of the private sector.
Since when is Obama a friend of Big Bird
is this ad REALLY legit, from his campaign?!
Eric Holder and Obama prosecuted who ?
There’s only one thing that sticks out to me about this ad, though the casual viewer probably won’t notice it. Let’s look at that litany of Wall Street “criminals” and “gluttons of greed,” which later get juxtaposed with Big Bird. You have Bernie Madoff, Ken Lay and Dennis Kozlowski. So two CEOs prosecuted and convicted by George W. Bush’s Justice Department, and Madoff, whose son turned him in before Obama took office, in December 2008, and who pleaded guilty.
As an aside, Ken Lay was, indeed, convicted, but his conviction was vacated due to his death, since he had an appeal pending which could not go forward. I doubt the Lay family is happy about his being called a “criminal” in the Dems ad.
But Neo…that happened while Bush was in the White House, so it MUST be his fault.
Oscar The Grouch called…
he wants the bird back.
Obama flipped the Big Bird at America, and even Fiery Lake Of Dog Crap is embarrassed.
Your post prompted me to make a quick side trip to FDL. Wow! They’ve gone full-on schizo over there. Those people make “Sybil” look well-adjusted.
My 4yo daughter said that “Romney is going to kill Big Bird”. I told her that Romney is just going to teach Big Bird how to fly on his own and leave the nest. Øbama wants Big Bird to stay in the nest forever and never learn to fly on his own. Have you ever seen Big Bird fly? Well now you will.
She like that, but missed the subtlety. 😉
“Øbama wants Big Bird to stay in the nest forever and never learn to fly on his own.” You can segue that thought into why the Democrats, needing the Teachers Union money, are against the School Voucher Program.
That’s okay. She’s a 4yo and has a loving parent who willing to take time to teach her. In time, all indications point toward, she’ll learn more about “straw man” arugments and how to recognize other such fallacies. Most likely, too, she’ll be grateful for having had such an upbringing.
If that were my daughter I’d wonder where she heard that “Romney wants to kill Big Bird”. If it were at day care I’d be looking for another provider.
It’s a sad day when four-year-olds are the target of indoctrination.
You do know that it’s considered racist in polite circles to use the president’s own words against him, don’t you?
Uncouth youth!
LukeHandCool (who, speaking of big birds, can’t help but recall the time he picked up his sweet nephew, Jim, at preschool one day. Jim had social phobia like many in Luke’s family, and when Luke arrived to pick him up, Jim was standing apart from the other kids, looking nervous and unhappy. Luke felt so sad for Jim that Luke called his sister to ask if he could take Jim to Marineland for the afternoon. Jim was happy and excited on the way. But when Luke and Jim were seated in the stadium seats to watch their first show, the pilot whale and dolphin show, Jim, looking nervous, suddenly said to Luke, “Can we go home?” Luke was flabbergasted. But, with the view afforded by the elevated stadium seating, Luke zoomed in on the yellow school buses in the parking lot. School field trips. Luke now looked around and, indeed, realized he and his nephew were now surrounded largely by kids about Jim’s age, making him nervous. “But Jim,” Luke protested, “Professor Pelican is about to come out and start telling us all about dolphins. You love Professor Pelican.” Jim sweetly protested back, “I hate that bird.”)
What an unbelievably stupid and pointless ad!
Big Bird had the final say …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rupuEkIh9G4
I grabbed in case removed so I can constantly remind people what this potus feels is important.
I am trying to understand why Obama thinks a highly profitable multi billion $ organization needs federal subsidies? They charge like $30 for a small low quality made in china by non-union labour using non-ragnic materials stuffed doll, and $50 / person to go to their rather small theme park. WTF? Why the hell should they be entitled to my tax dollars????!!!! Just because some guy is dressing himself up like a giant yellow bird doesn’t entitle him to my tax dollars. Outrageous. just Outrageous.
Biden *will* say something stupid. I hope Ryan is ready with some zingers when he does. My suggestions:
“…and you’re a heartbeat away from the nuclear button?…”
“My uncle said the same thing about Roswell.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“Three letters: L.O.C.O.”
“That’s our Vice President, the former Senator from the state of Unaware.”
“Articulately said…bright and clean, too.”
“My cat has a more coherent foreign policy than this administration.”
This is right out of the Alinsky “Rules for Radicals: playbook:
The more we use ridicule as OUR weapon, the less effect it has coming from only one side. To paraphrase George C. Scott as a jubilant George Patton, “Alinsky, you filthy bastard! I read your book!”
“I should know to expect the unexpected.”
If by this you mean stupidity, classlessness, tastelessness, lies and distortions coming out of the Obama regime’s minions mouths; then yes.
You should know this by now. But I would guess, you’re a patient guy who’s a bit of an optimist. Particularly when a high and prestigious office is involved.
Obama has been a disappointment to so many for so many reasons. The man truly needs to be shut down hard so that he and the organization that spawned and nurtured him cannot do this ever again.
Obama should get his own bird. He should build it himself.
Its good to see Romney on the offensive on this one:
http://weaselzippers.us/2012/10/09/romney-hammers-obama-over-his-big-bird-obsession/
I think this is almost (I said it – *almost*) a can’t miss for Romney. The comments above and elsewhere around the internet help nail it:
– more concerned about saving a fictional character than real-life Ambassador Stevens or others
– more concerned about bailing out “Too Big (Bird) To Fail” characters that bring millions in licensing revenue and can clearly stand on their own than fixing real infrastructure issues in the country
– more concerned about liberal donor millionaire PBS executives subsidies than real life out of workers
As TrooperJohn above said, ridicule is a potent weapon. And this one is begging for a Really Big Mortar round of ridicule.
