Idea for A Democratic Campaign Ad . . .

[markpkessinger]

. . . In another thread, I asked if there was a new right wing talking point emerging, to wit, that health care for the nation's uninsured should be left up to the churches. It was an argument I've encountered several times recently, and some thought it was consistent with Ron Paul's statement in the GOP debate the other night. So I had a thought, that this could make for a Democratic campaign television spot:

(Scene opens to a modest little white, clapboard church in the rural Southern countryside on an idyllic sun-filled Sunday morning. Camera moves to inside of church, where in a sparsely attended service the offerings are being collected. People are seen dropping a few coins or maybe a buck or two into the plate. Over this comes a deep, ominous sounding male voice: "Republicans want to force your little church to pay for the health care costs of those who were too irresponsible to buy health insurance. If they get their way, your hard-earned cash -- money you have given to do God's work -- will be used instead to pay for the medical care of UNINSURED ATHEISTS!"

Fair? Well, maybe not entirely. But certainly no worse than some of the garbage the other side has produced in recent elections. And just the very thought of it is so delicious ... ;)

[aSpeckofDust]

1. Uhh.. no.

That's more like a republican attack ad.

[markpkessinger]

2. Is there no room for a little frivolity here? Really!

Was the fact that this was not an entirely serious suggestion really not apparent in my post? OF COURSE, it's like a GOP attack ad -- that was kinda the point!

Jeesh -- this gives a little credence to the old stereotype about the "humorless left."

[aSpeckofDust]

3. I have a great sense of humor, but I am also an atheist in Florida, and am surrounded by baptists

that consider me filth of the earth, so sorry if I didn't see this as a joke post.

[markpkessinger]

4. It was intended as a satirical rip on GOP attack ads and fear-mongering ...

... nothing more. Sorry if it was too subtle for you. I'm in New York. We get (and are rather fond of) satire here.

And please try to understand the context: an apparently emerging right-wing/libertarian talking point that since Christians are "called" to minister to the sick that it's essentially their job, leaving everyone else off the hook. So the idea came to mind of a satirical rip on an attack ad (a la GOP) that would use a talking point from one part of the right wing (the Ron Paul/Libertarian crowd) in order to target another part of the right wing (the Rick Perry/Michelle Bachmann/Rick Santorum constituency). I figured people here would be smart enough to get that. (And having to explain it in such painstaking detail sure has taken the fun out of it).

[jwirr]

6. And that is exactly why it would work. I did not like the use of a target

group to much either but I know the rw well enough to know they would be spooked. Use their weaknesses against them.

[markpkessinger]

7. Glad someone understood it!

And really, the target isn't "uninsured atheists" at all, but rather those for whom such a phrase is such a bogey-man. The idea uses the same, over-the-top fear mongering typical of conservative "hit pieces," to target the very same folks the GOP targets with such hit pieces, using one of the GOP's (or part of it) very own talking points, against the GOP. (And I still think the thought of it is delicious!)

[jwirr]

5. It would work.