The Republican National Committee has begun a 10-day, $3 million ad campaign in swing states called “Balance” [Note to media: "Balance" is a codeword for "Business as usual"]:
Record gas prices, a climate in crisis. John McCain says solve it now. With a balanced plan — alternative energy, conservation, suspending the gas tax AND more production here at home. He’s pushing his own party to face climate change.
“But Barack Obama? For conservation, but he just says no to lower gas taxes. No to nuclear. No to more production. No new solutions. Barack Obama: Just the party line. The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.”
I believe this ad sets a record for the most pieces of disinformation in a 30-second ad. I see at least 7, not counting unintentional irony:
- “Solve it now” — McCain’s proposals would do nothing to reduce gas prices now (see “EIA bombshell: Offshore drilling “would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030” and “Gas tax holiday is cynical and indefensible“).
- “Solve it now” — McCain’s proposal would certainly do nothing to solve the climate crisis now, since it is designed for maximum delay (see “McCain speech, Part 2: Relying on offsets = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic“
- “Alternative energy”– McCain has consistently opposed all efforts to promote alternative energy (see “Anti-wind McCain delivers climate remarks at foreign wind company“).
- “Conservation”–McCain had never proposed any measures to promote conservation.
- “He’s pushing his own party to face climate change.”–I’m assuming this was put in here purely for comic relief. The RNC has consistently opposed climate action, and his party hasn’t budged on this issue (see “Is 450 ppm politically possible? Part 6: What the Boxer-Lieberman-Warner bill debate tells us” and “Will McCain bring conservatives with him on climate? As if!“).
- “No to nuclear.” This just isn’t true (see here).
- “No new solutions.” As if (see “Obama’s excellent energy and climate plan“).
Props to RNC for use of the word “it” rather than “them” so they aren’t actually specifying which problem they want to solve. Hint: For the RNC, it ain’t a climate in crisis.
Previous in TP Climate Progress
Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
Broadway billboards love to snatch one or two words from terrible theater critic reviews so as pretend it’s praise, e.g.
“it was two hours of incredible boredom and the acting was so bad it was astounding”
becomes
“Incredible and Astounding!” says the New York Times
So just keep repeating:
“A climate in crisis!” says The Republican National Committee.
Business As Usual is not necessarily a bad thing. It is going back to the bazaar and opening the stand the day after a suicide bomber. It is keeping on keeping on.
Denial is the first defense that children learn, some say it is intrinsic. Denial is the most common defense mechanism. So denying denial is dumb and why I qualify (quibble with) use of the phrase.
To me, it is Business As Usual and Above All Else that will destroy this country and possibly life as we know it on the planet. It is no longer having an Environmental Protection Agency, but a Business Protecting Agency instead. It is 99 of 100 U.S. senators voting against taking away subsidies to the oil companies to support development of renewable energy sources. It is…
We are sorry to interrupt this post, but the poster was beginning to froth at the mouth and had to be sedated. We now return you to your regular programming.
Go jcwinnie ! Froth On !
Should Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger consider a fee on corn fuel ethanol use?
* * Lower price for food, gas, water, beer, cleaner air and funds for the budget from oil profit.