via The Hill, we find Tom Tancredo’s (I thought he already dropped out, or was that wishful thinking?) advertisement, that will be unleashed on Iowans and New Hampshirites, before it is unleashed upon is all, uses some Willie Horton-esque techniques — the unseen shadow of what we are supposed to believe is a criminal, in this case a terrorist, planting a bomb.
In the spot, a hooded figure is carrying a backpack filled with explosives into a mall; the ad ends with the sound of an explosion. In the ad, which will initially air in Iowa but will also be shown in New Hampshire and nationally, Tancredo is linking terrorism to the country’s porous borders.
The Colorado lawmaker, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, has made illegal immigration and homeland security the focus of his White House campaign and his work in Congress.
“The consequences of uncontrolled immigration are far more serious than our leaders want us to believe,” Tancredo stated in unveiling the ad. “The safety of Americans and the security of our way of life are on the line. We need action now.”
Ah, yes, illegal immigration brings disease and criminal acts. Forget that you cannot differentiate from disease and criminality simply by ones choice of immigration, legal or illegal. It completely negates the “homegrown” terrorism of women’s health clinic bomber and the Olympic park bomber, by Eric Rudolph, or the Murrah building bombing of one Timothy McVeigh.
Tancredo’s desire to prey on your fears attempts to say that illegal aliens are responsible for 9/11, yet all of the hijackers entered the country legally.
This is about making you afraid. The GOP used this tactic in the 2006 and 2004 elections. they ere successful in 2004, less so in 2006. I think there will still be some amount of success in 2008.
But, it’s these types of ads that really bother me. It seems to me to be walking a very fine line into false advertising and suggestion.
Is Tom Tancredo so desperate to get just the weest bit of recognition, that he has to make you afraid for your life?
Psst: hey, GOP’ers, get a new playbook. The people are on to you.
[...] The Archcrone comments on Tom Tancredo’s controversial “Daisy-style” ad on immigration and its attempt to link terrorism and illegal immigration: Ah, yes, illegal immigration brings disease and criminal acts. Forget that you cannot differentiate from disease and criminality simply by ones choice of immigration, legal or illegal. It completely negates the “homegrown” terrorism of women’s health clinic bomber and the Olympic park bomber, by Eric Rudolph, or the Murrah building bombing of one Timothy McVeigh. [...]