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[Evan Zimmerman <evan.zimmerman AT gmail.com>]

Many of those ads use advertising techniques that are deceptive -- for
example, most people (who aren't paying close attention) come away
with impressions from ads more than anything -- keywords and phrases,
emotions. In this case, it sounds like the ad attempts to get the
viewer to agree with the first example by showing "evidence", then
redirects them once they've bought in to the key point the advertiser
wants to convey -- that Burr is slave to 'special interests'.

Breast cancer research is too specific to be widely effective, but
'special interests' is big and scary, just like 'trial lawyers' and
'big corporations' etc.  On the other hand, making the case for
'special interests' may be difficult or take too long for a 30 second
spot, so they just fudge it.

It would be nice if ads tended to be honest, but as long as 'fuzzy'
ads work more effectively, they'll get used, just like the negative
ones. Anyway, that's my impression.


On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 12:28:06 -0400 (EDT), Sil Greene <quack AT ibiblio.org> 
wrote:
> 
> whoops.  forgot the URL for the definition I quoted:
> http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Special_interest
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sil Greene said:
> >
> > Hmmm.   You're right, in that this ad's message seems a little confused;
> > but without a transcript in front of me I'd be foolish to spout off about
> > it just from your description.
> >
> >
> > So, just because we're on a 'definitions' thread, I thought I'd chime in
> > with something that might help:
> >
> > "Special interest
> >
> > "A hidden stake of one party, that is not revealed when relevant
> > information is disclosed by that party.
> >
> > "Also used to refer to overt lobbying or political efforts of groups
> > affiliated by a common interest, such as industry groups,
> > environmentalists or various social groups such as one advocating for
> > immigrants, financeurs or veterans. Generally any loose affiliation of
> > interests for the purpose of influencing political debate, affiliated
> > outside a party structure or within a political group, might be described
> > as a special interest group.
> >
> > "The label is often attached to a group whose political agenda seeks
> > advantage for that group with proposals that otherwise have no direct
> > benefit for the entire political body."
> >
> >
> >
> > (Based on first and last paragraphs, I'm not sure breast cancer survivors
> > qualify as a special interest.  They're not exactly pushing for something
> > that doesn't benefit the body politic.)
> >
> > --s
> >
> >
> >
> > Jeremy Portzer said:
> >> So, this morning on the radio I heard an attack ad against Richard
> >> Burr.  (Presumably it was sponsored by Bowles, but I don't know for
> >> certain.)  The ad was criticizing Burr's record on breast cancer
> >> research; it was narrated by a breast cancer survivor and claimed that
> >> Burr had voted against any and all funding for such research.  Ok, fine,
> >> seems like a valid point.
> >>
> >> But what really got me is at the end of the ad, the narrator said
> >> something along the lines of "vote against Burr; don't elect a candidate
> >> controlled by special interests."
> >>
> >> Now, if you are a supporter of breast cancer research and making your
> >> sole decision to vote based on which candidate would further that goal,
> >> ISN'T THAT A SPECIAL INTEREST ?!?!
> >>
> >> How/why did the author of this ad have the gall to spend the whole spot
> >> talking about their one goal -- not electing someone who would not
> >> further their particular interest -- and then claim that the candidate
> >> *is* beholden to special interests.  WHAT?!
> >>
> >> And if they were trying to insinuate that Burr's stance *against* cancer
> >> research was due to a "special interest" -- what interest is that?  I
> >> haven't ever heard of a "Citizens for Breast Cancer" anywhere!
> >>
> >> Craziness.  The ad was making a very good point with me until I heard
> >> this idiotic part.
> >>
> >> Jeremy
> >>
> >> --
> >> /---------------------------------------------------------------------\
> >> | Jeremy Portzer        jeremyp AT pobox.com      trilug.org/~jeremy     |
> >> | GPG Fingerprint: 712D 77C7 AB2D 2130 989F  E135 6F9F F7BC CC1A 7B92 |
> >> \---------------------------------------------------------------------/
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