The "Moses" commercial - what you're not getting

[GaYellowDawg]

It's a commercial for fundamentalists. There's been an email that's been going around for a while that calls Obama the antichrist. The "Moses" commercial is geared to fundamentalists that may not have gotten the message. In the whole "end times" mythos that has sprung up around the Tim LaHaye books, the antichrist is portrayed as someone of Middle Eastern origin who is extraordinarily charismatic. So what the Republicans are doing with this ad is using the prior impression given by right wing radio about Sen. Obama's middle name that he's Muslim (which lots of ignorant people aren't going to differentiate from Middle Eastern), combining it the fact that he is charismatic, and sending a message that Obama's the antichrist. What looks silly and stupid if you don't know the fundamentalist culture is a very scary message to them.

I find it extraordinarily frightening because I think it really increases the chance that some fundamentalist will go over the edge and try to assassinate Obama, thinking he's killing the antichrist. It may be the most dangerous and irresponsible ad I've ever seen.

[mcctatas]

1. Who's not getting it?

it is an obvious ploy to win favor with the fundies. Forget the fire and brimstone looking background, "the One" is a dog whistle word to imply the Antichrist. Of course, I thought they wanted the anti-Christ and the end of the world so this may backfire on old Walnuts McClame....

[Misskittycat]

Actually, I didn't get it, so I'm glad for the explanation.

[silverweb]

2. Yeah, but...

I thought the Anti-Christ was someone they NEED to fulfill the approach of the End Times?

Shouldn't they be HAPPY if they think he's here?

Isn't their whole thing about hurrying up Armageddon?

:shrug:

[Coexist]

3. non-fundamentalists might see it as mocking Christian beliefs.

[Cha]

5. And, there are more

of those.

[grantcart]

4. Most conservative Christians will not be amused or swayed by it.

I don't think that it will have much of an impact because its not really being run but if they saw it they would talk about it and they wouldn't like it at all.

[annabanana]

6. Doesn't this "anti-Christ" HAVE to win to fulfill prophesy?

You know, like the Jews HAVE to have the Holy Land for Jesus to come back and all the non-converters to get killed?

I think the fundies HAVE to vote for Obama then..

[Quixote1818]

20. Thats what I was thinking. They want the rapture to happen so badly

they might just vote for Obama (the Anti-Christ) so they get their wish.

[FrenchieCat]

7. Jesus was of Middle Eastern Origin.....as was most in the bible except

the Romans.

Those extreme Fundie folks weren't going to vote for Obama anyways.

[GaYellowDawg]

9. It's not their vote I'm concerned about.

I don't care about their votes. Democrats will never get those, so screw them.

The thing that's of concern with this ad is that it will send some fundie over the top and Obama gets a bullet. The fact that Jesus was of Middle East origin won't matter to them. I'm amazed you don't get this.

[madeline_con]

8. On the Dallas Morning News site, on the Religion Blog..

Posted by Claire @ 11:06 AM Sun, Aug 03, 2008

Very mixed messages.

If you watch this with the sound off, it seems to be very pro Obama. If you watch it with the sound on, it's questionable as to who it’s for until the very end.

If you happen to be one of those elusive and much courted evangelical voters, it appears McCain is making fun of their religious beliefs.

My understanding is that around McCain headquarters, the in group refers sarcastically to Obama as "the Chosen One" So, we've got a video that features a somewhat heterodox cal in joke from the McC campaign insiders, that is quite likely to offend religious types, and that sends extremely mixed messages.

It's so bizarre it's not the least bit offensive to Obama...just mildly amusing. It does make you wonder about the Duh! factor with McCain's bunch, though


http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/new-mccain-ad-suggests-that-ob.html

I'll have to agree with Claire on this one.

[FrenchieCat]

10. I also questioned McCain's wisdom in calling this a joke.

I started a thread a couple of days ago cautioning that the Fundies may not be as amused with this as are the McCain camp. I don't know if the McCain camp realizes that Bible jokes are not exactly what will move a fundie to vote for you.

