Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mike Teevee: Johanns on the air (and a new Kleeb)

Mike Johanns will begin airing campaign ads today statewide.

**UPDATE 2:45pm**
Scott Kleeb also has a new ad up. See it with our commentary below.

His first ad, entitled "Proven. Tested. Trusted." is below. Take a look:



Our initial reaction is that this ad is...OK.
It generally gives a nice wrap-up of Johanns's career, re-introducing him to Nebraska.

But...

The initial problem seems to be the visuals.

First his wife Stephanie is centered on the ad. That's fine to include her, but we're not sure it should have been on the initial shot. And Mike should probably have been in the middle. We're immediately thinking, "Who is this an ad for?"

Problem is, that sort of continues.

We're presented with that western rancher theme that Scott Kleeb has glommed onto. The first shots we see are of some cowboy-hatted galute walking around with his baseball-hatted nine year old son. Wait, is that Mike? Did he get taller? What's with the hat? And who's that kid? The faces are all shadowed, so it's sort of unknown.

The shots of the Galute and his Boy continue, as we're waiting and waiting to see Mike's face.
Then a big close-up of Boy under the "Nebraska Values" logo.

Is the Boy running for something we don't know about? Is that Max Yashirin?

Finally we get a shot of Mike in the cathedral-like barn, with the light streaming in, talking to the Galute and his brother.

Nice visual and all, but again, it's all silhouetted. What do we gotta do to see his face? It's like waiting to see the Joker's face in the "Dark Knight" trailer. Was Mike's face horribly disfigured in some tragic cow-milking accident? Can we see him?

FINALLY, 27 seconds into this 30 second spot, we get a close-up of Johanns.
But then they back-off showing him walking with the Galute brothers, again silhouetted.

So in the end is this all too...artsy? If you replaced Johanns's name with Scott Kleeb's (and changed "tested and ready" with "hope and change" ) would you be that surprised? Is this the Mike Johanns that we know?

We have a feeling that once we start hearing Johanns himself in the ads things will improve.

Until then, we guess we'll just enjoy the cowboy campaign for a while.

***

Here is Scott Kleeb's new ad, entitled, you guessed it, "Nebraska Values".



In this, you hear Kleeb blather on telling YOU what "Nebraska Values" are (because you, who have lived in Nebraska your whole life, don't really understand what they are, apparently).

What the real point of the ad is, beyond visuals of the Kleeb gym pep rally, are the subliminal messages you see flashed on the screen in rapid fire. (Don't blink!)

They are:

"The Kleeb Plan"

"Cut Taxes for Working Families"
(gee, that sounds like a good idea Scott! Wow!)

"Bring Our Troops Home"
(Hmm. But Scott, didn't you say that you wouldn't provide any kind of a timeline? So, when exactly?)

"Health Care Nebraskans Can Afford"
(Wait, how does that jibe with #1 above, again?)

"New Jobs From Homegrown Energy"
(The stuff that everyone is saying is now starving the world?)

"Reduce the National Debt"
(...wait, we're still looking at #1...)

So here's the problem with the ad. Is it about "Nebraska Values" or is it about "The Kleeb Plan" (which we challenge you to find ANY details on...)?

Because each messages cancels out the other, as far as trying to get the voter to soak it in.

But you're not really supposed to worry about either. There's a pretty good chance his next ad is just going to say, "Hope! Change! Kleeb!" and show him riding a longhorn steer. And then the Dems will bat their eyes and note how pretty he is.

What say you folks?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

The voice sounds familiar in the ad. Do you know who it is?

Anonymous said...

Shoutout from Don Walton:

http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/04/30/news/local/doc4817a14502f91971197754.txt

Anonymous said...

Try this for the link:

http://tinyurl.com/42p7qg

Anonymous said...

The Primary is over, Johanns won.

Johanns' ad is focused on November voters who vote what they feel.

His ad is about humility. He has wielded enough power in Nebraska and Washington that he needs to remind voters he is a humble fellow with Midwest farm roots, while he remains dignified. Thus he is in the barn but he isn't in a cowboy costume.

The measured pace that ends with Johanns looking benevolent is not meant to satisfy political minds but rather gain a foothold on swing voters' hearts.

