I couldn't agree more with the Captain. This is the best ad of the lot, the rest don't even come close. In the spirit of Fred's message here is a You Tube link to an original Christmas song written and sung by a Vietnam Vet for all of those who serve. It reminded me of the sacrifice of our Vietnam Vet and the bond that connects all of our Veterans through the years.
As a retired military officer who has been totally put off by the dwarfs (either party) that claim to be able and want to lead this country and the free world for the next four years, this ad says it all!
I honestly believe that the Next president need do nothing more than be a good spokesman with no ranting/screeching/raving/self franchising/fomenting new programs and the like!
Lets just take a break from Bullshit and with that Fred will get my Vote...
Jon Prichard
· 2 years ago
I'm a vet and I already support Fred Thompson for President. That being said, this is the type of ad that brings things home and reminds me that I love my country. We, the collective free democratic people have done much good in the world and THAT is the spirit of Christmas. GO FRED!
Math_Mage
· 2 years ago
For the sake of nitpickiness, I'll note that one beef posters here had with Hillary's ad is that it used "holidays" instead of "Christmas", and now Fred's is using "holiday season" instead of "Christmas". Of course, this is offset by the "May God bless them all."
And of course, this ad beats Hillary's by a mile.
On the subject of Christmas campaign ads, I 'd like to take this opportunity to note one misconception people seem to be having about Huckabee's ad - that it featured a cross in the background. Not only is this an insignificant sticking point, but it's not a cross. Look again, people. It's a cabinet. You can see the compartments behind the "cross", the far edge of the cabinet is behind the Christmas tree, and it's holding some ornaments. So the complaint isn't even that there's a cross there, it's that one can read cross symbology into the lighting on the cabinet. There's plenty to gripe about with Huckabee that doesn't involve making up trivial gotchas. Let's stick with that.
Math_Mage
· 2 years ago
Oh, one more thing, Captain - where did you get the music for your ad? It sounds like a nice variation of "Carol of the Bells".
Matthew King
· 2 years ago
The background music wished our troops a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. "Holiday season" covers that pretty well.
Math_Mage
· 2 years ago
But "Carol of the Bells" invokes Christmas, so you could say the same thing about Hillary's ad. Let's stick with the "May God bless them all" caveat to differentiate Thompson's ad from the usual platitudes about "happy holidays".
Gaunilon
· 2 years ago
While we're in the spirit of Christmas, did anyone else find it offensive and somewhat ironic that the Day-by-Day strip at the top of the page yesterday took the Lord's name in vain....and that would be the same Lord Whose birth and divinity we celebrate at Christmas?
NahnCee
· 2 years ago
No. No one else took offense. Only Muslims and nit-picking trouble-makers take offense over cartoons.
Gaunilon
· 2 years ago
Anyone have a more intelligent response than this?
NahnCee
· 2 years ago
Dear Troll - no. No one else took offense. Are you going to keep posting and re-posting your same inane question until you find a fellow braindead idjut to agree with you, or will you sink into sock puppetry and post an agreement to your idiotic question under a different name?
Words of One Syllable: No. No one else took offense.
Gaunilon
· 2 years ago
Merry Christmas.
michael Reynolds
· 2 years ago
The purpose of a political ad is to sell the candidate. By that standard Hillary and Huckabee win. This spot is generic, like the kind of thing one of the news divisions puts up this time of year. It does nothing to sell Fred. Nice sentiment, weak politics.
Only_One_Cannoli
· 2 years ago
Generic was not my take at all. The Thompson campaign found a way to take a completely self-serving ad format and turn it into a gift to our men/women who who aren't receiving enough appreciation and that communicates something about this candidate's character and, imo, character may be the only real thing that voters learn about these candidates. Personally, I'm turned off by a bunch of campaign promises.
The worst you can say about this ad is that by praising our troops the candidate is using them as a campaign tool to which I'd say good, let all the candidates "use" our troops that way -- let's hear more praise for them. The net result is a positive one for our people serving and if it happens to benefit a candidate with some voters well then so be it.
Classy ad. Red sweaters are nice, but this was nicer.
