‘Cross’ Purposes
December 19, 2007 on 2:04 pm | In Media, Race for Prez |
So you be the judge. Did Mike Huckabee, notwithstanding his denials, purposely place religious imagery in his Christmas campaign commercial above? Few things in life are certain, except perhaps that the sun will set tonight and Johnny Rowland will run for mayor of Waterbury.
But if there’s one thing you can take to the bank, it’s that the cross was no accident. I have watched television advertising directors work — albeit in Canada 25 years ago. Even then, they fussed over the most minute of details — a tiny piece of lint or a stray facial shadow that no casual viewer would notice.
The symbolism doesn’t bother me. Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, is playing to conservative Christians in Iowa. I’m a libertarian-leaning agnostic, so Huck doesn’t appeal to me. The problem is his denial that the insertion of the imagery was deliberate. If he’s lying about this, what else will the Huckster lie about?
I must say I was surprised to see Catholic League spokesman Bill Donahue slam Huck on Fox News for this bit of chicanery (click here to see blustering Bill in action). Even the hotheaded Donahue, who, like the hosts of the Fox morning show actually thinks there is a “War on Christmas,” thought Huck went over the top. If Donahue thinks you’ve gone too far with religious imagery, you know you’re in trouble.
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I have no problems with the cross, I ahve no problems with a Christmas Message…I do have problems with having to run a Christmas Greeting as a political ad…muddying the message…I also have a problem with a campaign spoksperson denying it was a cross….jsut say it like it is,,,a Christmas greeting to run during a run for the Presidency, if it offended anyone, sorry!
Peace on earth, good will towards man (and Hillary)!!!
Comment by Marshall — December 19, 2007 #
Boy, there must be something in the water in Arkansas. They produces some really smooth politicians down there. Destructive ones, too. Whatever happened to Winny Rockefeller?
Comment by Jake — December 19, 2007 #
What is the big deal about the cross? His message clearly states that the important thing this time of year is “the celebration of the birth of Christ”. He is not pretending that this is some secular Christmas message. I like that he is being honest, even if the message does not resonate with this secular Jew
Comment by Dan — December 19, 2007 #
The whole problem I see with this is the denial. Huckabee is making no secret of his (hopefully primary) occupation as an ordained minister, nor of the voting bloc he is expecting to produce for him.
So, why pretend that the cross is not there for a reason. Terry is 100% correct — there is NO WAY it was accidental — or, if one is really willing to take his campaign at face value that it was, Huckabee is surrounded by such incompetents that he would be an unmaneagable risk running a small town Sunday School, much less what was once the most powerful nation in the world.
Comment by Geoff Brown — December 19, 2007 #
definitely intentional.
I think i need go to church now.
Comment by fred — December 20, 2007 #
As a former ad agency creative director, I couldn’t agree more with you, Terry. Writing TV spots was easy; a chimp could do it. Going over and over and over the video, nit picking ( My apologies to chimps here ), looking at everything drove me crazy. I have no problem with a cross in the background, it’s the crossing of the line that bothers me. Huck either knew it would be seen as such, or he should have. His ad guys? They knew.
Comment by Terrence McCarthy — December 20, 2007 #