Dewhurst’s “PAC-man” Web video
It’s entertaining — a PAC-man figure goes through a maze gobbling up campaign contributions to annoying music — but I don’t think it is particularly effective. We live in the post-Citizens United age, and it’s not exactly a secret that politics is awash in cash. It’s been a long time since anyone has been shocked about Super PACs and other indignities. After all, Dewhurst has his own Super PAC and is wealthy in his own right. The degree to which Rick Perry’s ideas and campaign themes are prominent in the Dewhurst campaign is evident from this spot, which is reminscent of the governor’s 2010 campaign argument that “Washington is broken.” The idea is to brand Cruz as a Washington insider, the same attack Perry used against Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2010. But this isn’t 2010.
Here is consultant David Carney’s statement about the ad:
After spending nearly half of his career in Washington, DC courting Washington special interest groups, it comes as no surprise that Ted Cruz has become the candidate of choice for DC insiders. Texans deserve a Senator who will stand up to Washington and fight the out-of-state groups looking for a puppet in the Senate to advance their own agenda. By accepting millions of dollars of support from Washington special interests, Ted has turned his back on Texas. Ted Cruz’s insatiable desire to gobble up DC money will bring forth a clear response from Texas Republicans.
Distinguished Gentleman says:
To me, this ad makes Dewhurst look very childish.
Rather than turning me against Cruz, it makes me turn against Dewhurst.
It is astonishing that Dewhurst would try to characterize someone other than himself with the term “insider”. Dewhurst himself has been an “insider” since being first elected way back in 1998.
July 31st will be here soon. Perhaps there will be a big surprise that night.
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Gen. Sam Dallas says:
I think this is a web ad, not a TV ad.
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Eddie Murphy's Laugh says:
Heeeeee Haaaaaaw Heeeeeeee Haaaaaaaw
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Tom Kane says:
I’ve never heard of a TV ad that is 1:06.
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Robert Morrow says:
Well that is better than accusing Cruz of being soft on child molesters or too incompetent to drop the ball on executing them.
Of course the Perrybots are probably saving that them for the last 2 weeks of the campaign.
I will be voting for Ted Cruz and I encourage all of my friends (and some of my enemies) to do likewise.
I bet Ted Cruz voted for Ron Paul and that is good enough for me. I think we can approach Cruz on liberty issues and perhaps get some traction; I do not see that happening with Dewhurst.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
the pedants won’t get the ad….
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William R. James Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 11:17 am
Poorly scripted and not very well executed ad, but will work fairly well with the sort of folks that respond to conservative ads. This is not going to convince anyone who is leaning towards Cruz to switch to Dewhurst….all in all the dumb down ads reach the dumbed down Texas voter.(see above).
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Kitty O'Neill says:
Hey, Burqua changed it from “TV ad” to “Web ad.” What gives?
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Truthseeker says:
Robert Morrow voting for Ted Cruz is the best reason I’ve heard so far for voting for David Dewhurst. Morrow and Peter Thiel make a lovely couple.
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John Johnson Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 11:15 am
I have asked Robert Morrow several times now to address Cruz’s long career of arguing for whichever side is paying him the most, without conscience playing any role whatsoever. Guess he doesn’t have an answer. If he does, it can’t override fact.
He is such a good debater, I can see him selling his votes and then convincing many that he was just looking out for our best interests. He has all the makings of a first class snake oil salesman. Surprised Mr. Morrow can’t see that. He finds all the slimy character flaws in others.
Most of them, however, are deceased.
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Dan C says:
I can’t remember who said this in another context, but it is so true when applied to this runoff — “Never before have so many spent so much to persuade so few”. It is especially true when you think of the minor differences between these two clowns. Anyone think Cruz or Dewhurst would ever buck McConnell? I don’t. Either of them will be a good little sheep.
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eyeswideopen says:
Morrow’s guy is a known whore; the other is just questionable. I’m going with questionable.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 5:52 pm
What gives you the justification to compare ANY politician to a whore in a way that denigrates the working ladies?
This is one of my pet peeves and I really wish folks would quit doing. A “whore” will only do one thing for money. And God bless them for that.
But a politician – and yes most lawyers – will do ANYTHING for money.