[blondeatlast]

12. I mentioned in another thread, referring to the McSame camp's "good fun"

take on the ad, that many of these stupid ads seem to be put together by College Republicans who still don't get that the Colbert Report is biting satire aimed largely to MOCK them.

They know it's supposed to be funny, but still don't quite "get it." So without understanding the wit of Colbert, they try to mimic the style in these nutball ads--and fail miserably.

[GaYellowDawg]

13. Claire doesn't get it, either.

I don't see why an ad that plays upon the fear of the most violent religious extremists in this country isn't alarming to you or Claire. Both of you underestimate how well that ad is crafted to scare them.

[Demeter]

11. Is McCain Playing Moses?

If so, he's doomed to roam the desert for 40 years and never reach the Promised Land. Also to be betrayed and disappointed by his followers.

If they are calling Obama Moses, then they ought to remember about Harriet Tubman, who also earned that name, shepherding her fellow slaves North to freedom.

It seems a really stupid ploy--wreaking of desperation.

McCain is so uncool, while Obama is more than cool.

[Lint Head]

14. These nut jobs will go over the edge. There is no mention of the

rapture in the Bible. This idea is total garbage. No one will be 'caught up in the air. I little Google search will shed light on the truth. Timothy Lahaye is full of it! He is a proven charlatan and liar. :dem:

[GaYellowDawg]

15. That's the fear.

That the nut jobs go over the edge. It doesn't matter that all of the "end times" crap is precisely that. The only thing that matters is that they BELIEVE in it. They also don't have to have any kind of internal consistency to things. The fact that the antichrist has to succeed in order to bring about the end times, which brings about heaven on earth, which is supposed to be a good thing, doesn't matter because someone will say "he's the antichrist and he's EVIL. Someone oughtta..." and then something tragic happens.

[madeline_con]

16. I understand the Ends Times prophecy, rapture, the whole nine yards.

I was brought up with it. That's why I feel confident telling you a lot of fundies will find it insulting.

[Muttocracy]

17. but isn't the most direct comparison there Moses = Obama? nt

[tomreedtoon]

18. Well, they've GOT to find an Obama assassin...

...by encouraging a religious-right guy to do it, they get to disenfranchise all those guys at once. They won't need their support anyway, if Obama is dead. They could win with McCain and what's left of Terry Schiavo without a Democrat running. And that gets the nut cases out of the Republican Party for good.

[GoesTo11]

21. Please drop the violence talk.

We're not the secret service here, and it's just bad form and a bad idea to make it a common topic of conversation.

[tomreedtoon]

24. No matter what you say, it WILL happen.

If you wish to live in Cloud Cuckoo Land, that's fine. But I live in a world run by the Bushes, and they kill their enemies. And Democrats won't stop them.

[Bluerthanblue]

19. if a "Fundie" really bought the spin, then Obama being compared

to Moses is actually a pretty positive thing.

Moses led the people out of hellish circumstances into the Promised Land- He was 'chosen' by god- to do what god desired.

We're clearly in need of a leader to help us get out from under the damage the last 8 years has done- As for the 'fundies' being afraid of the "anti-christ"- some are, some actually look forward to their 'interpretation of scripture' being fulfilled.

I'm not really worried about the fundies, it is the closet racists that concern (and disgust) me. And the only way to fight their sickness is to confront it, and not let it assume power over others.

[kurtboss]

22. Nah

It's simply an attempt to stop the pussies that are the Indy's that will decide the race (likely) to think twice before jumping on the Obama bandwagon.

That's what Indy's are. Pussies. (Or Scrotums as Dan Savage prefers.) They don't have conviction to pick a fucking party because it commits them to a position and identifies them. Indy's are fundamentally followers..


The McCain camp shat themselves over that Berlin rally. Obama can use that and the Indy's won't know it's in Germany. They'll see a crowd a mile long and figure they better go with that sensation.

So, McCain has to mock Obama people, and that will scare some Indy's.

Even if you're right about the anti-Christ idea...it still is just a reaction to how powerful the imagery is and how much Indy's are pussies and can be swayed by that.