Anonymous said...

The Johanns commercial is great - if you're selling herbicide. That's a whole lotta barn for a :30 ad.

How can I trust Scott Kleeb to be a strong voice for me when I can barely hear him in his ad? What is with the sotto voce?

And fine, I'll say it - Scott Kleeb is no Jim Esch in the looks department. He's just not that good looking! The emperor has no clothes!

Anonymous said...

SS...

Already been done...Mongo rode a long horn into town in Blazing Saddles. As I posted last night...Kleeb's new commercial looks like a blend of "Marlboro Man" meets "Dances with Bulls."

I hope you city slickers in the First and Second are buying any of Kleeb's academic elitist hay.

Anonymous said...

That should be "aren't buying any of Kleeb's academic elitist hay."

Anonymous said...

Dynamite Willy Wonka reference, Sweeper! I can only assume you are drawing a correlation between that character's fate and the dimunitive stature of our candidate.

Well done!

Street Sweeper said...

Honcho,
Thanks for catching the reference. And no, no correlation. Just the fact that they're both named Mike.

OOitT,
I'm ashamed for not catching our own Mongo reference. (We originally had "rhino".) Ah well...

Anonymous said...

Johanns on a rino? Perfect!

Anonymous said...

Let's see. We get photos of Scott Kleeb out standing in his field, and photos of Mike Johanns out standing in some guy's barn.

When are we going to get back to the basics and hear real solutions to real problems from those that would represent us in Washington? It seems all we care about are fake issues like Nebraska Values. OK, I'll bite, I enjoy porn, smoking pot and drinking to excess. That must mean those are Nebraska Values since I'm a Nebraskan, right?

Anonymous said...

What's even funnier than this ad is Scott Kleeb advertising on National Review Online. Maybe he thought it was The Nation. Talk about a waste of money. I'm sure it only cost him 5 bucks, but that would pay for someone to drive him to the store.

Anonymous said...

Kleebs commercial is awesome!!! His values need to be transplanted here in Nebraska. A progressive and more humanitarian approach is needed and not this individualistic, self-reliance crap the conservatives talk about. We are one community. Go Scott!!!

Anonymous said...

4.0 --- I like Scott, but what has he ever done of substance. Being a hottie in a college calendar or having a Masters Degree (the last I knew the PhD was not confirmed) is not a stellar resume as qualifications for entry into the Senate of the United States.

If you sift through the rhetoric, he, like Obama, thinks more government (or you call it community) is the answer to MOST questions.

Perhaps you find solace in elites (super delegates, etc.) telling you what to do. At one time, most did not. This is our cultural struggle today. Which is better, more government or less government?

Were the fears of our founders miss guided? Go to Washington D.C. ---- (or the local library), there is a thread woven in the messages on their memorials and in their writings. They overtly cherished LIBERTY and FREEDOM from government.

4.0, as the future of our country, please don't trade our liberties and freedoms away to inefficient, ineffective, intrusive government, for a proverbial pot of porridge.

Anonymous said...

To Jane: Scott Kleeb is well qualified to be Senator. He went to REAL schools for his degrees and he has the support osf those who want to change this nation for the have nots in our society. As far as liberty Jane, you cannot have it if you don't have health care and other social programs so you can enjoy the wealth that will be shared by all people in this country. Scott's progressive stand is the enlightened path.

Anonymous said...

" As far as liberty Jane,you cannot have it if you don't have health care and other social programs so you can enjoy the wealth that will be shared by all people in this country" -

Holy Crap, I can't wait for this kid to get out in the real world.

Anonymous said...

I think Johann's, Various Titles (R), commercial could have been a lot better but before they were done filming he quit to go work on a different commercial.

Anonymous said...

TO --- 4.0

I have been telling all my friends of this brilliant comrade on Leavenworth St., YOU, 4.0. They really have never been excited about working their butts off only to share 50% or more of their fruits with others.

So we have all decided collectively “why would we want to be “sharors” and GIVE when we can be “sharees” and GET.” This is not rocket science.

This great concept is catching on like wild fire. So what is enjoyed by only part of the population today can be appreciated by EVERYONE in our land.