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Anonymous says:
Who is the TLR supporting in this race? Wonder if Cruz, as an attorney, wants to point to the new report that says that Texas tort reform has not meant any savings to the average joe’s medical bills nor kept premium costs down? The only ones who have saved are insurance companies on payouts, and hospitals, medical device mfg. and physicians on liability premiums. How about that Dick Weekley? How about that Mr. Dewhurst? How about that Mr. Cruz? Dumb sheep. That’s what we are.
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100 Year Decision says:
You see the words “Club for Growth” and hopefully your brain kicks in and convinces yow to click the back button.
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BaylorHeel says:
John Johnson,
Did some lawyer screw you over once? I’m just trying to understand where this invective is coming from.
Yes, lawyers represent people, but that doesn’t mean that they have no principles or that the views/conduct of the client are attributable to the attorney. By your logic, we shouldn’t have trusted John Adams because he represented the British soldiers who participated in the Boston Massacre. He probably did it for the money and the fame he got…
Lawyers don’t always get to pick their clients, but there’s a difference between what one does for their job and what their beliefs are.
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John Johnson Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 2:59 pm
No major “screw overs”, BaylorHeel. Just years of observation. I have never seen a more unethical group of people, as a whole. They make literally everything, for everybody, more expensive and more difficult to obtain. Their billing procedures have always been suspect but how you going to fight back? Friends divorce proceedings have been criminal with nary an adversarial thread between the two representing attorneys …and a drunkard judge who they threw annual fund raising dove hunting parties for. Between the three of them, they milked the pair all but dry. Cruz is from the same cloth. I can see it. I can feel it. We do not need more slick attorneys in D.C. For all of you good, morally sound attorneys out there, my apologies, but you know I speak the truth. You know that you are surrounded by snakes.
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Anonymous Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 10:19 pm
“…but there’s a difference between what one does for their job and what their beliefs are”.
You can say that about a couple of advocations I can think of, BaylorHeel, but they aren’t very well respected.
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Tony McDonald says:
It gave me immense joy to see this web video released. It means that someone on the Dewhurst campaign spent considerable time putting it together when they could have been doing something marginally effective. It is an entertaining ad and well done, and I am sure it is something they will put in their portfolio for future interviews. But it will not convince a single voter that they should vote for Dewhurst over Cruz.
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Tony the Tiger Reply:
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:04 am
Oh…YCT is still a thing? I thought when people reach the age of 22 they were supposed to quit attending college club meetings?
And I thought that if you send out 500 consecutive press releases that don’t get picked up anywhere you were supposed to find a different after-school hobby?
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Anonymous says:
Ad to long, too redundant, and Pac Man sound annoying. I quickly deleted it.
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Blue Dogs says:
Does anyone think KBH might have secretly endorsed Cruz just to stick it to Perry ?
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Alan Reply:
June 21st, 2012 at 9:26 pm
How does a politician “secretly endorse” someone?
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Reminder says:
Definitely an insider blog with the commentators having their own agenda. Paul- you lay out some good discussion points. But the commentary by others is ridiculously predictable…
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Anon-e-moose Reply:
June 22nd, 2012 at 12:41 am
Did you just stumble upon Burkablog or something?
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Texian Politico says:
So, Cruz has the support of The Club for Growth (of which I am a member and supporter)? With what issues does the Dewhurst campaign take issue with CFG? They are one of the best organizations going when it comes to the cause of reducing government and expanding liberty. They have a great track record of success, especially in GOP primaries. The same question should be asked of Dewhurst with regards to Sen. DeMint’s group and FreedomWorks. What does Dewhurst not like about them, other than they support his more conservative opponent? If anyone is an insider its LtGov Dewhurst who has been in statewide office since 1999 and served in the CIA. Come on!
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Blue Dogs Reply:
June 22nd, 2012 at 11:45 am
Dewhurst also served in the military, so that counts as experience while Cruz NEVER served either in the national guard or any of the nation’s military branches.
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John Johnson says:
Let me get this straight, TP…if you served in the CIA, you are considered a political “insider”?
Is having CIA on one’s resume considered “bad” by the CFG?