[NoodleyAppendage]

23. Good. Bring on the end times. I can't wait for the Rapture...the World needs peace from Xtian NUTS

If you follow the logic, then they MUST vote for Obama to fulfill their mythological bullshit.

J

[TexasObserver]

25. Agreed. They're trying to wake up their base.

[madeline_con]

26. delete

[global1]

27. To CounterAct This Ad - I Would Just Continue To Hammer The Thought That McCain......

is making fun of religion and that this is despicable.

See how fast they pull the ad then.

[BlooInBloo]

28. Yes... Only you get it...

Well, except that that's completely false, and you're so late to dinner that the dishes were washed days ago.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/1/204858/0241

[GaYellowDawg]

31. I didn't claim I was the only one getting it.

And there's no need for your sarcasm. A simple link would have sufficed.

[BlooInBloo]

32. You told everyone they're not getting it. That leaves only you, you genius....

Oh wait. Except that it was completely 100% false, and you were among the last to get it (or at least to mention it.)


EDIT: Subject typo.

[GaYellowDawg]

34. Oh, I got it right away. I didn't see the commercial until after everyone else. No cable.

By the way, genius, I think you're looking for the word "they're," not "their," and "completely 100% false" is repetitious. On whose authority do you have it that my idea about the commercial is false, anyway?

[BlooInBloo]

35. Typo caught before your reply (but thx!) What was 100% completely false is the notion that....

You're the only one who got it. Documentation was provided in my initial post.

EDIT: Another subject typo caught. No need to mention it, as I already have. Unless you want to be "the only one who caught it" again. :rofl:

[GaYellowDawg]

37. Really, what's the point in taking umbrage?

When I got on the board, I didn't see any discussion about that aspect of the McCain ad, so I was hoping to inform, not to injure delicate sensibilities. Sorry it stung you badly enough that you felt that you had to put me in my place. Lighten up, Francis. Frankly, I was happy to see your link, as it was a confirmation that I wasn't being paranoid about the implicit message in the ad. I hope that someone on one of the news channels eventually gets around to calling McCain on it in the same fashion, although I haven't seen any posts indicating that has happened or will happen.

Edit: grammatical error.

[BlooInBloo]

38. (shrug) What's the point of holding yourself up as the only one who gets it?

Lesson to be learned: The chances that you (or I, or any other single person) are the only ones who "get it", are essentially zero.

[GaYellowDawg]

39. Well, I'm sure the world is grateful to you for your self-appointed role as intellectual policeman.

More likely, people think you're an asshole. There's a lesson to be learned there, too.

[BlooInBloo]

40. That's nice. You're still among the last to get it. Not the first and only.

[GaYellowDawg]

41. And thank you for supporting my last comment.

It's a shame you can't help yourself. Since you can't, welcome to my Ignore list.

[TrogL]

29. I am the Anti-Christ

People need to get a grip.

[TheKentuckian]

30. The McCain campaign is retarded

but not completely asleep at the wheel. All of this nonsense is a play at the PUMA types. It'll probably come at the cost of keeping a few of his base (not the press, the hypocrite right) home. Some already don't trust McCain on his views as is, getting smearish with biblical figures will be frowned upon by some.

[JVS]

33. Their votes was unanimous, the horror instantaneous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBHfXPqbgI

[CJCRANE]

36. Bush is a better candidate for the Anti-Christ...

He is a supposedly "godly man" but doesn't even go to church, he achieved 90% approval post-9/11 and launched a "crusade" which turned out to be against American liberties and which created more terrorism.

[woo me with science]

42. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW I HAVE TO WATCH ALL HIS COMMERCIALS FRAME BY FRAME TO FIND THE CODED SECRET MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!!

After that I will go back to searching for subliminal gay sex in "Lady and the Tramp."

[hedgehog]

43. Off topic, but what's with the peach?

[GaYellowDawg]

44. It's not just any old peach.

It's an M peach. I wanted them served at the White House for lunch, but Nancy Pelosi kept taking them off the table. Also appropriate because I'm from the Peach State.