AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.

Click here to visit the new home of Politics Daily!

Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories
Politics Daily
FEED
MATT LEWIS AND THE NEWS

Republicans Pull West Virginia Ad With 'Hicky' Actors

1 year ago
  0 Comments Say Something  »
Text Size
Matt Lewis
Matt Lewis
Columnist
Author Bio »
Contact Author »
Subscribe :
What a bone-headed move by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

A commercial the committee ran attacking West Virginia Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin was pulled Thursday, after it was discovered that the company that produced the ad put out a casting call for actors with a "hicky, blue-collar look."

The ad, first reported by Politico, featured supposedly regular looking guys, wearing truckers' hats and flannel shirts, at a diner. The message was that Manchin may be fine as governor, but would be a liberal rubber stamp for President Obama in the U.S. Senate.

This is problematic for a variety of reasons. First, the NRSC used actors, not real people living in the Mountain State. Second, it was filmed outside the state (in Philadelphia), which everyone knows is unwise. But the biggest reason, of course, is that the "hicky, blue-collar" language could be construed as national Republicans seeing average West Virginians as hicks -- and that West Virginia voters are easily manipulated.

Having gone to college in the Mountain State, I can tell you that this is a sore point.

It's important to note that GOP senate nominee John Raese had nothing to do with the ad, though it will, no doubt, unfairly hurt him (the question is, to what degree). The NRSC blames the wording of the casting call on a company it hired to produce the ad.

You can watch the ad here:


Filed Under: Matt Lewis and the News, Barack Obama
Tagged: 2010 Elections, 2010 Senate Elections, 2010 Senate Races, dailyguidance, Joe Manchin, John Raese, TomD, West Virginia Elections, West Virginia Senate Race, West Virginia Senate Races
More articles from Matt Lewis »

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

37 Comments

Filter by:
rickpetersonms

Those guys look just like me and I agree with them.

October 08 2010 at 11:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jimary424

they look like common coal miner or truck driver type guys to me just sitting around chatting. Its amazing the way people make big deals out of nothing. go to a diner in southern Ohio, West Virginia or any state and you will see guys like this in a coffee shop or diner....

October 08 2010 at 4:45 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
ruthsgardens

Well for one minute I thought that not one person who posted here read the article or seen the ad.But now I see a couple did.Read the article first.The nrsc hired a company to make the film.Nobody cares about your stupid party hatred people except you and any other idiot that follows your posts.And for Hughes?Replace the word republican in your post with democrat and you will see that both parties enjoy the same medical benefits and legacies that most americans don't.But we pay for theirs.It is true when people get filled with hatred,they get tunnel vision.And some of you people are totally obsessed with it.That leads to stress.Stay away from the kool-aid and try a glass of milk instead.Geeesh!

October 08 2010 at 1:37 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
GrnBer

"Matt Lewis & The News" I hope Huey sues.

October 07 2010 at 11:33 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Francine

The republicans got caught pulling the wool over the hicks eyes. I wonder if the hicks will notice?

October 07 2010 at 10:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Debbie

To late to pull it now. The damage is all ready done. HA HA

October 07 2010 at 10:09 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
FRED HUGHES

I'm not surprised at this ad. If you really listen to what Republicans are saying, they don't care about anything but "THEM THAT'S GOT'. They get paid with our tax dollars but they feel that we don't deserve help during hard times with these same tax dollars. They get the best medical care through their insurance set up that we pay for but we don't deserve the same system that they have. I could go on and on but why.

October 07 2010 at 10:03 PM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply
Jamie

What a hoot! What's the deal with these Hollywood film types? Every time they portray a redneck going back, say 20, 30 years, they portray him in a flannel shirt and a trucker cap. What imagination! What creativity! Hey guys, heres some advice: all the rednecks around here where we live are usually attired as follows: baggy pants, boxers hanging out, shaved head, crappy rap music playing in vicinity - not country. No flannel shirts.

October 07 2010 at 10:01 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
epswave

why does AOL show a slant for the democrats I never see anything positive about the repubs doesnt seem right

October 07 2010 at 9:46 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
cruml51

It seems pretty simple, and many people have touched on it already. Why weren't West Virginians hired?

October 07 2010 at 9:46 PM Report abuse +9 rate up rate down Reply

FEATURED VIDEO

View All »
TEDWomen
Ideas Worth Spreading

Discover inspiring videos on TEDWomen where people are reshaping our future with ideas.

View the Video »

Follow Politics Daily


Politics Home Page : Roll Call

News From Our Partners