Phil Kellam vs Thelma Drake
In the Phil Kellam vs Thelma Drake race for Virginia's 2nd Conrgessional district, I just thought of a wonderful campaign add for Phil Kellam.
First, let me identify myself, I live in Virginia Beach and I will be represented in the House by whoever wins this election. While I describe myself as a moderate, independent, I have pretty much decided I want Phil Kellam to win the election. So I am going to try and offer Phil a little help.
Secondly, I generally disapprove of attack adds, however those who support the Thelma Drake campaign have been letting a few loose, so I guess Phil's supporters need to get down in the mud with them.
Here's how the add would go. Starting with a slideshow of smiling Thelmas (the closer she is to smirking the better) a voiceover states: "Thelma Drake is proud of her voting record in Congress. But what is she really in favor of? Back in July, in front of the Citizens of Hampton Roads, Thelma let her guard down."
Cut to a video of her saying, back in the July debate, that she endorses a national sales tax.
The voiceover then explains: "Thelma wants to replace the graduated income tax with a national sales tax. She wants to cut taxes for the rich alright, but she wants to raise taxes for the middle class."
Closing scene: with a still shot of Thelma smiling in the background, the announcer, speaking in a dour voice, says: "Thelma Drake wants to raise your taxes." While a hand comes across the picture and leaves a stamp that says "WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES".
Then, in a longer then normal "I support this message" view, Phil Kellam comes on and explains. "I wish to be fair and honest with this message. If you are rich, Thelma does not intend to raise your taxes she wants to cut them, so this message is not intended for you. However if you are in the Middle Class, Thelma does want to raise your taxes, she said it herself. This is the message I support."
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End of campaign add recommendation and now for some discussion.
If Phil was to run this add, he better be able to defend his position in a debate. A brief description of the "Fair Tax" issue is contained on this blog. I would recommend the piece I wrote back in April of this year (see here), it contains links to websites that support the Fair Tax. He might want to also get ahold of Neil Boortz and Congressman Linder's bestselling book on the Fair Tax so he can be familiar with all the arguments in favor of it and can say he actually read the book.
Now he also needs to be ready for Thelma to state "I never said Fair Tax, I said national sales tax." But if she does this, it should be like throwing raw meat to a pitbull. If Thelma is not talking about something like the Fair Tax then she is talking about raising taxes for everybody.
Phil should be ready for a curveball... and be ready to then endorse the curveball himself, something like: "There are some advantages to the Fair Tax. For example if a sales tax was implemented at a rate lesser then the proposed 23%, along with a prebate to protect the lower class, income taxes and the need to file tax returns could be eliminated for the middle class. However on incomes beyond (Phil inserts an income level he finds acceptable, I suggest $150K for an individual, $300K for a married couple) income taxes should continue to be paid in a very American system of progressive taxation. As long as any changes to the taxcode meet my definition of the American Way, I can live with that."
Phil might also want to line up a few economists he could refer to that are of the opinion the Fair Tax would be regressive in comparison to the current income tax system and who are of the opinion it will result in raising taxes for the middle class. This shouldn't be too hard, because anyone who is not on the payroll of the Republican National Committee probably has this opinion. He probably could get some help from the Democrat National Committee on lining a few experts up. If Phil does not want to refer to Ivy League experts (this could lead to claims of being elitist - though he should have a few of them lined up to quote if need be) he could keep the experts local at first by referring to professors from Old Dominion, Norfolk State or the University of Virginia.
First, let me identify myself, I live in Virginia Beach and I will be represented in the House by whoever wins this election. While I describe myself as a moderate, independent, I have pretty much decided I want Phil Kellam to win the election. So I am going to try and offer Phil a little help.
Secondly, I generally disapprove of attack adds, however those who support the Thelma Drake campaign have been letting a few loose, so I guess Phil's supporters need to get down in the mud with them.
Here's how the add would go. Starting with a slideshow of smiling Thelmas (the closer she is to smirking the better) a voiceover states: "Thelma Drake is proud of her voting record in Congress. But what is she really in favor of? Back in July, in front of the Citizens of Hampton Roads, Thelma let her guard down."
Cut to a video of her saying, back in the July debate, that she endorses a national sales tax.
The voiceover then explains: "Thelma wants to replace the graduated income tax with a national sales tax. She wants to cut taxes for the rich alright, but she wants to raise taxes for the middle class."
Closing scene: with a still shot of Thelma smiling in the background, the announcer, speaking in a dour voice, says: "Thelma Drake wants to raise your taxes." While a hand comes across the picture and leaves a stamp that says "WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES".
Then, in a longer then normal "I support this message" view, Phil Kellam comes on and explains. "I wish to be fair and honest with this message. If you are rich, Thelma does not intend to raise your taxes she wants to cut them, so this message is not intended for you. However if you are in the Middle Class, Thelma does want to raise your taxes, she said it herself. This is the message I support."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of campaign add recommendation and now for some discussion.
If Phil was to run this add, he better be able to defend his position in a debate. A brief description of the "Fair Tax" issue is contained on this blog. I would recommend the piece I wrote back in April of this year (see here), it contains links to websites that support the Fair Tax. He might want to also get ahold of Neil Boortz and Congressman Linder's bestselling book on the Fair Tax so he can be familiar with all the arguments in favor of it and can say he actually read the book.
Now he also needs to be ready for Thelma to state "I never said Fair Tax, I said national sales tax." But if she does this, it should be like throwing raw meat to a pitbull. If Thelma is not talking about something like the Fair Tax then she is talking about raising taxes for everybody.
Phil should be ready for a curveball... and be ready to then endorse the curveball himself, something like: "There are some advantages to the Fair Tax. For example if a sales tax was implemented at a rate lesser then the proposed 23%, along with a prebate to protect the lower class, income taxes and the need to file tax returns could be eliminated for the middle class. However on incomes beyond (Phil inserts an income level he finds acceptable, I suggest $150K for an individual, $300K for a married couple) income taxes should continue to be paid in a very American system of progressive taxation. As long as any changes to the taxcode meet my definition of the American Way, I can live with that."
Phil might also want to line up a few economists he could refer to that are of the opinion the Fair Tax would be regressive in comparison to the current income tax system and who are of the opinion it will result in raising taxes for the middle class. This shouldn't be too hard, because anyone who is not on the payroll of the Republican National Committee probably has this opinion. He probably could get some help from the Democrat National Committee on lining a few experts up. If Phil does not want to refer to Ivy League experts (this could lead to claims of being elitist - though he should have a few of them lined up to quote if need be) he could keep the experts local at first by referring to professors from Old Dominion, Norfolk State or the University of Virginia.
posted by Little David at 10/15/2006 05:29:00 AM
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