See the ad at: http://www.youtube.c...
This is EXACTLY the kind of powerful and compelling ad Jim needs!
Yesterday, Loudoun County Dem posted a diary drawing our attention to this ad--and his dairy was promoted by Lowell. Loudoun County Dem asked how we can get Michael J. Fox to make the same ad for Jim against Allen.
Because this is the kind of ad that can win close elections, I'm posting a second diary following up Loudoun Connty Dem to ask for your support and ideas on how we can get this ad aired in Virginia for Jim Webb.
We can start with a chorus of voices urging the Webb campaign to contact Claire McCaskill and Mr. Fox asking for permission to use the ad. Readers of this blog can post comments here and also send emails to the campaign letting them know how powerful this ad is. We can offer to contribute to help pay for the ad. I will contrubte another $100 to Jim if he runs this ad.
This is going to be a really close election--this is the kind of dramatic ad that can seal the deal.
Jim Webb should be all over this!
There are some issues that everyone understands on a gut level. Like Foleygate. Everyone understands child molestation and hates child predators. Similarly, anyone who suffers or has lost a loved one to a dred disease like Parkinsons understands the incredible life-saving potential of stem cells.
Stem cell research resonates with many people in a very powerful way that could really help Jim and really hurt Allen. There are Republicans and Independents who might disagree with Jim on a host of issues--but would vote for him on this issue alone. It is that powerful and compelling. Sure, there are plenty of religious conservatives who will never support stem cell research and will probably never support Jim Webb. But I'm confident this issue will net a lot more votes for Jim than it loses.
This ad would do several things for Jim. First, there would immediate media buzz----invaluable positive PR for Jim--that will introduce Jim to a lot of voters--Democratic, Indepedent, and moderate Republican--who still don't know him. Once they take a look, my bet is they will like what they see. Second, this election is going to come down to turnout. Supporting stem cell research will motivate many people to get out and vote for Jim when they otherwise might stay home.
One of Jim's recent ads talked about how he will be a better leader in the Senate than Allen. Very true, but platitudes about who is going to be a better leader ain't going to cut it in this election. Platitudes are not going to defeat an entrenched incumbent who will say or do anything to get elected in a red state with millions in special interest and GOP money and the GOP GOTV machine.
Consider the results of a recent national poll by Research America:
58% percent of Americans favor the use of
embryonic stem cells in medical research(ESCR). 62% of Americans support ESCR using leftover embryos that are voluntarily donated and would have been discarded otherwise.
29% are opposed to ESCR and 13% say they do not know. 57% of the 29% overall who are opposed to ESCR say they have religious objections to the research--that means approximately 18% of Americans oppose ESCR on religious grounds.
Missouri is more conservative than Virgina, and McCaskill's campaign obviously thinks this ad is going to work for them.
Jim Webb can defeat George Allen by talking straight to voters about issues that will change their lives and the lives of their families for the better. Stem cell research is one of those issues.
I really hope he did one for Webb as well but many NOVA voters will see the Cardin ad (and hopefully realize that Allen voted against funding Stem Cell research).
(Celebrity spotting: I saw him walking down the street eating an ice cream cone in Woods Hole MA in either 1988 or 1989)