Tell us how we can help get you, Scott Kleeb and ALL PROGRESSIVES into office across.

History has told us that PROGRESSIVE ideas didn't work very well in the USSR or China or Cuba, or ....... but hey, this is AMERICA!!!!

4.0, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.

Anonymous said...

To Socratease: Progressiveism is not Communism. Progressives use their intellectual capital for the benefit of those who lack the capacity to make societal descisions. Those countries you mentioned used uneducated thugs to run their society. We use democratic means to select our leaders. Higher taxing of the rich is not socialist in nature. Its the governments return on investment for creating a society that allowed those capitalists the ability to become wealthy. Those monies are reinvested in the people who drive the economy.
Scott Kleeb will use his Ivy League education for the betterment of all Nebraskans

Anonymous said...

Sacre Tease,

Why don't you call what you want what it really is - feudalism.

You can go build your own little castle, build your own little army, and dominate your own little realm. Keep in mind though that you might have to take care of the health, education, and welfare of your serfs lest they become discontented and mount your head on a pike over your castle's gate.

Anonymous said...

To 4.0 UNL Student...
If you bother to do a little research on the subject, when the term socialist fell out of favor in the early 1900's, they adopted the title "progressive". I strongly suggest you emigrate to Cuba and experience that socialist worker's paradise for a decade or two before you start making decisions for anyone. If you are being taught that "we have to make society's decisions for others" crappola at UNL, we are wasting lots of taxpayer dollars supporting a very corrupt organization.

Anonymous said...

TO: 4.0

We have a serious break down in your theory.


Your hypothesis ---- "Higher taxing of the rich is not socialist in nature. Its the governments return on investment for creating a society that allowed those capitalists the ability to become wealthy."


How would you as a politico stop the Peter Soros(es) of our country from moving their highly successful, highly taxed businesses to Bermuda or other countries that have a lower tax ----- just as the hero of the left did???


He is where the previously mentioned countries needed thugs and high fences.


Your theory (or that of your professors) will not work in a REAL society of liberty and freedom.


(And trust me --- when I see low income kids with braces on their teeth, I know health care is not scarce unless it is for the middle income.)

Anonymous said...

To Ben and OmaSteak: We can solve the Soros issue by having a worldwide uniform taxing structure. You can't evade taxes from your country of citizenship. We could use the UN as the body to administer the program. They are a very efficient organization. See how Progressivism works

If Harvey Perelman ran the state we would be better off. Imagine the state govenment using the university's brain power to run the state!!! Imagine the social policies that could be created.

Anonymous said...

4.0,

They don't want brainpower running the state, they prefer nincompoops that rant and rave about issues that really won't change no matter who is elected - such as abortion, flag burning, gun control, border fences, and flags on our lapels. Issues like education, health care, defense, and infrastructure tax their itty bitty brains and they have to seek refuge in the propaganda of Faux News.

Anonymous said...

4.0 is brilliant, folks. Simply brilliant.

Anonymous said...

The sad part is how many people on here don't realize "4.0" is being sarcastic.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous: Sarcastic!!!! I think not. Help me out BTO, these guys can't handle the truth. So anonymous, you don't think the UN could help prevent corporate fat cats from paying their taxes? A global tax could actually get the world liking us instead of loathing us. John Kerrey supported this idea!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm just simply glad that Mike Johanns served with the least popular president in modern America. I'm sure this is the kind of leadership Nebraska needs.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/01/poll-bush-most-unpopular-in-modern-history/

Maybe a new nickname is necessary. Bushanns, not able to finish the farm bill before switching jobs. Now those are Nebraska values.

Anonymous said...

If you think liberty is government caring for people, you deserve to be sent to a gulag and "cared for" until you are beyond caring.

Love your Socialism, dimwit. You deserve it. America doesn't.

Anonymous said...

The Esch photo looks like someone twisted his face while trying to unscrew the top of his head.

Is that a doctored photo?

Anonymous said...

Dimwitted anonymouse,

If you live in a "society" then you must tolerate a little "socialism." Government only serves societies, loner buffoons don't need government, they can stand alone with their "liberty."

The liberty your feeble mind envisions can only be accomplished if you live alone and in the middle of a desert. . . Please do.