3:00 a.m: Roy Spence's Redux

Roy Spence, the Texas-based advertizing wizard brought aboard to soften Hillary Clinton's image after Super Tuesday, is the maestro behind Clinton's most audacious advertisement to date, a Clinton campaign official said this morning.

And Spence is very familiar with the genre. It was his "red phone" ad -- see it here -- that helped seed doubts about Gary Hart's credentials to be commander in chief.

Here's the original "Red phone" ad; it's become an archetype.

In 1984, Mondale beat Hart by more than 30 points in Texas.

Comments

In 1984, Mondale beat Hart by more than 30 points in Texas.

Correlation =/= causation.

Posted by Jeff Larson | February 29, 2008 11:18 AM

Clinton's entire campaign seems to be a replay of 20-year-old people, ads and messages. Doesn't that seem odd?

Posted by Tom J | February 29, 2008 11:19 AM

"Audacious" "maestro" "30 point"

Jesus, Marc. You are not even trying to hide it anymore, are you ?

Posted by Benjamin | February 29, 2008 11:21 AM

He had made such progress the last couple days, but it looks like he's relapsed. I'm afraid there's not much hope for this one :(

Posted by Jeff Larson | February 29, 2008 11:24 AM

Do they hand out political analyst credentials at the bottom of cereal boxes these days?

Posted by norbizness | February 29, 2008 11:30 AM

Obama response is better than the ad.

"We don't think the ad is going to be effective at all. Senator Clinton already had her red phone moment -- to decide whether to allow George Bush to invade Iraq. She answered affirmatively. She did not read the National Intelligence Estimate. She still, curiously, tries to suggest that it wasn't a vote for war, but it most assuredly was...

"This is about what you say when you answer that phone. What judgment you show...She, John McCain and George Bush gave the wrong answer."

Posted by john | February 29, 2008 11:33 AM

Who knew HRC would run such a Republican campaign. Arrogant, out-of-touch, mismanaged, whiny and fear-mongering.

McCain/Clinton perhaps?

Posted by Betty in Baltimore | February 29, 2008 12:18 PM

YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)

If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary's than they had ever been before or since.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..

You Might Be An Idiot!

If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)

Best regards

jacksmith...

Posted by jacksmith | February 29, 2008 12:34 PM

spence is a brilliant ad guy... but he should stick to things like his campaign for southwest airlines. truly wonderful work.

this type of fearmongering masquerading as "critical decision making" is just sad. and the sign of a desperate campaign.

i saw spence speak at an advertising new biz conference last year and he was funny and inspirational. then he proudly played a video that bill clinton had recorded as a birthday greeting for spence's child. so clearly there are favors being returned here ("look at how important i am! bill clinton made a personal video for my kid!").

unfortunately, for all concerned, this kind of rehashed BS plays to the lowest common denominator of thinker out there. if anybody really thinks that a single individual makes critical national security decisions without counsel after answering the "red phone," they're either delusional or just plain stupid. the coterie of advisers surrounding the president will be critical, and hillary clinton has demonstrated that her inner circle will be DLC-aligned moderate hawks. this country can't afford to go down that road again.

obama is the only viable hope this country has to get this ship off the rocks. and it's going to take a good percentage of us to start bailing water if we ever hope to sail again.

Posted by litmus | February 29, 2008 12:44 PM

Nothing softens a candidate's image like suggesting our children will die in their sleep if we don't vote for her.

Posted by Deborah | February 29, 2008 12:45 PM

Well, Senator Clinton, that's not an ad you can believe in, that's an ad you can Xerox.

Posted by RKA | February 29, 2008 1:36 PM

You would be Hillary Clinton to forget your husband said this and CNN has it on tape...

"CLINTON: Now, one of Clinton's laws of politics is this. If one candidate is trying to scare you and the other one is try get you to think, if one candidate is appealing to your fears and the other one is appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope."
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/25/pzn.01.html

Posted by kravitz | February 29, 2008 2:36 PM

Maybe it's just me, but that ad just seems sooo 1984.

Posted by Juan | February 29, 2008 2:48 PM

For such a great ad guy, he clearly doesn't understand how the internets work. The 3 am ad is VERY similar to a user generated McCain ad.

Posted by casey | February 29, 2008 4:39 PM

the funny thing is that roy spence is going to vote for obama, and thinks the clintons are pathetic. alt least that's what he said. but then again he's an ad man.

Posted by bill willms | March 1, 2008 10:45 PM

Jack Smith calls any of us who back Obama "idiots" because Hillary has so much more expereince. Yet in that same longwinded breath, he praises Bill Clinton for guidng a great economic expansion. Well, here's a news bulletin Jack -- Bill Clinton had less expereince in national politics than Obama does. And yet you (and I) think he was a great president. By your own claim, it's not about nearly as much about experience as it is potential.

Posted by Fogel McLovin | March 3, 2008 11:26 AM

Typical Roy Spence in two ways: 1) take a 20 year-old idea and try to pass it off as something new. He's recycled more old trash than Waste Management. 2) He's a quntessential "ends justify the means" kind of person. Both of those qualities have contributed to the sad state of his ad agency, and they'll ultimately do no good for the Clinton campaign. Maybe in the short-term, but ask Mondale how well it served him in the end.

Posted by Jerry LeBlanc | March 3, 2008 11:39 AM

obama is an empty suit.

he critizies Hillary for voting "this way or that.

does he remember that he voted "present" over a 125 times when he was in the IL senate. he was too much of a coward to go on record and take a stand.

he went to Africa..was treated like a rock star..came back with a big, arrogant he...and thought he could run the country. he is a joke. i don't get it with the people who thing glorifying speeches take the place of seasoned, experience
Hillary who has been in the trenches (w/ Bill for American causes since forever.
V. R. Pass

Posted by V. R. Pass | March 6, 2008 5:00 AM

To jacksmith:

YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT (or just be deceptive) by conspicuously omitting the fact that your precious Bill Clinton also left office as only the second American President to be impeached. Also, didn't he pardon his brother for a drug conviction on his last day in office? Character was never Bill's strong suit.

Tarheel

Posted by Tarheel | March 10, 2008 12:04 PM