O'Donnell's "I'm you" Ad; Meh

Allahpundit is happy with Christine O’ Donnell’s new campaign ad:

Writes Allah:

Not a syllable is breathed here about policy, party affiliation, or conservatism; it’s a straightforward “everyman versus the establishment” appeal which, thanks to O’Donnell’s poise and the direct, soft-spoken conversational appeal to the camera, ends up being quite arresting.

Well, I like the playful “I’m not a witch.” and the “I’m nothing you’ve heard.” After that, I wanted to hear what she IS, and “I’m you” didn’t tell me that. In fact, forgive me, but when I heard “I’m you,” all I could think of was Linda Tripp’s disastrously-received “I’m you” statement during the Clinton/Lewinsky debacle.

Given her good looks, perhaps others will like “I’m you,” but I also didn’t love the droning, “none of us are perfect, but we all can agree…” No, it’s not working for me.

Allah notes:

The latest old chestnut retrieved by the media is something she said in a debate four years ago about being privy to classified info regarding some sort of Chinese takeover of the U.S. I hope that doesn’t swamp the rollout of the “I’m you” message, but it bodes ill if the kook/everyman arm-wrestling between the campaigns goes on until election day since it means she’s on the defensive until the bitter end.

I happened to hear a newsreader on the radio report on this, this afternoon, her voice dripping with mockery and disdain. Even though it was presented as a straight news story, the reporter did all she could to make the listener understand that O’Donnell = nutcase.

Then again, if Barack Obama had said something about being privvy to secret information like this four years ago, we’d want to know about it, and we’d want him to explain.

The difference is, in that case, the press wouldn’t tell us, and would call us “crazy” for even daring to wonder about it.

Which pretty much sums up why, as long as the mainstream media has control over the national conversation, things won’t change much.

They don’t have the control they had even two years ago, but unfortunately, they still control too much.

Meanwhile, I suspect that there is going to be a steady drip, drip, drip of “oddball things Christine O’ Donnell has said” with the most damaging saved until two days before the election. It will get the Democrats hooting, and may scare plenty of indies, but tea party folk will close ranks around O’ Donnell feeling protective about her.

I sometimes think O’ Donnell’s fierce supporters are simply Palin fans who are trying to answer the savaging Palin took two years ago by sticking up for O’Donnell, no matter what. But O’ Donnell is not a strong candidate.

She’s a strong tea party candidate. Whether that makes her strong enough, I dunno.

This ad may be her roll-out, let’s-put-the-witch-stuff-behind-us effort, but I never thought the witch stuff mattered all that much. In fact, I believe her admitting to “having dabbled” in occult things made her more, not less, relate-able to the general public.

“I’m you, I used a Ouija board as a kid,” works a whole lot better than, “I’m you; I felt privvy to secret information about China.”

UPDATE: My husband liked the ad. He thought it was fresh and endearing.

UPDATE II: Jim Geraghty likes the ad a great deal:

You all know I’m a Ruling Class RINO who thinks that if Christine O’Donnell will stiff her former employees, she’ll turn her back on anyone, right? So I’m inclined to be very, very skeptical. I still think she’s got to climb Everest and she’s trying to do it without oxygen masks.

But this is a great ad. Intensely personal, perhaps the only approach that could cut through the noise that has surrounded her bid since she stepped into the spotlight. There’s almost a bit of vulnerability or awkwardness, and that almost becomes charming.

Hmmm…”charming” is a word I’ve seen several times in connection with that ad. I’m rather immune to charm offenses, so perhaps that’s what I’m not picking up, and Allah, Jim and my husband may be right while I’m wrong.

UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh isn’t that impressed