Poor Market Selection

January 6th, 2010 by skippy

This evening my wife and I were watching some reruns of an old sitcom, when she saw an add that caught her attention.

To be honest, she was watching the show. I was gluing little tiny power armored super-soldiers. Because I am way cool like that.

It was an ad for some guy running for a seat in the House of Representatives. He was running as a Republican social conservative, which is not all that unusual, as we do live in Texas. But what struck us as strange was not his political views. What was strange was the show he decided to purchase advertising on.

Will And Grace.

That was likely to be the single worst thought out ad placement I have ever seen.

Perhaps I’m wrong about this, but I am pretty sure that people that vote for socially conservative candidates are typically not huge Will and Grace fans.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 11:05 pm and is filed under Just kind of babbling. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

JoAnn in VA Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 1:10 am

Yo Skippy- I know that this might be hard to believe, but there are gay Republicans. And gay conservatives. And even straight Republicans and conservatives with lots of gay friends. And who have gay relatives too.
Personally I am a straight conservative with gay friends who drive me nuts. I mean, I am a WOMAN, it is NOT FAIR that Kevin looks better than I do in heels and stockings…
Try not to be so judgemental, eh? We can like Will and Grace too.

StoneWolf reply on January 7th, 2010 5:29 am:

Thanks a BUNCH for that image. I have a friend Kevin too, who weighs about twice what I do and is just under my height. And you made me picture HIM in heels and stockings. Right after eating breakfast.

On to Politics. Of COURSE there are gay conservatives and Republicans. There are even gay Bible thumpers. There’s just a certain irony in it.

paula reply on January 7th, 2010 11:25 am:

My own friend Kevin is a bald biker-type with a huge Fu Manchu mustache…. and yeah, now I’m picturing him in heels and stockings……

Somebody please pass me the brain-bleach? Thanks!

AFP reply on January 8th, 2010 12:50 pm:

Heh, my friend Kevin is a six-something skinny dude with long hair, a beard, and piercings. And I *have* seen him in heels and stockings.

Oh the joys of living with a Rocky cast member.

paula reply on January 9th, 2010 6:27 pm:

okay, now I need the EXTRA-STRENGHT brain-bleach!

skippy reply on January 7th, 2010 12:06 pm:

@ Joann – True, but they are usually fiscally conservative, rather than socially. With the possible exception of “wide stance” social conservatives.

StoneWolf reply on January 8th, 2010 5:32 am:

If you want folks with odd politcal views, come to VT. I’ve discovered we confuse flatlanders alot. For example, I’m registered independent, politically and fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I had a friend from Georgia in school who could not make heads or tails of most of us. For example, we all like guns and one of our shooting buddies was the most flamboyant gay you’d ever meet. He’d fire a pretty good group then pout because he’d scratched his nailpolish working the bolt. And Georgia would just stand there slack-jawed trying to figure out what just happened.

Sabra reply on January 8th, 2010 7:59 am:

Oh, hell, in Texas the gays love guns too. And pickups. I mean, it’s Texas.

I’m of two minds on it. As a conservative with a pretty good number of gay friends–including several who are themselves conservative, again, this is Texas–it doesn’t strike my weird meter…But as Skippy said, I’m fiscally conservative and fairly socially liberal. Most of the conservatives I know, in fact, are like that and so gay-friendly, but I wouldn’t bother getting to the hanging out stage with anyone who wasn’t.

Stonewolf reply on January 8th, 2010 8:13 am:

Sabra

-Point, but then Georgia was of the “God hates Niggers and Queers” variety. I didn’t like him much but it was a friend of a friend situation.

Also, the people who frequent Skippy’s probably aren’t going to be weirded out by a flaming gay with a pink John Deere hat, a princess pink shotgun and pickup. I think most of us Skippyites (damn, there it is again!) are socially liberal, or at least tolerant.

ShasO Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 2:41 am

marines lol

Everyone knows that the Imperial Guard is where its at!

Jason Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 5:06 am

Eldar will pwn your face, mon-keighs.

Anonymous and STILL Employed Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 5:26 am

Let’s not forget the Orks here. What’s a decent fight without a living tide of green skinned anarchy?

Captcha: Going Hampshire – Totally the place to start a new Waaagh!

StoneWolf reply on January 8th, 2010 5:33 am:

Remember, Orks not Orcs!

Tim Covington Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 6:02 am

Yeah, I wouldn’t vote for the guy just because he doesn’t have the sense to target his ad dollars. I could have seen it if he was calling attention to his fiscal conservatism. But, that would require a modern day politician to be fiscally conservative.

LoC reply on January 7th, 2010 11:06 am:

Kinda depends on whose money you’re talking about. Damn near all politicians are fiscally conservative… with their own money. Campaign dollars and tax revenue though? Pshaw!
…
..
.
Orks Orks Orks Orks Orks!

Jim C Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 6:34 am

Why would he target people who are already likely to vote for him? The ad placement makes perfect sense. He is try to persuade people who would normally not vote for him.

skippy reply on January 7th, 2010 12:14 pm:

Because that’s how advertising works, when you are selling a product. Which in this case means his candidacy.

