#Political Commercials

[deadpresidents]

Favorite Presidential campaign television advertisements?

It's the obvious answer, but that's because it is a legendary campaign ad. And if the visuals and overall messaging weren't direct enough, that tagline at the end by LBJ certainly hammers home the point: "We must either love each other, or we must die."

I can imagine a modern Presidential candidate trying to squeeze that line into a commercial as their campaign consultants are saying, "Yes that's good and then...wait WHAT?!?!? Those are the only options?" before having a stroke.

[littleapocalypsekitten]

As someone who is American and still watches actual broadcast television (news, Guy Fieri...) and am suffering through another election year... I am sick to death of hearing the term "illegals." Absolutely SICK. TO. DEATH. Like, okay, I know that the southern border has issues. It's pretty much our modern day Ellis Island, with many people there escaping...some of the same kinds of issues - and others. There are people there waiting to be vetted, seeking aslyum or work. And, indeed, there are a lot of people who hop the border illegally. I used to live in Arizona, in farm country. People without legal paperwork who could be exploited were a staple of the farming industry there...unfortunately. I lost an opportunity for a job at a restaurant once because I "didn't speak enough Spanish" - code for "Our restaurant is employing people under the table for beneath minimum wage and without benefits that we can threaten to report and have deported if they speak up wanting basic workers' rights." (I came away from that particular encounter not mad at immigrants for "stealin' mah jerb!" but mad at the company / restaurant for abusive corporate practices...go fig. Guess I think differently). Even here in Pennsylvania, I've had chance encounters with people who had no papers. (People who just want to work and take care of their children). Anyway, yeah, there are processing issues and people who don't go through the legal channels because our government makes it next to impossible. But every GOD. DAMNED. TIME. I hear the term "illegals" I want to tear my hair out! Or hit people with fish! It's not only used for people who are going through the LEGAL channels (It's code for "Hispanic" basically, or just "non-white"), even people who haven't? It's a dehumanising term. That's what I take it as. "Illegals" is a term purposefully used to make people sound like something...other than people. And so I find the MAGA commercials insulting both to my intelligence and dignity. It's like, why don't you go all the way, MAGA? Why not use the really horrible slang-term I heard waaaaay, waaaay too much in my white-person childhood around Arizona redneck white people? Why not tweak your commercials and start whining about "wetbacks?" I mean, you might as well, since you term everyone "illegals." You expect us to think of people as not human. It's too late for me. I've worked with too many "illegals" in my life to think like that.

[enchantedephiphany]

All the political commercials are so cringy I can't

People are influenced by these things?

[gongyussy]

if nothing else can save america this zero-year-old fairy baby otter with no gender can. chiitan's platform is love. and chaos.

[inkskinned]

one of the things that's the most fucking frustrating for me about arguing with climate change deniers is the sheer fucking scope of how much it matters. sweating in my father's car, thinking about how it's the "hottest summer so far," every summer. and there's this deep, roiling rage that comes over me, every time.

the stakes are wrong, is the thing. that's part of what makes it not an actual debate: the other side isn't coming to the table with anything to fucking lose.

like okay. i am obviously pro gun control. but there is a basic human part of me that can understand and empathize with someone who says, "i'm worried that would lead to the law-abiding citizens being punished while criminals now essentially have a superpower." i don't agree, but i can tell the stakes for them are also very high.

but let's say the science is wrong and i'm wrong and the visible reality is wrong and every climate disaster refugee is wrong. let's say you're right, humans aren't causing it or it's not happening or whatever else. let's just say that, for fun.

so we spend hundreds of millions of dollars making the earth cleaner, and then it turns out we didn't need to do that. oops! we cleaned the earth. our children grow up with skies full of more butterflies and bees. lawns are taken over with rich local biodiversity. we don't cry over our electric bills anymore. and, if you're staunchly capitalist and i need to speak ROI with you - we've created so many jobs in developing sectors and we have exciting new investment opportunities.

i am reminded of kodak, and how they did not make "the switch" to digital photography; how within 20 years kodak was no longer a household brand. do we, as a nation, feel comfortable watching as the world makes "the switch" while we ride the laurels of oil? this boggles me. i have heard so much propaganda about how america cannot "fall behind" other countries, but in this crucial sector - the one that could actually influence our own monopolies - suddenly we turn the other cheek. but maybe you're right! maybe it will collapse like just another silicone valley dream. but isn't that the crux of capitalism? that some economies will peter out eventually?

but let's say you're right, and i'm wrong, and we stopped fracking for no good reason. that they re-seed quarries. that we tear down unused corporate-owned buildings or at least repurpose them for communities. that we make an effort, and that effort doesn't really help. what happens then? what are the stakes. what have we lost, and what have we gained?

sometimes we take our cars through a car wash and then later, it rains. "oh," we laugh to ourselves. we gripe about it over coffee with our coworkers. what a shame! but we are also aware: the car is cleaner. is that what you are worried about? that you'll make the effort but things will resolve naturally? that it will just be "a waste"?

