Chris Coons: Christine O’Donnell is not me

[ProSense]

Christine O’Donnell is not me

by Chris Coons

My Tea Party opponent's first television advertisement since the primary election hits the airwaves today and in it, twice she tells viewers: “I'm you.”

She’s me?

To be Christine O’Donnell, you'd have to think homosexuality was an “identity disorder.” You'd have to be anti-choice, anti-stem cells, but pro-outsourcing of American jobs. You'd have to want Creationism taught in public schools, but not sexual education. You'd have to want to expand offshore drilling but further de-regulate Wall Street.

Is that you? It certainly isn't me.

That's why this morning we launched a website, ChristineIsNotMe.com, to give folks the opportunity to tell Christine O'Donnell that she was not them.

more

Smackdown!

:rofl:

Go Chris!

[Wickerman]

1. Thanks, she is my new avatar

not me!

[derby378]

2. I can't help but feel that this is free publicity for O'Donnell

Let her run her "I am not a crook" ad all she wants - but the more we play into here meme, the more publicity she gets.

[Ikonoklast]

3. Whenever you have to go on the airwaves to tell the public

what you aren't, you've lost control of both the narrative and the message.

Others are now in control of your own agenda, you are only responding to it.

You've lost.

[derby378]

4. Well, there is that...

...but the more O'Donnell's name is kept in the public square, the more of a chance she has at winning in November despite herself.

[Ikonoklast]

5. I wish she was on every station, 24/7.

Even crazy people would think she's nuts.

[elleng]

6. Good one!

[maxsolomon]

7. she can be me if she wants

wants to:

cut the pentagon budget by 2/3
INCREASE the tax rate on the top 1%
legalize all drugs
restore the buffalo herds of the high plains
restore the fairness doctrine

that is!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. With the amount of attention already being paid to this charlatan, I wonder if this new intiative

by Coons will backfire.

He needs to be out there touting all of his accomplishments. Worried about the economy? Fear not. Chris Coons improved the bond rating of the County, among other accomplishments that the M$M is not telling the people of Delaware about.

How are the polls looking? This woman scares the shit out of me. Don't count her out!

[rpannier]

9. Disagree

One thing I learned from working on Alan Cranston's re-election campaign is, "You hit your opponent hard and often. Remind/tell voters how out of touch your opponent is. Go negative early and often. Every warm and fuzzy commercial your opponent puts out, you put out one telling the voters what a horrid individual that person really is."
When Cranston ran against Ed Zchau, lots of people thought he'd lose, including me. But, we got out there first. Told the voters often how terrible Ed was. By the time the campaign was over, moderate Ed Zchau (and he was moderate) appeared to the voters to be a cross between Pat Robertson and Richard Nixon.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. In another time, I would agree with you, but we're dealing with a different kind of candidate.

We are dealing with a "pleasant and pretty" young woman, who when attacked will be the first to suggest that this big, older man is treating her fairly. Republicans are big bullies, but like every bully, they are really scared and terrified. They play the victim card well, and I'm sure that Sarah Palin has taught this girl what to do when she's attacked: feign outrage and claim that the big, bad, immoral Democrats are attacking her unfairly. She is a "woman down on her luck." And you saw that other day how many people are sympathizing with her not having a job because she made them think that she is "just like them," working hard, struggling and with no job.

Yes, attack her, but run on your record as well. Just attacking her is not going to do any good with these victimized teabaggers.

I still think Chris needs to tread lightly and be smart. We are dealing with a bunch of clever folks, here.

[saltpoint]

11. I wonder if a similar strategy might be employed by Vitter

down in Lousiana.

"I'm not a diaper fetishist. I'm you."

[karynnj]

12. This is cool - it is fun and it points out many of her out of the DE mainstream positions.

Because it is fun, it likely will get free coverage. If you read comments on newspapers that covered O'Donnell's ad, the two most common responses were that "she is NOT me" or references to "I am not a crook" on the witch thing. The former were kind of fun to read - as people sought to find humorous ways to say it.

Also, there were many that spoke of how it was brilliant as an ad because it makes people identify with her. But, the very fact that so many said this referring to others, not themselves suggests that this is far too obvious, leading to the "no you aren't' responses. A subtle ad, that leaves you thinking of a candidate, "I agree with him/her" or "He/She has similar views to mine" creates within the person a "I identify with him/her" response. This doesn't - except for the people she already had.

What is clear is that she can project a cute personable, but weird, image, which is likely why Bill Maher had her on so often. If she were an actress, that would be enough to make her an interesting guest - but it doesn't make her a Senator.

The only negative here is that it focuses on O'Donnell, where Coons really needs to get people to know him. My concern is that - in spite of his squeaky clean background, the right could throw lies at him in the last weeks of the campaign. The more undefined he remains, the more vulnerable.

[LynneSin]

13. I'm from Delaware and Christine is DEFINATELY not me

I never lied about my college education
I never scammed donations to pay for my living expenses
I always filled out my tax returns

I am so glad I am not Christine O'Donnell.

That commericial of hers just wrote itself for Coons campaign.

What's funny, no one in Delaware really cares about her witchcraft stuff. Sure it was good for a few laughs but who cares. What we care is that she is a liar, a cheat and a scammer. That's not a person we want as our next US Senator.