There’s little doubt that Michiganders being “treated” to Terri Lynn Land’s comically funny “Really?” ad know it to be the complete and utter and laughable failure that it is. What you may not know is that it has gotten national attention for how terrible it is, too.
On Fox News (yes, FOX NEWS!), Republican pollster and adviser Frank Luntz tore into Land’s ad, calling it “THE worst ad of the political process.” To add insult to injury, he refers to Land as “Terri Land Lynn”.
LOL:
Frank Luntz: [00:00] … that’s the best ad.Steve Doocy: You got a stink bomb of the season?
Luntz: You know I’m a straight shooter.
Doocy: Sure.
Luntz: And I’ll say it like it is, and I’m going to upset the candidate, who’s going to see it. But this is the worst ad of the political process. It’s for the Michigan Senate race. Terri Land Lynn [sic], I’m sorry Terri, but your ad agency didn’t do well for you on this one. Let’s take a look.
[Terri Lynn Land’s “Really” ad plays with a focus group opinion dial overlaid]
Doocy: So that was her defense? She would not be a part of the “War on Women” because she is a woman?
Luntz: Yes, and the problem is she wastes twenty seconds drinking that cup of coffee.
Doocy: The dials just went into the gutter.
Luntz: They were so low that the Fox logo actually covered the scores. I’ve never had that in politics before. And I know that there were viewers out there that, Republicans, who are upset with me right now; you gotta call it like it is. And that ad, it doesn’t give any message, it doesn’t tell you anything about her, and it doesn’t communicate any sense of substance. She’s a challenger, she has to prove where she stands, she doesn’t do it. That ad should be off the air.
It’s hard to argue that this ad should be off the air. What Luntz probably doesn’t realize is that this ad is perfectly suited for Land. That 20 seconds of empty time is a perfect metaphor and, in reality, a vivid demonstration of what Land has to offer: nothing.
And, honestly, what the hell is wrong with the GOP candidates for Senate and the media teams they hire? Don’t forget that last time around it was Pete Hoekstra with his racist “China Girl” ad that doomed his candidacy from the very early days.
It all goes to show you that no matter how rich you are, no matter how much of that sweet, sweet Koch brothers money you have on your side, and no matter how many anti-women, anti-Choice, extremist groups you kowtow to, there is simply no way to make up for being a two-dimensional candidate with no original ideas of your own and not enough good judgment to know when you’re about to pay lots and lots of money for the privilege of making a colossal and damaging mistake in a very, very public way.
That kind of stupid you just can’t fix with money.
