Monday, January 30, 2017

PAC Makes Final DeVos Push

America Rising is a super PAC created by Republicans back in 2013 when the RNC determined that they needed a group that did "nothing but post inappropriate Democrat utterances and act as a clearinghouse for information on Democrats.” You may remember them as the folks that followed every single Democratic candidate around and taped everything they ever said.

These masters of opposition research have turned their money on Herr Trump's cabinet nominees, and they felt the need to make one last push for Betsy DeVos through their division called America Rising Squared. The weakness of the video underlines the weakness of the nominee.

The spot is thirty seconds long, and it doesn't have much to say.

"If elected, I will not seeeeeerrrvvveeeeeeeee....."

Over a greyed-out image of Beloved Leader, we get the words "Americans sent a clear message." This seems disingenuous at best, since three million more Americans sent the message "I will pick the Democrat-favored Lesser of Two Evils." Because first, Trump lost the popular voe and eked out an electoral college win. And second, all sides should remember that this was the election in which "Earth hit by comet" was a contender. This face-off between the two most unpopular candidates in ever may have done many things, but it was never going to deliver any sort of clear message.

We want to fix what is broken.

Maybe that's supposed to be the message?But no-- I think it's supposed to be a lead-in to the next sentence, which arrives over a big picture if Randi Weingarten speaking in front of a crowd in front of a garish screen with her name, her title, and "working Americans."

But Senate Democrats are taking orders from the BIG UNION allies

As a dues-paying NEA member, I'm wondering why MY president isn't up there looking like an evil embodiment of those terrible, terrible unions. Why isn't Lily scarier?

And then over images of Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer looking dangerous/deranged

Playing politics as usual

We are fourteen seconds in and DeVos makes her first appearance.

Blocking nominations like Betsy DeVos

Exactly which nominations have they blocked? Because the last time I checked, Senate Democrats were mostly disappointing their constituents by being less resistant than overcooked linguini in a hurricane.

I will give them credit for one thing-- their next photo of DeVos is one that we haven't all seen or used a hundred times. In this one, she's sitting in a rocking chair in front of a bunch of tykes, smiling with a book on her lap. See! See!! She's in a school!

Betsy DeVos knows what it takes 

Now some moving pictures of smiling, happy children

so that every American child has a chance to achieve their destiny

And now we're back to that shot of DeVos and Beloved Leader standing on the steps in front of the door. Man. Mike Pence is greyed out, behind an overlay (you might even call it a visual curtain) on which is displayed

Call your senator * (202)224-3121  Confirm Betsy DeVos

And that's it. That's the whole message:

Americans sent a clear message. We want to fix what is broken. But Senate Democrats are taking orders from the BIG UNION allies. Playing politics as usual. Blocking nominations like Betsy DeVos.
Betsy DeVos knows what it takes so that every American child has a chance to achieve their destiny.  Call your senator * (202)224-3121  Confirm Betsy DeVos

That's it. This message is running on social media in key-ish states. That's the argument. Never mind that DeVos is inexperienced in education, has no experience running a large, complex organization, has no experience in politics beyond purchasing compliance, has shown disregard for students with special needs, didn't know basic education policy issues at her hearing, made a hash out of Detroit and Michigan, and has generally shown no qualifications except being a major contributor to the GOP.

But all that's okay, because she "knows what it takes."

Not that the spot even hints at what that might be. Maybe this is such weak sauce because it looks like, barring some sort of actual comet impact on DC, DeVos will be confirmed (however, still contact your senator because you never know, and doing nothing is not a useful option). But if this is the best counterargument that DeVos supporters can muster-- well, it's just further evidence that she deserves to be shot down and replaced by just about anybody else on the planet.



1 comment:

  1. I emailed my Senator (Kaine of Virginia), asking him to support Ms. DeVos for SecEd in both committee and in the floor vote. He sent me a letter, explaining his reasons for declining.

    Ms. DeVos cleared committee 12-11. She will probably be confirmed by the full senate.

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