This week representatives from Al Gore's presidential campaign accused
the Republican National Committee of using subliminal techniques in their
ads. In a negative ad accusing Gore of handing over control of medicare
prescriptions to the government, the word "rats" appears on screen for
one frame before the word "bureaucrats." The Gore campaign claims
this is intended to give viewers the subconscious message that the Democratic
candidate is a "rat." (See The
Nando Times: Political News.)
Bush responded by dismissing the claims. "Conspiracy theories abound in American politics." Bush went on to say "there's nothing subliminibal" in the differences between him and Gore on the issue of drug coverage. "My plan gives the elderly a choice in prescription grudge coverage."
The Bush campaign suggested that Democrats are also guilty of advertising tricks in this campaign. They cite an anti-Bush ad that depicts Bush eating a plateful of meat while a voice-over intones: "George W. Bush. Has he stopped eating human flesh? How can we be sure if he won't give us the proof?"
On the campaign trail in Alabama Tuesday, Gore responded to the Bush
criticism. "If Governor Bush would just provide the proof that he
doesn't eat human beings, he could put the whole issue to rest. Until he
comes up with proof, he's just asking us to take his word for it.
The American people deserve more than that."
The Gore campaign also released a parody of the Bush ad to the media. In the spoof, various shots of Bush are superimposed with bold white type saying "CANNIBAL" that fades in and out. Unlike the RNC's "rat" ad, in the parody the word "cannibal" is on screen long enough to be read easily.
Upon hearing of the parody, the Bush camp quickly cobbled together a new ad featuring a crayon drawing of the vice president and another drawing of a horse in flagrante dilecto. A voice-over describes the scene in graphic detail, while other voices winny and moan. "Now that's comedy!" according to one campaign worker. "Lookit Gore and the horsey! Hee-hee-hee-hee!"
Later that afternoon, ABC News announced they had acquired a video tape, apparently produced by someone involved in the Gore campaign, titled "The Bush Social Security Project." The grainy, poorly filmed, poorly recorded tape depicts three political science students searching the woods for details of the Bush plan, before ultimately being killed off one by one in Texas' electric chair in Huntsville. Officials with the Gore campaign deny knowledge of the tape.
In other campaign news, alleged Reform Party nominee and alleged racist Pat Buchanan was awarded the Reform Party's allotment of Federal Election Commission public funding - upwards of $12 million, based on Ross Perot's final popular vote in 1996. Buchanan was elated, "Alright! I don't have to work until 2004!"