What does campaign desperation look like? In Mitt Romney's quest to win Florida's 29 electoral votes, it looks a bit like this unannounced, Spanish-language ad that's been airing in Florida for the last week.
The Miami Herald, which filmed this clip from a television screen, provided this English-language translation of the attack ad, which has been aired in heavy rotation in Miami. To summarize, the Republican campaign is trying to connect President Obama to Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro's daughter, and an image of Che Guevara.
In August, Romney accused the president of making "personal attacks," adding, "Take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting America."
I guess the Republican has changed his mind?
The ugly, red-baiting smear campaign isn't terribly surprising given the kind of campaign Romney has run this year, but what struck me as especially interesting is that the Romney campaign refused to provide a copy of the ad to the Herald, despite repeated requests.
In other words, Team Romney wants Latino voters to see the unannounced attack, but the campaign doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't want to help journalists report on it, and doesn't even want to put a copy online. Maybe they're embarrassed? It'd be appropriate under the circumstances.
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Next up: Running the 1935 cartoon "Little Black Sambo" in GA/SC/AL?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfGvptL_TY
My, how racist you are.
Meanwhile for those too lazy to find the translation, it seems the quotes are self explanatory and damning...
NARRATOR: Who supports Barack Obama?
CHAVEZ: "If I were American, I'd vote for Obama."
NARRATOR: Raúl Castro's daughter, Mariela Castro, would vote for Obama.
CASTRO: "I would vote for President Obama."
NARRATOR: And to top it off, Obama's Environmental Protection Agency sent emails for Hispanic Heritage month with a photo of Che Guevara.
CHAVEZ: "If Obama were from Barlovento (a Venezuelan town), he'd vote for Chávez."
ROMNEY: I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/11/positive-campaign-romney-gives-obama-the-chavez-castro-che-treatment-in-spanish-ad.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy
"Governor Romney we still have the 1980's holding on line 2, Also the cold war and the bay of pigs called and left messages asking you to get back to them."
Shooter; you can blow a dog whistle, but you know that O has nothing to do with Chavez, and is not courting his vote. You are a distraction from how poor Willard is as a candidate, and you can't run away from it. Willard would dismantle the EPA, FEMA, and your Medicare/medicaid, and you know it........
Oh brother, if you have two prominent communists advocating their preference for Obama, it's indicative of Obama. Did you see the saying in the cite?
"Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are."
As for Romney, consider that everything in life is a matter of balance. Nothing in DC goes away, if Romney wins the balance will shift back to pro business.
Hello Blankman, you are just like Willard - neither of you have anything of substance to say, stand for nothing (except the 1%) and distract by lying and dividing - gee, it must be something in the GOTP water. And that's exactly why we need to keep the EPA!
How LOW can you go Shooter? As low as Romney??
Missed your standing free shot again, Pooper. But thanks for the daily demonstration that Frank Rich is right in his recent New York Magazine article to call you wingnut scum "the cockroaches of American politics" - just when we think we've stomped you, you're back.
Shooter that logic is insanely invalid even for you...
Seriously You are arguing that because someone likes you that, that somehow is an implication of you.
That's like arguing that just because I liked Ron Paul on Face book he must therefore support a progressive viewpoint on issues...
I'm not even sure that falls under the "Guilt by association" fallacy because there isn't any association beyond the fact that these people all happen to be political figures in the Western Hemisphere!
I seriously want you to think about this: What is the implication of the rights position on anything if you are arguing idiocy like this?
Easy bud, this is an ad documenting who's pro Obama. You got a problem with that?
Once again, missed from the free throw line, little cockroach.
So when someone comes on here and agrees with you that has poor grammar I should immediately assume that because they are agreeing with you that means YOU, Shooter, are as equally uneducated?
Logical fallacies do NOT lead to witty remarks Shooter. If you cannot formulate a rational argument then it's best not to give the argument in the first place.
Remember you accuse people of being rapists not on the basis of any crime being done, but because you arbitrarily said so. And that many of those who agree with you have apologized for rapists, child molesters, and have advocated for the exiling of Jews.
So, by your own logic, you are a rapist, child molester, and want to banish the Jews reminiscent of the days of Hitler.
See why we don't play this game?
Shooter- I'll make you a deal. If Romney wins, I stop posting here for three months. If Obama wins, you do the same and stop trolling here for three months. Deal?
