‘THE ENDLESS SHOVEL’ PREMIERES AS ALASKANS ARE READY FOR SPRING
Gov. Bill Walker stars in his first big campaign video ad of the season today, and it features him endlessly shoveling snow into a place where he shovels it some more, while others criticize. But no matter how much he shovels, he appears to be making no progress and the likable critics finally have a barbecue.
Whether it’s an effective message is uncertain. Watch the video below and judge for yourself.
“Our first video ad of the 2018 election: It’s been a long winter and a long journey towards a sustainable fiscal future for Alaska over the last three and a half years. We’ve got farther to go, but we are grateful to all the Alaskans who’ve rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work tackling our challenges together. Thank you!”
As soon as the video was posted on Facebook, a few fawning compliments appeared within the hour, as the Ship Creek Group, which is the Walker campaign team in Alaska, had salted the promotion in advance, like laugh tracks for a sitcom help the viewers feel more jolly.
This is a technique that is called “astroturfing,” which makes it look like there is a grassroots movement. But soon the critics found the video and started posting their viewpoints, many of which were removed by the administrators.
https://youtu.be/i2Utk1CpUsQ
TWO THUMBS UP OR DOWN?
Several political observers said that while the ad was technically good and in its original form looks like a lot of money was spent on it, it tells a lot about what Walker thinks of both himself and Alaskans:
He’s the only one who is working and all the critics are out of touch.
He paints his critics as clowns and ne’er-do-wells; one of them clearly looks like an outside Texas oil man, with hat, blue jeans and cowboy boots. The other looks like a … metrosexual of some sort.
Leave your comments below in the critic’s zone.
