Could it be? Is this the same politician who, earlier this year, put an ad on in his district that earned nationwide ridicule for its 1980s-era stereotypes and 1970s-era public-access TV production values?
Well, seems Sam Graves found some money in his office budget, or somewhere, and went out and made a real political ad. A terrific ad, in fact, to trumpet his endorsements last week by two statewide unions.
And in the process, it looks like the Graves family has minted a new TV star. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Sam's daughter, Emily Graves.
Emily, one of three Graves kids, gets most of the speaking lines in this unspeakably cute 30-second attack spot on his Democratic opponent, former Kansas City mayor Kay Barnes. Here's the video off my LG Dare courtesy of the Graves campaign, and the script is below it.
SAM: I'm Sam Graves. Emily and I approve this message.
EMILY: That's my dad, Sam Graves. When he's not standing up to politicians in Washington, he's on the farm doing chores. Dad says a day's pay deserves an honest day's work. Well, Mayor Kay Barnes hasn't been honest throwing mud at my dad.
I say, "Dad, doesn't Mayor Barnes know that Missouri teachers have endorsed you? Missouri fire fighters, too. And every year you give back your unspent office budget to taxpayers." Dad says --
SAM: Sweetie, just trust the voters.
EMILY (to camera): OK. I trust you.
I have no dog in this hunt. I just think that's a great ad. We should put it in context. Sam Graves avoided a discussion on the most open-minded and fair media outlet in this market. One that a lot of Missouri school teachers and fire fighters watch. And despite that nice heartland image of the Graves family on the farm, published reports suggest they may benefit personally from Sam's championing of biofuels (update).
Then again, none of that probably matters to Graves, who last I heard had a comfortable lead over Barnes in the Sixth District.
What's interesting about this ad is that it is both bare-knuckled and heartwarming. The cultivated folksiness of the ad says: My Dad is the best! But the more you think about it the more it seems to crow: Take that, Kay!
Previously on TV Barn: I ripped Graves' "Sodomite Dance Party Mix" attack ad. Also, I wrote about those amazing focus-group dials and why they reveal Obama's advantage over McCain. And speaking of KCPT, it (and KTWU) are airing the PBS special "The Choice" tonight; here's my review. For more articles, look over at that sidebar.
What's that old saying about closing the barn door after the horses have escaped?
I "listen" to more TV than I "watch." When I first heard the Sam Graves advertisement, my response was "he can't be putting his child in his commercial?" Next time it came on, I actually watched. She's a charmer, and probably couldn't deny her Dad's request if she wanted to. Perversely, it reminded me of other occasions when politicians objected to press scrutiny of their children. (Remember when the Canadian press had a heyday with Brian Mulroney's teen-age daughter's spending spree, and he had to forge an agreement with the media that they keep hands-off coverage. Just today The Star reports that Sarah Palin feels like rising up like a grizzly bear when her children are in the news.)
A few years from now, how will Sam Graves feel if the press wants to print something, possibly negative, about his daughter? He has already allowed her to take a public role. Giving the press legitimate reason to focus attention on his daughter may have opened a barn door he'll wish later he had kept shut.
Posted by: Peg Nichols | October 21, 2008 at 08:10 AM
She says her dad gives back his office's unspent budget.
How much is it?
It could be just 10¢!
I don't care how cute the ad is, it's a joke!
When pols resort to using their cute kids in their ads, I always assume the pol is a crook!
Posted by: Unindicted Co-conspirator | October 21, 2008 at 08:49 AM