Fire away, folks – hit ’em while they are down and desparate, don’t let them re-group. (Figuratively speaking. This is the new era of politically correct civility).
This just came across my desk . . . In response to the persistent urging of the White House (read the continual nagging of Valerie Jarrett), the DOJ is taking steps to have Big Bird placed on the Endangered Species List. Stay tuned for updates . . .
That is the *most* juvenile thing I think I’ve ever seen from a major political campaign. Seriously??!! That’s supposed to convince whom? Of what? All it does is tell me that Obama has the mentality of a pot-smoking middle-school jock prepping for jr. high mock trial tryouts. I mean, that’s Beavis and Butthead-level material. Only not as edgy.
It maintains the public focus on the disastrous debate from which the Big Bird thing emerged. Hate them as we might, the Obama campaign team is not stupid. Going the juvenile Big Bird route, keeping the debate loss in public view, and trivializing real problems by deciding Big Bird is what they need to focus on all indicate that desperation is rising within the Obama team. Expect staff shakeups as the DNC starts pointing these things out and demanding changes.
While our focus is on kid’s programming, let me just say it’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.
One might suppose this was spawned by the same people who thought having their picture taken groping a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton was a good idea.
Ignoring the huge things, such as what is happening in the Middle East, and focusing on something minor and irrelevant, like Big Bird, is another symptom of his NPD. Don’t look for logic in a person who is mentally unwell.
My god, who is in charge of the campaign, Walter Lantz?
I just saw about the demand to take the ad with Big Bird down.
Again just like with AARP Ill ask Obama: Who the hell do you think you are?
And the notion of the Big Bird ad? What voting bloc are you after? The 6-10 year olds?
This brilliant campaign move is the product of the smartest man on earth?
No wonder the economy is in the toilet
http://memegenerator.net/instance/28080145
The ad was trying to achieve mockery in the absence of having anything substantive to say.
What it actually achieved was an actionable violation of trademark, the tort of false light misrepresentation, and — had the ad not been responded to immediately with a take-down letter — a technical violation of Sesame Street’s non-profit tax status.
It’s worse.
This ad taints every government worker or contractor who will get laidoff in the new few months .. equating them with Bernie Madoff, Ken Lay, the “gluttons of greed”
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/10/obama-camp-big-bird-ad-a-response-to-grassroots-outcry-137913.html
Obama fell for the bait … the hook is set. Obama is talking about Big Bird. And Big Bird makes $200 million a year at least, and the CEO makes a million. They are the one percent, and Obama is fighting for them, while looking silly spending money defending the big rich yellow bird.
I don’t doubt Romney thought through the ramifications of using the bird. Obama has been waiting for specifics, so they could target them and claim “see, look what those mean Repub’s will take from you”. (like the Ryan pushing granny off the cliff thingy).
So Romney gave Obama some bait … here Barack … defend this wealthy bird, you bird brain. You’ll look silly, and people will find out how profitable Sesame Street is … and they might even resent public funding for such a rich enterprise … especially if they ever paid $25 each for Bert and Ernie dolls.
Any number of cable channels would jump at the chance to pick up Sesame Street. There is absolutely no reason PBS needs to distribute and support Big Bird, Elmo or any of those other welfare recipients.
If Big Bird leaves Sesame Street, Obama could appoint him to be our U.N. Ambassador. Can’t be any worse than Susan Rice.
Why is Hillary wearing Miss Piggy’s hairstyle & necklace ?
The campaign didn’t even bother to get permission to use Big Bird’s image? Really??
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-ad-ruffles-feathers-sesame-street-article-1.1178366
Mitt Romney made a comment: that was fair use. The image, however, required permission.
Are we being punked?
I think it’s brilliant. They have nothing to talk about so they found a way to mock Romney in a funny way. These guys are really creative. Of course when you have no moral compass, it’s easy to be creative.
I just don’t like what the Romney campaign is doing with their TV ads right now. They should be replaying the moments from the debate…over and over and over and over…remind the public why they like Romney. Go in for the kill.
Bryan, thank you for posting the video of Barry-O’s Big Bird ad. I’ve been seeing references to it all over the blogosphere today but oddly, none of the posts I saw had the actual ad.
Maybe they thought it would be supporting Obama to include the ad but it’s so juvenile nobody would consider it a positive for him.
I completely agree and would also like to recommend that the romney camp & supporters should run with this stupidity. By which I mean, if the Democrats want to make big bird part of their platform… we should encourage them to do so.
Someone out there with video editing capabilities should dub the sesame street theme music into EVERY obama campaign ad, dub it into EVERY speech/appearance obama makes. Heckle Obama with “Sunnnny Daaaay” chants where ever he goes.
I say, if they want to associate their president with make believe kiddie programming, then by all means… let them have it their way!
Seriously?? we’re digging up…..Dennis Kozlowski?? He was convicted 7 years ago! I don’t think he’s public enemy #1 anymore. Guess Obi’One couldn’t risk something on his watch.
Obama wants us to have a “Big Turd”.
I want liberty.
Obama will be defeated in a landslide.
[…] HT: Legal Insurrection […]
If Obama is going to treat the Americans like children, why doesn’t he just go all the way and announce that, if re-elected, he’ll name Muppets to Cabinet posts in a second term? They couldn’t be any worse than those he has in those positions now.
How about Big Bird at Education? He’s got the alphabet nailed — something that can’t be said of many public school students. Or Kermit the Frog at EPA? He knows how hard it is to be green. Cookie Monster makes sense at Agriculture, Oscar the Grouch at Defense, Snuffleupagus at Labor, and Miss Piggy at State (even if she never was on “Sesame Street”).
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/100912-628753-modest-proposal-for-big-bird-obama.htm#ixzz28tlNmlcg
As long as we can get the two old guys from the balcony to be in charge of social services.