CoRev
· 2 years ago
It definitely gets my vote as best of "Breed."
daveinboca
· 2 years ago
Beautiful and understated in a time when shrill and in-your-face tastelessness prevails, Thompson's ad reminds us of the higher calling to greatness true Americans respond to.
Classy and thought-provoking, with a tug at the heartstrings to boot.
dave rywall
· 2 years ago
He's trying to turn "Let's think about the troops" into political gain.
How exploitive, insincere, and pandering.
But typical.
The candidates can't even shut their yappers for 2 weeks and let Americans enjoy Christmas.
Math_Mage
· 2 years ago
Actually, I agree more with michael Reynolds - that this ad doesn't do much to advance Thompson's political cred. He could have run many other topics and gotten more out of them, but he chose this. That doesn't speak of an "exploitive [spelled "exploitative"], insincere, and pandering" politician to me. What would have been "exploitive, insincere, and pandering" would have been for Thompson to show a dozen quotes of him supporting the troops and then telling people to remember the troops.
And if you want to use this kind of standard for Christmas ads, how about Huckabee using "let's not use Christmas for political gain" for political gain? How about Hillary using "I give presents with other people's money!" for political gain? Thompson's ad doesn't even show his face once, it doesn't even mention the presidential campaign, it doesn't feature a "I am XXX and I approve this message" - how is it so clearly using the troops for political gain? Contrast that with all the other ads, which feature the candidate and ONLY the candidate doing something for thirty seconds.
AmendmentX
· 2 years ago
Wow! And I voted for Thompson to have eggnog with BEFORE I saw his Christmas message. Way to go Fred! I'm going to give him a contribution based on just that ad.
Phil Larson
· 2 years ago
If improving our image overseas is a valid objective for national figures then maybe President Thompson's advertising team is just the ticket?
MrLynn
· 2 years ago
Congratuations to Fred and his people, for a classy piece of work.
Does Fred have the bucks to run that ad nationwide?
/Mr Lynn
newton
· 2 years ago
Fred Thompson might yet surprise us all in Iowa...
All Comments
I fell asleep halfway through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un_nH--QXWw
I honestly believe that the Next president need do nothing more than be a good spokesman with no ranting/screeching/raving/self franchising/fomenting new programs and the like!
Lets just take a break from Bullshit and with that Fred will get my Vote...
And of course, this ad beats Hillary's by a mile.
On the subject of Christmas campaign ads, I 'd like to take this opportunity to note one misconception people seem to be having about Huckabee's ad - that it featured a cross in the background. Not only is this an insignificant sticking point, but it's not a cross. Look again, people. It's a cabinet. You can see the compartments behind the "cross", the far edge of the cabinet is behind the Christmas tree, and it's holding some ornaments. So the complaint isn't even that there's a cross there, it's that one can read cross symbology into the lighting on the cabinet. There's plenty to gripe about with Huckabee that doesn't involve making up trivial gotchas. Let's stick with that.
Words of One Syllable: No. No one else took offense.
The worst you can say about this ad is that by praising our troops the candidate is using them as a campaign tool to which I'd say good, let all the candidates "use" our troops that way -- let's hear more praise for them. The net result is a positive one for our people serving and if it happens to benefit a candidate with some voters well then so be it.
Classy ad. Red sweaters are nice, but this was nicer.
Classy and thought-provoking, with a tug at the heartstrings to boot.
How exploitive, insincere, and pandering.
But typical.
The candidates can't even shut their yappers for 2 weeks and let Americans enjoy Christmas.
And if you want to use this kind of standard for Christmas ads, how about Huckabee using "let's not use Christmas for political gain" for political gain? How about Hillary using "I give presents with other people's money!" for political gain? Thompson's ad doesn't even show his face once, it doesn't even mention the presidential campaign, it doesn't feature a "I am XXX and I approve this message" - how is it so clearly using the troops for political gain? Contrast that with all the other ads, which feature the candidate and ONLY the candidate doing something for thirty seconds.
Way to go Fred!
I'm going to give him a contribution based on just that ad.
Does Fred have the bucks to run that ad nationwide?
/Mr Lynn