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News & ArtsThursday, October 29, 2009
Politics The New Mallahan Ad
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 2:21 PM
Don't you want to move forward, Seattle?
The ad, continuing the mayoral battle's rich tradition of negative campaigning, starts playing tonight and will run through election day, says Joe Mallahan's campaign. Here's the text:
Narrator: It’s sad really… Mike McGinn’s negative ads. After his flip-flop, McGinn is reduced to fear, distortion and lies. Why? Because McGinn has no management experience.
Mike McGinn: I’m not the guy you probably want to ask to make sure that all the columns add up.
Narrator: Because McGinn’s plan would put 70,000 more cars on I-5 and downtown streets. Joe Mallahan. A plan to grow our economy…moving forward with transportation projects that create jobs.
Joe Mallahan: It’s time to move forward and bring jobs to Seattle.Narrator: Paid for by Mallahan for Mayor
The ad pretty effectively casts Mallahan as the pro-jobs guy—a particularly pertinent message following news of Boeing establishing a second 787 Dreamliner assembly line in South Carolina. But its attack is a little specious in quoting McGinn saying, "I’m not the guy you probably want to ask to make sure that all the columns add up." Uh, Joe, your campaign is $95,000 in debt. Let's talk about who's got a problem making sure all the columns ad up.
1
Mallahanananan is pro jobs?! Well screw him. Having a job has totally screwed up my dreams of drinking all the time and waking up in a nice warm gutter with my friends.
Up yours Joe!
Up yours Joe!
2
It's particularly pertinent since Mallahan's "customer delight" call centers were outsourced under his watch to cheap vendor companies in the South and the Philippines.
3
Boeing is moving to South Cackalackee - not Ole Virginny. Git yer suthern states straight, uhright?
5
Yeah, I've seen how the past couple of mayors have "moved Seattle forward" - almost to the point that there's nothing much left of what Seattle was. It's become wall-to-wall unaffordable condos, an upscale Disneyland for shopping tourists - and sort of ruined by too many cars and too many people. There's hardly any funk or soul left.
Maybe this is progress. A great secret like what Seattle was can't stay secret forever. Sadly, word was bound to get out, but it kills me that this city's administration has for the last ten or fifteen years catered so slavishly to developers. Mallahan smells like more of the same.
Maybe this is progress. A great secret like what Seattle was can't stay secret forever. Sadly, word was bound to get out, but it kills me that this city's administration has for the last ten or fifteen years catered so slavishly to developers. Mallahan smells like more of the same.
9
Thanks for highlighting which candidate dragged the campaign into the swamp first. Glad your future mayor is pointing this out to the voters. Still think he's an idiot? By proxy, still think most of your readers are idiots?
10
Isn't this an ad for people who are still stuck on the World's Fair vision of Seattle and not in tune with the fact it's been the 21st Century for almost a decade now, and our cars still don't fly?
12
Seattle's like a woman in a romance novel having to choose between two suitors. The one suitor truly loves her and appreciates her for who she is. The other suitor just wants to score with her.
You may not agree with Mike McGinn on the issues. You may think he's a total jackass. But you've at least got to agree that Mike's campaign is motivated not only by personal ambition but also by a deep sense of devotion to Seattle, a desire to shape Seattle's future.
Mallahan, on the other hand, is nothing more than transparent, naked, empty ambition--into the void of which his well-paid advisers have poured various empty, market-tested slogans:
* "moving forward"
* "progressive values"
* "Mike just doesn't get it"
You may not agree with Mike McGinn on the issues. You may think he's a total jackass. But you've at least got to agree that Mike's campaign is motivated not only by personal ambition but also by a deep sense of devotion to Seattle, a desire to shape Seattle's future.
Mallahan, on the other hand, is nothing more than transparent, naked, empty ambition--into the void of which his well-paid advisers have poured various empty, market-tested slogans:
* "moving forward"
* "progressive values"
* "Mike just doesn't get it"
13
$95,000 in debt isn't that much.