"What does campaign desperation look like? "
LOL just look at Mitt Romney post campaign of desperation!
Maybe they're embarrassed? Not on this planet .
Shameless
They are too busy writing headlines for the Onion
This guy isn't even as clever as Shooter...wow never thought I would hear myself sat that
Shooter forgot to mention about how Rubio lied about his parents in Cuba, since he is now an expert in foreign affairs......
They are pandering to the Cuban vote, however since they always vote Republican anyway it all seems rather pointless. The greater latino population is Mexican and they could give a twit what Romney asserts.
It's not even clear that younger Cuban-Americans have the same tunnel vision as many of their parents. So yes, desperate and possibly pointless, but clearly Romney and his team are immune to embarrassment or shame. Sin verguenza, in other words.
Hey sorry to exploit this comment section for something totally different but I wanted to alert you guys to the disgusting campaign ads being run in my state (iowa) by pro life extremists that have never lived in Iowa! I looked a bit further into this and found out that it is happening in quite a few other swing states as well!!
Alan Aversa and George Krail are the out of town weirdo's running for state house seats solely on a pro life platform in my area! They are truly only doing it so they will be allowed to run uncensored and revolting tv ads showing all the disturbing images that have been used by sick-o's like this for years! You guys are always on top of stuff like this so im sure you were already aware but if not check this story out please!!!!!
If you have something to send, try sending it to Rachel's email address rachel@msnbc.com, where her team reads everything that comes in.
Mitt Romney approved it, but won't acknowledge it. It's 1999-2001 at Bain Capital all over again.
Isn't it the 5 points MO of the Romney campaign for everything?
These idiots never change.
Maybe they could bash Ike and Rockefeller while rehabbing McCarthy.
Says the guy who got his initial funding for starting Bain Capital from the Latin American families that sponsored death squads.
Okay now I've actually watched the thing -- it's just plain cheesy. Hugo Chavez says he'd vote for Obama, and thinks that Obama would vote for him? That's it? If we're going to focus on lunatics, then I'm way more concerned about Donald Trump's support of Romney.
Shooter, and the rest of the crazies, will do anything to de-legitamize the president. We want his birth cert., his college transcripts, his tax returns, his passport application; I bet you wouldn't have done that with a white candidate. He won fair and square the last time, but he doesn't seem to be american enough for some people. That is funny coming from a candidate who lived in France, speaks French, espoused Romney care socialism, and whose family is from Mexico! Willard is on the rocks, and even the tide can't bring him in......
See my article below - the Right is terrified that we might adopt some of Chavez' politics, like how to run an election.
If more Americans were to read real news (which you don't get here) they would find out that the rest of the world has a much different view of Chavez, a view that would explain why he would think having Obama in office is good.
The United States: the most ignorant "advanced democracy" on the planet.
Thanks Notblonde. I totally agree with you
Nice that you can put stories of rightwing nutballs saying they support Romney, but when the craziest people on earth say they would vote for NObama, you find fault....
Man, Frank Rich really is right about you wingnuts as the "cockroaches of American politics." Just when we think we've stomped the last of you, you're back.
Here's the problem, @pascoguy65 -- Romney actively solicits and proudly accepts the support of "rightwing nutballs" (see: Adelson, Koch Bros., the Milins, Donald Trump, and many others). Then he turns around and tries to make hay out of this ? It's truly ridiculous.
Hey June! I hope you had a great halloween. It was such a nice break from all of this. The kids were awesome! What a fun time. Too bad it could not have lasted longer.