With regards to Cruz…he is might be considered more conservative now. We really don’t know where he will be or what he will support down the road, do we? What we do know is that he will take the money and use his award winning skills to slick talk many into believing that it is in our best interests…kinda like tort reform. All the “conservatives” who supported it told us how it was going to hold down medical premiums and procedure costs because that’s what the TLR, and insurance, hospital, physician, pharm and medical device lobbyists were telling our elected officals as they promised them money and support in return for votes. How did that work out? Seen the report?
How do you earn your income, Texian Politico? Do you maybe have a vested interest in one side or the other?
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Robert Morrow says:
Many politicians have things they don’t want you to know. Some of them life an unhinged lifestyle right in front of you and dare you to find out about it.
They figure they can always “lie” about it.
Here is some good info on Senator Ted Kennedy, now deceased. His brother John Kennedy also lived this way. Post assassination, Robert Kennedy was carrying an outrageous affair with Jackie, despite his having 10 kids and a wife. Lyndon Johnson would put ALL 3 of the Kennedys to shame as he was as sexual gorilla.
Ted Kennedy and his affair with a 17 year old intern Pam Farmer as described by his aide of 10 years, Richard E. Burke. Ted got her on coke, poppers, but she refused his request for a threesome
[Richard E. Burke, "The Senator," pp. 133-135]
“I remember the summer that the Senator asked me in an idle tone if a young woman named Pam Farmer had applied.
I rifled though a stack of paperwork, found the name, and reviewed the application. Unlike most of the applicants, who were college students, this girl was still in high school.
“Yes,” I answered, “but discounted her. She doesn’t have the background.”
“Well, I want her put into the running,” the Senator said.
I eyed him suspiciously and asked, “Where is she from?”
She was from Mobile, Alabama. “I met her recently,” he explained. “She’s going to be in town next week and I want you to have lunch and interview her.”
And so I did. From the moment I laid eyes on her auburn hair and her appealing features I said to myself, No, we’re not going to get involved with this one. Over lunch, I asked her, “How did you meet the Senator?”
“In a restaurant at the Cape,” she replied in a southern drawl as thick as molasses. “He kept calling’, askin’ me to go out for a drink.” She explained that when she finally agreed to meet the Senator at a bar, she brought along her parents with her… I almost laughed out loud. I could just imagine the look of consternation on the Senator’s face when this southern-fried dish’s parents showed up. “He looked a little surprised,” she admitted innocently, “but we had a drink and that was that.”
I could see the writing on the wall, though. I tried to be pleasant, but I was feeling more like a pimp than a senatorial aide. I asked, “How old are you?”
“Sevuunteen,” Pam drawled.
She was sweet, naive – and much too talkative. She chattered on for a time about her boyfriend back home in Mobile; they were planning to be married after she graduated from high school the following year. She seemed to feel that her experience as a cheerleader qualified her for this job.
Near the end of our meal, I asked, “Where are you staying this weekend?”
“I’m having dinner with Ted tonight and then I’m going back home.”
I scrawled numbers onto a piece of paper, handed it to her, and said, “Okay, this is my telephone number. If you need any help or have any problems, please call me.”
I did not hear from her until a few days later, when she phoned from Mobile and announced that “Ted” had told her to call me to arrange an airline ticket for her. She was going to meet him at the Cape that weekend.
As soon as I could, I collared the Senator at his office.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” he reassured. But there was a familiar grin on his face.
“She is awfully young,” I warned. “And I’m not so sure she is going to keep her mouth shut.”
The grin spread to a full-blown smile.
“I don’t think she is intern material,” I snapped, exasperated.
He retorted, “I’m the boss.”
I spent much of the following summer keeping Pam, our bubbly teenage intern, under control. She fell head over heels for the Senator rather quickly and, just as quickly, became upset and jealous about his other relationships. “She turned to me as a confidant, freely admitting that she and the Senator had slept together, and detailing how the Senator had turned her on to coke and the joys of poppers. The only time she balked was when he tried to get her in bed with himself and another woman at the same time.
“That was just too much,” she whispered in her southern drawl.
[Richard E. Burke, "The Senator," pp. 133-135]
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John Johnson says:
You are one strange person, Robert. Your fascination with the unsubstantiated sexual histories of famous and infamous politcal figures is troubling. What is it that we’re to learn from this? What is it about all this that will help us moving forward? Why do you feel so inclined to force this on the rest of us?
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