Patterico's Pontifications

5/18/2011

Mediscaring Reaches Ridiculous Depths

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:29 pm



We all knew something like this was coming.

Via Hot Air.

50 Responses to “Mediscaring Reaches Ridiculous Depths”

  1. 1. Was America beautiful before 1965?

    1a. Bonus question: in what year was the song written?

    2. Can we say “blood libel” yet?

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  2. I could change one title card on that video that would fix it.

    Instead of “Now Republicans want to privatize Medicate,” it would say, “Now Democrats would rather see Medicare beneficiaries go off the same financial cliff as they’re pushing the rest of the country toward.”

    Then it would be true.

    Beldar (7c0dd5)

  3. Civility!

    Imagine if some conservative had used this kind of ad against Giffords. But Paul Ryan is a damn murderer for wanting to steal medicare from grannies. Never mind that he actually specifically isn’t doing that… we’re trying to scare grannies dammit. Gotta elect Democrats, no matter what.

    A response ad of appropriate seriousness has already been produced.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  4. Then it would be true.

    Comment by Beldar —

    And the metaphor would actually work this time!

    Actually, the ad opens us up for that old Clinton trick. ‘So and so is saying this ugly thing, using this shameful scare tactic, but consider that under the democrat plan to ignore the problem, medicare will collapse, and we will not be able to fund any benefits. [illustrated with their own image of dumping granny, but with a superimposed summary].

    It would be harder for the Civility!!! MSM to bash the conservatives for this stark imagery.

    I wish I was better equipped to edit videos.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  5. that was so scary I hate Republicans they’re so mean I hope I never get old but what’s also scary is how Daddy Soros’s limpdick ghetto trash rent boy in our white house is throwing our whole little country off a horrifying precipice of debt and we’re all speeding towards the rocks below head-first every one of us

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  6. with the bird I share this lonely view and

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  7. From the creators of the ad,

    The Agenda Project’s goal is to build a powerful, intelligent, well-connected political movement capable of identifying and advancing rational, effective ideas in the public debate and in so doing ensure our country’s enduring success.

    Between out-dated political parties, self-interested multi-national corporations, and ineffectual elected officials, good values and common sense have lost their power in the public debate. Our goal is to return normal Americans to the center of the policy debate by cultivating an understanding of public policy, facilitating common action, and connecting the best ideas and the strongest leaders with engaged citizens, elected officials, the media, political insiders, and experts through a variety of in-person and on-line platforms.

    Dana (4eca6e)

  8. Milhouse, I cheated and googled the date for “America the Beautiful,” but I still can’t figure out the special significance of the date, if there is one.

    It is a great song. I performed the Carmen Dragon arrangement of it with the Longhorn Band several times in college, and done well, it would bring goosebumps to the arms of even the musicians.

    Beldar (7c0dd5)

  9. Cavuto had the low-life who produced this video on his show today.

    Everytime he asked her why the video advanced the debate, she always went back to the money spent on defense projects.

    No matter what Cavuto said, though, she never stopped smiling with a dead-eye stare, reverting back to her talking points.

    It was sad. She was completely devoid of emotion about the vile video she produced. But those aircraft engines were bad, as she smiled and refused to acknowledge the deficit.

    Ag80 (867d1b)

  10. This is why Liberals are mentally ill degenerates.

    Sponge Bob Square Pants (fccc6f)

  11. here’s the Cavuto with the creepy hoochie what made the video Mr. 80

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  12. Dana, that gobbledegook sounds like an attempt to distance themselves from democrats. Also, I have to wonder what age they are hoping to return us to. We’ve never been more connected to the policy debates. It’s just that it’s the internet and Tea Party rallies, and that’s not so easy for the right people to control.

    AG80, I wish I had seen that. Of course, the drone lady was hoping for her ad to be played for free by FNC. Anyway, I think Beldar’s reaction would be a good way to handle these kinds of attacks. As spending cuts look more and more likely, that will lead a lot parasites to use more aggressive ads. We either respond or they will probably scare a lot of people.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  13. Dana (#7), so you’re saying they’re, umm, neutral?

    (wink)

    Beldar (7c0dd5)

  14. Thanks, happy. It was creepiest thing I have ever seen, other than the late night horror show on IFC.

    Ag80 (867d1b)

  15. Maybe I am an idealist, but I think this kind of ad is so over the top that it is bound to backfire. Yeah, all the foaming-at-the-mouth lefties will buy in to this completely, but it’s not as if our side was ever going to win them over. I think those people who are worried about the huge deficits and debt that we have run up, but have real concerns about the consequences of making a major change to Medicare, will find this ad to be so silly that it will do more harm to the Dems’ position than good. I hope my trust in the basic intelligence and decency of the American public is not misplaced.

    JVW (24ee9a)

  16. i am with jvw.

    the old are not this stupid.

    A straighter message would have been more convincing.

    “republicans want to cut your medicare down so you can’t afford treatment.”

    But increasingly, old people don’t want to suck the blood out of the young.