I can go with you on some of that, but you can not go around debunking all of the people that go out there and support you. it would take too much time. In my humble troll, Taliban, "Faux" News watcher...lolol (none directed at you June...you are the best...you discuss!) There are just as many religious whackos on the left as there are on the right. I cant stand any of them. We give them TOO much credit. Why even bring them attention. I do not know of any of them until I see them here. i do not think that they actually have ANY clout with anyone except their mirror. Being a gay man, i have had many many issues with religious people. They are there every Pride parade with thier signs and bullhorns. They are not affiliated with any political party, they are just freakin nutballs. What did bother me about the religious people in the last election was that their pastors were telling them to break FOR Obama, and at the same sermon vote FOR the amendment to the Florida constitution defining a marriage, or anything that could be perceived as a marriage, as ONLY between a man and a woman. I was part of the Florida Red and Blue PAC, actively campaigned against this but it unfortunately passed. It is now part of the constitution. Even my Democrat friends that I worked with on this said that it came down to the Obama voters uniting with the McCain voters to push it over the top. They found out afterwards that the Baptist Reverends, both with black and white congregations, instructed their people that this was an immoral act, and we must put measure in place to make sure that these sinners can NOT have anything near marriage. So this issue really cuts me to the bone. Neither the right nor the left has ownership of the religious whackos. Got off topic, sorry, passionate about this, but I accept that they,we and the rest of the country can do, say and post what they want. That is the reason I fought for my country, so i could be called Taliban, a troll with a low IQ and other such nonsense. None from you my felloe American. My only thing with that is my fighting for my countrry did NOT allow Castro, Chavez and the like to voice THEIR opinions adn I wonder why they are going for Obama....THAT is my question. Do they like him or are they as scared of a Romney Presidency as much as mosst of the people on here??? Intersting question....
Soy Strawman, and I approve this stupid distraction for the feeble minded!
Paid for by the Republicans Really, really Super-care about the Security and Economic Prosperity of Hispanic nations (and not simply their votes) Super PAC. Donate today!
From the Boston Globe. Read the rest of the article through the hyperlink. Too bad "the world's oldest democracy" can't import the Venezuelan electoral system, as outlined in this article. The "dirty socialists" seem to be on to something.
The recent election in Venezuela offers an opportunity to improve the US-Venezuela relationship, writes former Rep. Bill Delahunt in the Boston Globe. In contrast with elections past, once the election authorities announced the results, opposition candidate Henrique Capriles rapidly conceded defeat, and he quickly scolded "radical" opposition supporters who insisted on alleging that fraud had taken place, despite no evidence to support their claims, Delahunt notes. Chávez also behaved gracefully, calling Capriles the following day to express his willingness to work together to mitigate the polarization that divided Venezuelans. The U.S. should respect this outcome and seek to improve relations in areas where we can agree, Delahunt writes: the Venezuelan government is prepared to respond favorably to such an initiative.
A new role for the US and Venezuela
William Delahunt, Boston Globe, October 30, 2012
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=KkFOCgFQJMtneTSJNTCzNbzjwvC3wo6Q
[Former US Rep. Delahunt is chair of the Venezuela-US Friendship Group.]
The recent election in Venezuela offers an opportunity to improve the US-Venezuela bilateral relationship. On Oc. 7th, President Hugo Chavez was reelected to a new six-year term by a nine point margin. I - along with hundreds of other international witnesses - was duly impressed with the transparency of the electoral process and the enthusiasm of Venezuelans for democracy. Eighty-one percent of registered voters went to the polls! This turnout was remarkable when compared to the United States and other "mature" democracies.
Whether or not one agrees with Chávez's policies, there can be no doubt that he won these elections fairly. There are so many checks and balances in the electoral system in Venezuela that there is virtually no room for fraud. The voter registry, the voting machines, the electronic ballot and the data transmission system are all fully audited by representatives of all the different political parties and independent observers.
Former President Jimmy Carter recently called the Venezuelan voting system "the best in the world." He noted that the voting machines print out a paper receipt that voters can look at to verify that their selection was recorded correctly, and poll workers check those receipts against the electronic tally.
I was particularly struck by the atmosphere of peacefulness and mutual respect in the voting centers, where monitors from both pro-government and opposition groups were present. In contrast with elections past, the two main candidates manifested a similar attitude. Once the election authorities announced the results, opposition candidate Henrique Capriles rapidly conceded defeat, and he quickly scolded "radical" opposition supporters who insisted on alleging that fraud had taken place, despite no evidence to support their claims. Chávez also behaved gracefully, calling Capriles the following day to express his willingness to work together to mitigate the polarization that divided Venezuelans.
Most of Venezuela's political leadership - following a tumultuous power struggle, during which a coup d'Etat and violent protests occurred - appear to have accepted to follow the democratic rulebook and be more tolerant of one another. This is an important step forward, and the United States should encourage Venezuelans to continue seeking common ground, rather than support one group over another, as has at times been the case in recent years.
Campaigns that are winning don't run late hour ads of this nature.
Four Americans dead in Libya.