and what i'm right. what if we're already seeing people lose their houses and their lives. what if it is happening everywhere, not just in coastal towns or equatorial countries you don't care about. what if i'm right and you're wrong but you're yelling and rich and powerful. so we ignore all of the bellwethers and all of the indicators and all of the sirens. what if we say - well, if it happens, it's fate.

nevermind. you wouldn't even wear a mask, anyway. i know what happens when you see disaster. you think the disaster will flinch if you just shout louder. that you can toss enough lives into the storm for the storm to recognize your sacrifice and balk. you argue because it feels good to stand up against "the liberals" even when the situation should not be political. you are busy crying for jesus with a bullhorn while i am trying to usher people into a shelter. you've already locked the doors, even on the church.

the stakes are skewed. you think this is some intellectual "debate" to win, some funny banter. you fuel up your huge unmuddied truck and say suck it to every citizen of that shitbird state california. serves them right for voting blue!

and the rest of us are terrified of the entire fucking environment collapsing.

[throwbackblr]

Pinky and the Brain "Meet John Brain" (1994)

[reality-detective]

Watch 👀 Is this 👆 a banned political Ad? 🤔

[iww-gnv]

All of Keywords Studios’ unionized QA workers were laid off from the studio in late September after Dragon Age: Dreadwolf developer BioWare declined to continue its contract in August. The QA workers, who were contracted to assist with playtesting and quality assurance at BioWare Edmonton, won their union vote in June 2022. All 16 eligible voters said “yes” to joining United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401. It was a historic vote, making the group the first games industry union in Canada. Keywords Studios workers were in bargaining with the company when they were laid off following the news of 50 job cuts at BioWare itself.

[nordfjording]

+ this isnt about american politics specifically as we're seeing the same thing over here but people saying they'll vote conservative because for the last 4yrs the economy has been tough like gosh. darn. wonder why that might be. bet it couldn't have anything to do with the veritable conveyor belt of Shitty Shit Happening Internationally for the last few years no certainly it all hinges on whoever whichever nation has sitting in the big chair atm. and im sure it wouldve been tons better if that person represented the side that very clearly says they don't give a flying fuck about keeping people's heads above water.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Air Canada is appealing a decision by the country's transport regulator that seeks to boost accessibility for travellers living with a disability. The move at the Federal Court of Appeal aims to overturn orders from the Canadian Transportation Agency requiring the airline to accommodate passengers whose power wheelchairs don't fit through the cargo door of a scheduled plane. The agency told Air Canada to either find similar flights on a comparable route or swap in a plane that can carry the electric wheelchairs, as long as the customer makes the request three weeks in advance.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

[deadpresidents]

By the way, if I had been Barry Goldwater running against LBJ in 1964 and saw that "Daisy" ad, I'd respond with a commercial pointing out that I was less worried about nuclear armageddon and more concerned about the American education system considering the fact that the little girl in the ad couldn't count to six.

Then again, I'm also kind of a jerk. But it's not like Goldwater could have done much worse:

[lacewise]

I am absolutely fascinated by unforced errors online. I have fallen down an information literacy rabbit hole while reading and I am seeing the exact same tropes I found playing out online.

I have seen someone, nearly in the same breath, decry how older Black women organize the Democratic Party in the States to then say “leftists should adopt [something that Black women organizers already do with the Democrats].”

It’s to the point where I truly believe that if Republicans got school vouchers passed, leftists would organize to cap the cost of school tuition, while pointing out how Republicans are going to go after public parks next. And, meanwhile, mainstream party members would coalition to try and fight for education reform (again) on the basis that not having free public school violates children’s civil rights. Again.

Chances are, no one on this platform has any idea what that last paragraph meant.

Some of them, while calling themselves US political activists.

You guys don’t argue left-wing talking points. You argue left-wing talking points filtered through the gaze of the hard right.

And that’s why so many protests and political movements lead to nothing. In the US and Canada especially, we are losing skilled organizers faster than we are gaining new ones.

The truth that “no one wants to take orders [from older Black women, usually*]” has become “we don’t need anyone telling us what to do.”

You cannot squash down complex political problems on different axes trying to see if the newest oversimplification makes sense. It doesn’t. That’s why you need to focus your attention, listen, and build coalitions.

But ultimately this won’t matter because I have heard from many younger organizers in non-Black spaces. We all have.

They don’t want leaders.

They want statues.

That way, they can insist their personal thoughts were endorsed by legends.

*circumstances may vary

[oldshowbiz]

The Proposition to Abandon People in Wheelchairs

[commercialwarehouse]

[millionmovieproject]

HELLO COUSINS, NEW EPISODE ALERT!!

Join us tomorrow for a new LIVE episode of SOCIAL CONTRACT! If you're reeling from political whiplash, tune in for a rundown of some headlines, & some tips on avoiding political burnout that will help keep you in the fight.

LIVE @ 11am/1pm on

YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, next day on Rumble

[kurtsascot]

the amount of doom that comes with living in a battleground state and in one of the few key districts…. 🪦