I mean, you could make a campaign designed to convince people who would normally oppose your position to switch. But if you try that and it fails, you just tell people who don’t like your views that they need to show up to vote against you.

Sequoia reply on January 9th, 2010 9:33 pm:

No, it still makes sense. Sure, if it makes those people show up to vote against them, that politician will have given those people reason to exercise their right to vote, which is necessary due to how low voter turnout is.

Ziggy reply on January 10th, 2010 11:24 pm:

You will never find a successful politician who really cares about voter turnout, especially at the expens of supporter turnout.

William Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 11:15 am

I love how we are all more collectively concerned with what army he plays over the advertising choices a local politician makes.

Another vote for the Guard.

Rapp Says:
January 7th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

I think people are thinking about this all wrong. why advertise to people who will probably already vote for you? Why not advertise to people who don’t see your views everyday?

skippy reply on January 7th, 2010 2:45 pm:

There’s a difference between don’t see your views everyday and has opposing values.

“Hi, if you vote for me, I will do the opposite of what you think of as moral” seems like a bad idea for a politician.

For instance if one candidate would like to outlaw abortion, he should probably not try to convince me to vote for him with that fact. Because he is in essence just paying to help advertise his opponent.

In this case the advertising will likely have the opposite effect of what was intended.

Freiheit reply on January 7th, 2010 7:36 pm:

Except with a two party system and usually only two candidates to choose from, Americans make this choice all the time.

I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. So I can vote Republican and (supposedly) get a leaner, low-tax government that cares about the 2nd, 9th, and 10th amendments. Alternately, I can vote Democrat and (supposedly) get a government that will let me do what I want to my body, in my own bedroom that cares about the 1st, 4th, and 5th amendments.

I’ve run for office before, there is ALWAYS a set of people that will vote for you. Those people don’t need to be asked for a vote, they need to be asked for money. That money then needs to be used to get a chunk of the middle and put a dent into those that would normally vote against you.

Getting a vocal turncoat for your campaign is wonderful, “I used to be for the other guy, but he sucks so bad and this new guy is so good I’m jumping the aisle”. In this case, if that Republican from Texas can get a few homosexuals and lefties to back him, he can very easily become the lesser of two evils if not a better choice.

StoneWolf reply on January 8th, 2010 5:39 am:

The sad thing is that what you say is pretty much spot on. Regretabbly there doesn’t seem to be a nice strong middle ground option. A party that cares about Amendments 1-10, runs a lean government, and doesn’t give a shit who or what you do in your bedroom as long as its all adult and consentual. But then, Libertarians tend to scare the shit out of everybody for some reason.

Jinn Master reply on January 9th, 2010 11:18 am:

I’m a libertarian and damn proud of it :P

Also, what is wrong with all of you? It’s all about the Necrons, baby!

Sequoia reply on January 9th, 2010 9:36 pm:

Stonewolf

That party you are hoping for needs to care about Amendments 1-27, including the 11* Amendments of the Bill of Rights, and the other 16.

*Before any of you start hating on me for the whole “Bill of Rights is 10 Amendments” thing, the 27th Amendment was one of the original 12 Amendments proposed after the ratification of the Constitution.

Stonewolf reply on January 11th, 2010 10:23 am:

@ Jinn-Me too, but most people have no idea what it means. Half the time they think I’m a tree humping hippie and the other half they think I’m a militant facist. I am not facist! ;p

@ Sequoia-Point. I was just saying that I like the orignal idea of Liberal, meaning freedom. Democrats and Republicans both want certain freedoms but want to take others. Screw that, lets let people do whatever the hell they want so long as its consentual and you don’t effect the people who aren’t involved. If I can equip a platoon of light infantry all on my own that’s nobody’s buisness but mine as long as I don’t hurt somebody unjustly, and if my neighbor likes fucking horses that’s nobodies buisness but her’s as long as its her horse.

Sequoia reply on January 11th, 2010 1:16 pm:

Me, I’m Conservative. Not Republican. Not Democrat. I don’t care what you do as long as the Constitution is not violated, or if you’re screwing someone’s life or property over (cause that’s just a douche move).

Jim A Says:
January 8th, 2010 at 11:55 am

Hey, the Eldar have gay, pink*, plasma cannons and hovertanks. Beats shotguns and pickup trucks I say.

*If you paint ’em that color. And really what would be more appropriate for Eldar anyway.

Jason reply on January 10th, 2010 7:04 am:

Harlequins were always fun to “queer-up” as much as possible, then prance them across the battlefield to shred some “manly marines”.

TheShadowCat Says:
January 9th, 2010 at 9:18 am

http://online.logcabin.org/

ElementsRook Says:
January 10th, 2010 at 7:39 am

For the Greater Good vote Aun’Va

ltc_insane Says:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:55 pm

lol I’ll put in my vote: FOR CHAOS ! to be more specific BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD ! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE ! :P i always liked World Eaters.

ElementsRook Says:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:50 pm