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  17. The Agenda Project founder (seen on the Cavuto clip) is a prog…

    Prior to founding the Agenda Project and the Tesseract Group, Payne co-founded the Democracy Alliance, a donor collaborative whose partners have invested over $100 million in progressive organizations.

    Her early career included serving as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee during the 1996 presidential re-election campaign

    …and Soros, Elizabeth Warren, blah, blah, usual suspects.

    Beldar @ 13, how could you tell?!

    Dana (4eca6e)

  18. Maybe I am an idealist, but I think this kind of ad is so over the top that it is bound to backfire.

    And the reason I think it will backfire is because the Agenda Project doesn’t understand that the vast majority of Americans – contrary to their claims – still value common sense, are guided by it, and exercise power because of it every minute of every day, in the many small *political* debates of our daily lives as well as in the big arena. (See: Tea Party). They are so wrong headed but they can’t be anything else or they wouldn’t have a *project* left.

    Between out-dated political parties, self-interested multi-national corporations, and ineffectual elected officials, good values and common sense have lost their power in the public debate.

    Dana (4eca6e)

  19. Let’s back up for a second.

    That video was produced for a reaction. Cavuto dismissed it’s sincerity with his interview of the producer.

    Don’t be mislead by juvenile productions. They are attempts to obviscate rather than inform. And they will never be seen.

    Ag80 (867d1b)

  20. Her early career included serving as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee during the 1996 presidential re-election campaign

    Great find, Dana.

    The Cavuto interview was worth watching. They time the replay of the video well, showing this rather brutal murder of an old lady who is fighting back, as Payne calls the victim ‘sweet’, as though she needed to make it even more dramatic.

    Beldar’s point is brought up, actually repeatedly, and her response is to ‘wait a couple of years’. Ha!

    Dustin (c16eca)

  21. America was beautiful long before 1965 when Medicare was signed into law. I think people need to be reminded that Medicare is a really new thing in the big scheme of things.

    elissa (98e681)

  22. Poke around the Project Agenda site…filled with interesting little tidbits.

    Dana (4eca6e)

  23. Milhouse, I cheated and googled the date for “America the Beautiful,” but I still can’t figure out the special significance of the date, if there is one.

    The significance of the date is that it was before 1965. When it was written there was no Medicare or Great Society, there was no Social Security or New Deal, and there was not even the “Progressive” programs of the early 20th century. And America was beautiful without them. If the makers don’t think so, if they’ve never felt proud of America until it enacted Medicare, or until it elected Obama, then let them not use the song.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  24. In answer to any liberal who accuses Republicans of wanting granny dead, just ask which party values life more. If he says Democrats, ask which party wnted Terri Schiavo to live and which party wanted to pull the plug.

    Conservatives are the ones who value life.

    Corky Boyd (202337)

  25. Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think it’s significant to emphasize that Medicare only dates back to 1965. I can remember that, but the vast majority of potential voters may assume that Medicare, like Social Security, was some “New Deal” thing that dates back to FDR.

    Thanks, Milhouse. More power to you.

    Beldar (7c0dd5)

  26. (I’m also agreeing with elissa in #21.)

    Beldar (7c0dd5)

  27. Where are the trolls defenders of this video?

    Icy Texan (613df9)

  28. So the “agenda” of the Agenda Project is to engage in hate-filled fear mongering?

    Nice.

    Icy Texan (613df9)

  29. I have to say, I chuckled at this ad.
    Don’t get me wrong, it is way over the top and the premise of it is dark and disturbing but the entire time this add was going on, all I could picture in my mind is the pat 20 years of knowing that medicare/ss/medicade will go under by the time I would need it if solutions were not put in place to make it solvent.

    In all seriousness, someone who has the talent to make these things should make a video that almost mirrors this one, maybe have grandpa in the chair instead of grandma, stating the fact that it will all go under by doing nothing.

    justavoter (b003e1)

  30. I think I will ask the Agenda Project what they thing about Obama taking a half Trillion Dollars out of Medicare

    Dan Kauffman (9a7fc3)

  31. I LIKE the ratio of likes to dislikes on this video LOL same as some of their other videos 2 to 1 against

    Dan Kauffman (9a7fc3)

  32. Ok, I got it.

    This is the video that needs to be done.

    The commercial starts:

    A man in an expensive suit with a “hope and change” button tosses an old man out of his wheel chair from the top of a skysckraper.
    Cut to scene two, the first man moves away down a roped off partition(like you see at amusement parks) and another man in the same suit, with the same button tosses an old woman from the skyscraper………………The camera pans up to do a shot from overhead that shows the entire city and beyond as far as the eye can see and all we see is millions of people being pushed in wheel chairs into the skyscraper.

    Fade to black with the words, without “real” change, there is no hope.

    I want royalties on this by the way.

    justavoter (b003e1)

  33. In all seriousness, someone who has the talent to make these things should make a video that almost mirrors this one, maybe have grandpa in the chair instead of grandma, stating the fact that it will all go under by doing nothing.

    Grandpa? How about uncle? As in, Uncle Sam.

    Because Obama is certainly pushing this country toward the cliff edge.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  34. OK, how about this.

