President Bush accused of exploiting 9/11 in ad campaign

[Chewbacca]

I didn't see it coming. [img]tongue.gif[/img]


Link

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Families who lost loved ones on 9/11 are blasting President George W. Bush's new campaign ads.

The ads use images from the 2001 attacks, including wreckage of the World Trade Center and clips of firefighters at Ground Zero.

Monica Gabrielle lost her husband on Sept. 11, 2001. She told the New York Daily News that the ads are "a slap in the face" to the victims and "unconscionable."

One woman whose brother died in the attacks say the ads make her "sick." A man who lost his brother in the twin towers says using the images in a campaign ad is an "insult.

A Cary, N.C., man whose brother died in the terrorist attacks is among those criticizing the ads.

The ads include images of the destroyed World Trade Center and firefighters carrying a flag-draped coffin through the rubble.

The International Association of Fire Fighters said the ads are disgraceful and should be taken off the air. They say the ads are in poor taste and accuse Bush of exploiting the attacks.


David Potorti, an independent from Cary whose brother Jim died in the north tower of the World Trade Center, called the campaign's use of the images audacious.

Potorti said it's an insult to use the place where his brother died in an ad. He said he'd be just as outraged if any politician did it.


Tom Roger's daughter died on American Airlines flight 11. He says the ads are an offensive attempt to "grab people by the throat."

But Bush campaign adviser Karen Hughes disagrees. She told "The Early Show" on CBS that 9/11 is a "defining event" for America's future and it's "vital" that the next president recognize how it has changed public policy.

Bush's campaign is defending the commercials as appropriate for an election about public policy and the war on terror.

Queens firefighter Tommy Fee also blasted the ads, calling them "as sick as people who stole things" out of the World Trade Center.

[ 03-06-2004, 03:16 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Azred]

Although showing the footage in political ads might be tacky and/or insensitive, footage of the World Trade Center attack is public domain and is thus perfectly allowable for use in political ads. On the other hand, I don't think I would want my campaign associated with an act of televised terrorism. An aversion to those images might translate into an aversion to vote for Bush; that political price is too high, especially for an incumbent.

[Timber Loftis]

Kerry's welcome to use the images too. [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

[Grojlach]

If this article is an indication of the general response to the ad, I don't particularly mind if the Bush administration keeps showing it.

[Davros]

There is a thought - 8 momths of campaign seeing the WTC on TV from both parties every day. Public domain it might be, but it be awful tacky too.

[Oblivion437]

Well, Woodrow Wilson exploited World War I to get re-elected, and nobody complains about his morals!

Let's face it, it's rude, insensitive, cheap and worst of all, perfectly legal.

I don't want free speech restrictions of any kind, but I think that the candidate should have the good taste to pull the ads. If we could just get Bush in some kind of money laundering or attempted spying scheme, that would be enough to at least guarantee he won't hold public office again.

[Cerek the Barbaric]

I haven't seen the ads myself, and I didn't lose any loved ones on 9/11 (other than fellow Americans in general).

I agree the ads are probably in bad taste, but 9/11 is a defining event for President Bush and America both.

Also, if Gore had been President, HE would be the one using the ads instead of Bush. It may be tacky and tasteless, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the President would use those images regardless of his party affiliation.

[Rokenn]

Chewie, did you expect anything more from the political party that has scheduled its convention this year to coincide with the anniversary with 9/11 this year?

[John D Harris]

Having been trained in the field of commercial art/visual art and being familar with commercials and what makes a commercial work. The ads are tastefully done, the ads are uplifting and positive, will be extremely effective, in my professional opinion. I'll give a professional observation: Coke and Pepsi have both been around for years, Coke is much larger. Why? look at their advertising always uplifting, saying buy coke cause Coke is good. Pepsi on the other hand, has ads, not as much anymore but some, stating how people liked Pepsi best in taste tests. In essence buy Pepsi cause Coke is bad, not cause Pepsi is good. People will go for the one that is positive. Same is true for political ads, for years people have complained about negative political ads. Now they have a positive ad and what is happening there are complants. I say this with out fear ,cause by and large the ones running the otherside of the isle don't get it and won't change. There are a few who do get it but their voices will be drowned out.

As for any arguments about politising: How is it any worse then say: Stating one's involvment in a period of history where 57,000 were killed? Can anyone say "Vietnam war hero" Believe me I know many veterns of SE Asia and to the man they have all come out against the "war hero" as have the vast majority of their brothers in arms. I recieve many e-mails a day from vets.

This is much ado about nothing.

[Azred]

Exactly how are the ads "insensitive", "rude", and "tacky"? Are the surviving family members of the victims of 11 September somehow more special than anyone else who has lost a family member to an act of violence? Are they more special than the surviving relatives of those lost on 19 April? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] (referring to Oklahoma City, in case the date isn't jogging any memories)

It has been more than 2 years. Many grief counselors would at this point be wondering why the surviving family members are wanting to hang on to their loss instead of moving on. Three words to those folks: get over it!

Besides, I lost any and all respect for them when, less than 6 months after the attack, they began bickering about who was eligible for more money from the compensation fund...