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..You would respond to sobeks posted news story about the Bush administration hiring actors...? That is a rather serious charge. What is your take on this?

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Why not? I didn't comment because I don't see anything wrong with it. Why wouldn't you use actors to make a commercial? That makes a lot more sense than using, say, farmers or computer programmers doesn't it? If bush had tried to make a commercial, without using actors, he would have been criticized for that also.

I can hear it now, "Why didn't Bush use union actors when making a commercial? He is trying to hurt/break up the unions now, etc.

Frankly, every commercial I have ever seen, I have assumed contained actors, with a very few exceptions. (like the founder of the Wendy's Restaurants) Even then, I assumed all the smiling customers and waiters were actors, and that the hamburgers were "props" and looked a lot nicer than what real customers would get! I don't think I have ever gotten a hamburger as balanced as those. Mine are always lopsided with catsup on the outside of the bun in places, the meat hanging out the side a bit, etc. (Bush obviously had to be in it himself, as opposed to hiring an actor to play his part, because he is so recognizable.--and that would also make the commercial "look" fake instead of better)

And then there are all those commercials with famous actors, that everyone recognizes, shopping at Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc. Does anyone believe that is where they really shop? (Some probably do, but I suspect that most have help that shops for them, or they are shopping in Beverly Hills)

Remember the commercial, "I am not a doctor, but I play one on TV?" Is the American public getting so stupid that they can't recognize a commercial when they see one? Anyone who views commercials (basically just short movies), or television shows/movies, etc. and doesn't know there are probably a lot of actors filling these rolls, is a fool in my book.

I believe that many politicians have done this very same thing over the years, and I see nothing wrong with it.

It is a commercial for gosh sakes! It is supposed to look good (better than real life) in order to sell something.

What else can I say?
Rodney

My problem with that is that-if this story Is true, then these are not just innocent political commercials...It is a deliberate attempt to defraud the public.

The depictation of their "actors" as legitimate news people reporting "real" public reaction-without any disclaimers to indicated that these are commercials, or indicating that the news people are just actors is portraying a lie with the obvious intent of misleading the pubic to influence their votes (not that it isn't attempted in other ways, but we all know that politicians lie and the news reports are biased).

We do however have the right to expect a difference when reporting a factual event as being true...Not propoganda aka 1984. Or will we now have news reporting like in the movie THE RUNNING MAN.

For the average American, the TV NEWS is the closest they can get to hearing the real facts about issues and public opinion.

Eddie Gurerro on the WWE openly lies, cheats and steals to win. We all know it is an act. I expect a bit higher (or less obvious) standards out of our government.

If they "all do it" as you say, Republican or Democrat they all belong in jail. They all do it-is no defense, nor is it justification. I am surprised that you don't have a problem with this. As a moral issue this goes Way beyond party politics. There is a limit.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I didn't mean to imply that if they all do it, it is OK.

I meant that I don't care who does it, because I see nothing wrong with it.

Can't people tell it is a commercial, just by when it is run? (Next to other commercials, every 15 minutes, with a slight break in transmission, context, when it starts, etc.)

If it is being deliberately done to try and mislead the public, I am totally against it. But I doubt that is the case. They would have to buy air time, just like any other commercial, so I don't see how people would get the two confused.

Are they not running the commercial during shows other than the news as well? And then, what's next? No political commercials during news casts?

Rodney

Not really Rodney...Sad to say that the average person turns on the news (many of whom are washing dishes reading or in other ways just not really paying attention)and sees what they think is a reporter and accepts that it is legitimate, since it is on at the same time as the news. Without that disclaimer (that it is a political ad)it is lying plain and simple on a criminal level.

Where it does the most damage is that people will now have to be extra carefull to tell the real newscasters and reporters from the phonies. It hurts the credibility of all journalists and undermines the publics ability to make informed choices.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

You do have a point Rodney. Perhaps campaign commercials should not be mixed with the evening news...I'm for that!

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I'd really have to see the ad before I could comment further as to its appropriateness, but I suspect that the article is just more Bush bashing.

I imagine the ad. has probably been pulled already, so I will never get to see it.

The older I get, the more skeptical I get. (after seeing fraud after fraud, you either learn to be skeptical or you become gullible. Remember the ice age scare of the 1970s? I remember worrying about it as a kid, and coming up with solutions in my head like building lots and lots of nuclear plants just to make heat. I wonder what I will be like in another 40 years, after I get to see many more frauds de-bunked.

Rodney

You mean it's safe for me to put away my Parka???? (lol)

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."