    Grandpa & Grandma, their adult kids and grandkids are all at the Grand Canyon.

    Obama is there. (stay with me)

    They’re all smiling and laughing.

    Obama gives a sign, Hopey-changers march in and toss the little kids into the canyon.

    Adults are aghast, Obama writes them a check.

    Close-up. Smiles all around.

    Whaddaya think?

    Pious Agnostic (291f9a)

  35. Anybody recognize the location used in that ad? It kinda looks like Starved Rock, IL to me. Usually somebody falls off there about once a year.

    The all-time best push-granny-to-her-death scene on film is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039536/. Richard Widmark nails the psycho-creep villian character.

    gp (72be5d)

  36. should have just used a death panel.

    Bruuuuce (411830)

  37. Since we’re all writing screenplays, how about this?

    Scene shows 30 working people in various costumes from bib overalls to business suits. They are in harness, pulling grandpa up a gentle slope. Everyone is smiling. The caption says it’s 1935 and the social safety net works great because so many workers are supporting only a few people in need.

    Then the years begin to tick by, and the number of people in harness gradually decreases and grandpa gets fatter and heavier, the slope gets steeper, and the workers begin to strain.

    Then instead of pulling, the last few workers get behind gramps to try pushing and pushing. Finally, the 2nd last guy falls down, leaving one lonely laborer behind the chair, and we can see that there is still someone in harness, trying to pull from off camera.

    The camera pans to the person in front, an 8 year old child, and the caption says that our children are going to have to be able to lift the burden we’re putting on them, as the kids sweats and strains just to keep grandpa from rolling backwards.

    Last scene: the kid hits an emergency release button and the wheelchair rolls backwards over the laborer, and careens down the hill smashing all the people who had been pushing and pulling.

    Gesundheit (d7ea47)

  38. In Part II they dump grandma at Galt’s Gulch.

    Bruuuuce (f450ba)

  39. In part III we also torture Granny with air pollution you forgot that Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  40. Screen plays?

    Family meeting around a kitchen table

    the men look grim, the women are teary eyed and wringing their hands

    Words scrolling across the screen

    If America was a family making 40K/yr the 1.1 Trillon dollar Iraq War would be like them making
    $50/week payments for 8 years

    Man’s voice. “The last 8 years have not been easy for the family, but we made our payments”

    Words scrolling across the screen

    This years Federal spending and deficit are like that same family spending 70k every penny they are going to make and 30K they don’t have

    Man’s voice “But what he is doing now we just can’t afford”

    Woman ducks her head.

    Man’s voice “He not only plans to spend every penny we are going to make this year, but 30K we don’t have and he plans on doing the same thing NEXT Year and the Year after and has NO intention of changing!”

    Woman Sobs

    Man’s voice “If this goes on the Family Business is GONE, there will be nothing left for our Children!”

    Man’s voice “We don’t have a CHOICE we have to get him some HELP, we have to. to save what we have left”

    Women are weeping softly, Men are blinking their eyes and trying to maintain

    Man’s Voice “We CAN’T ignore this ANY LONGER!

    We HAVE to do SOMETHING about UNCLE SAM!”

    Man’s voice softly speaking “while there is still something left to save”

    Dan Kauffman (623f5c)

  41. The RNC should come out with an ad having the democrats throw chains on children to illustrate the servitude their policies are instituting on the next generation.

    scott (7e3f2f)

  42. If the problem is a lack of workers, why not just let in more immigrants?

    Bruuuce (8c9005)

  43. If the problem is a lack of workers why not let in more illegal immigrants

    FIFY dearie.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  44. Immigrants are actually of way better character than your average American… Americans in Barack Obama’s America are a lazy and cowardly food stamp people with little ambition and what are prone to slavish subservience to the state. So the key thing if we invite more immigrant friends to come live with us is that we need to resolve not to assimilate them.

    That would be unfair to them. That would be unfair to us.

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  45. Bruuuce, I’d prefer letting in more legal immigrants, a lot more legal immigrants, once the Democrats quit undermining the American working poor by allowing so many illegal immigrants to stay here without any real enforcement.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  46. I don’t think this will fly with the average senior. Unlike the narcissistic woman who made the commercial, I believe most seniors are concerned for the well being of their grand children. I don’t believe they will want to leave a massive debt to their grand children. And isn’t there some responsibility to provide for grandma’s health by her relatives?

    Tanny O'Haley (12193c)

  47. “Bruuuce, I’d prefer letting in more legal immigrants, a lot more legal immigrants, once the Democrats quit undermining the American working poor by allowing so many illegal immigrants to stay here without any real enforcement.”

    The easiest way to let in legal immigrants would be to…. let people be legal.

    Bruuuce (954132)

  48. Iamadimwit is craptacularly dumb. The easiest way to reduce the number of criminals is to quit charging people with crimes.

    JD (d48c3b)

  49. It’s a basic lesson from the Prohibition Era. Contra drinking or drugs, though, with immigration there’s the added bonus that we actually want more legal immigrants. At least if we’re following the original line that we need more workers.

    Bruuuce (f22ca9)


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