That's what it will cost 7 or 8 families in increased taxes just to pay for the cost overruns on the Billionaires Tunnel.
Or we could just ask Bill Gates or Paul Allen for a really big tip when we deliver a sandwich to them.
That's what it will cost 7 or 8 families in increased taxes just to pay for the cost overruns on the Billionaires Tunnel.
Or we could just ask Bill Gates or Paul Allen for a really big tip when we deliver a sandwich to them.
14
Can someone explain this talking point of Joe's to me? Are we moving BACKWARD?
I get that the talking point works (sort of) on the tunnel issue, but not really on anything else. Seattle is weathering the recession better than most other places. Our schools aren't that bad. We're an attractive place to do business (despite Boeing).
I don't want to play the meme that Joe is a Republican, because I know he's not. But this ad, and much of his messaging, seems to play on mostly Republican messages of what people "believe" is happening around here, rather than actual facts.
I'm trying to understand if Joe actually believes this stuff, or is just listening to scary advisors around him.
The opening tunnel fact is a great example. I'm starting to wonder if Joe actually understands the proposed Deep Bore Tunnel. I hope he gets that it doesn't move the ~110,000 vehicles that are currently on the Viaduct. At best, it moves probably about 60,000 of the current number.
So, does Joe's support for the tunnel plan mean that he wants to put 50,000 "more cars on I-5 and downtown streets"? Or is he just trying to bury McGinn with statements that he knows are misleading?
I get that the talking point works (sort of) on the tunnel issue, but not really on anything else. Seattle is weathering the recession better than most other places. Our schools aren't that bad. We're an attractive place to do business (despite Boeing).
I don't want to play the meme that Joe is a Republican, because I know he's not. But this ad, and much of his messaging, seems to play on mostly Republican messages of what people "believe" is happening around here, rather than actual facts.
I'm trying to understand if Joe actually believes this stuff, or is just listening to scary advisors around him.
The opening tunnel fact is a great example. I'm starting to wonder if Joe actually understands the proposed Deep Bore Tunnel. I hope he gets that it doesn't move the ~110,000 vehicles that are currently on the Viaduct. At best, it moves probably about 60,000 of the current number.
So, does Joe's support for the tunnel plan mean that he wants to put 50,000 "more cars on I-5 and downtown streets"? Or is he just trying to bury McGinn with statements that he knows are misleading?
15
@12, your opening simile's pretty cool. I always like to see how a suitor deals with being called on some bullshit.
The smileyface platitudinizer Mallahan frankly expects to screw up, since he's new to this; the not-voting thing showed he wouldn't make excuses or kiss your ass for forgiveness. just recognize his mistake and say he'd do better from here on.
The foreboding wonkerator McGinn gets called on the carpet too, and his reaction is always to rail at the injustice being visited upon his noble person. If you pick on him for something he belittles your motives and your intellect, and waits for you to apologize.
Voters know either guy will be way slower than the average mayor-elect to get good at the job. Whoever wins will be making missteps galore, so showing you can take the heat and keep moving means a lot.
The smileyface platitudinizer Mallahan frankly expects to screw up, since he's new to this; the not-voting thing showed he wouldn't make excuses or kiss your ass for forgiveness. just recognize his mistake and say he'd do better from here on.
The foreboding wonkerator McGinn gets called on the carpet too, and his reaction is always to rail at the injustice being visited upon his noble person. If you pick on him for something he belittles your motives and your intellect, and waits for you to apologize.
Voters know either guy will be way slower than the average mayor-elect to get good at the job. Whoever wins will be making missteps galore, so showing you can take the heat and keep moving means a lot.
16
Soon, soon my diabolical Halloween plan to elect a nightmare Mayor will take hold. Mwah, ah, ah!
On the plus side we'll be able to roast marshmellows as City Hall melts down in hysterical finger pointing and name calling.
On the plus side we'll be able to roast marshmellows as City Hall melts down in hysterical finger pointing and name calling.
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