Dances with Wolves?

Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:08 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Ads

From NBC's Carrie Dann
Cue the menacing forest animal b-roll.

In the new McCain-Palin "Fact Check" ad released today, images of prowling wolves illustrate the Obama campaign's alleged efforts to "dig dirt" on Governor Sarah Palin and to "destroy her."

But anyone else reminded of this Bush-Cheney ad from 2004 (below), in which wolves represented "those who are waiting to do America harm?"

*** UPDATE *** The folks at the DNC eye parallels between this "Fact Check" ad and the 2004 one, and they're up with a new web video that places the two spots side by side. To drive the point home, the voices of George W. Bush and John McCain are even paired in a duet of cookie-cutter signoff "I approve this message." Text at the conclusion of the DNC response video reads: "Same old tactics, same old policies, four more years?"

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Comments

You know what Montanaro don't even bother..the McCain campaign is completely unhinged now but the media has decided to go along for the ride. I know cable news involves entertainment but I've never seen crap like this in my life. I mean are we electing a POTUS or the next American Idol? The media are the gatekeepers and while I don't expect much from Fox...I think all networks have some responsibility to reign in or shed bright light to truth to obvious spin and lies. After Iraq, Katrina, and Bush I thought things would be different but I guess not. Democrats are kind of an old fashioned party...we actually try to use the truth to get our point across. Unfortunately the ADD culture we live in isn't cultivated for the party. In all honesty I think Obama is trying to run the most respectful campaign he can..but maybe that just isn't enough. This country doesn't deserve him or the dignity of a president who actually cares. He's right..it's not about Dem/Repub in these type of smear campaigns...the people lose every time. I've decided to turn off cable news and wait for the debates. Even Olberman, Matthews, and Maddow can't do enough to rinse this election of this depressing smut. I miss Russert, he was the last of the truth tellers.

CJ (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:23 PM)

Odd. Shouldn't she just be able to get in a plane shoot them all?

Jonathan, Minneapolis, MN (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:25 PM)

And now McCain releases an ad using wolves to symbolize the evil Obama researchers looking for information to savage poor defenseless Sarah.

It now has become sexist to research an unknown opponent dumped on the electorate 60 days before the election.

Unbelievable! The McCain camp is playing the people for chumps but what do you want to bet that some MSM tool is going to justify this with an "On the other hand..." reference?

The Other Ed (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:25 PM)

It reminds me of Palin's decision to allow hunters in small planes and choppers to shoot wolves from the air. She has also petitioned to get polar bears off the endangered species list. So hunters can shoot them too!!!

jonnnierae (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:25 PM)

And...still no word on what JOHN McCAIN has planned to help lead the American people out of the many crises that face our nation at the present time. Senator McCain: will your performance at the debates simply consist one long rant about all of the things you claim Senator Obama either has, or hasn't done?

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:26 PM)

Fear is the Republican's Best Friend. Reference the line from American President, "...Bob Rumsfield (John McCain) doesn't want to solve it - he wants to make you afraid of it..." or something like that.

Republicans SUCK! (okay, i don't mean that for all of them - just the snake oil ones in this particular campaign, and Bush's campaign and most of the others)

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:29 PM)

Why doesn't the MSM start a clock on when McCain is going to actually discuss AN ISSUE??? Have any of you asked him that?

It's the Economy McStupid! (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:29 PM)

bush/Cheney speechwriters writing their speeches. bush/Cheney ad.
McCain is no maverick. He's sold his soul.

McCain selling his soul (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:30 PM)

John McCain and Sara Palin are LIARS. The Amercan people are tired of it. Democrats and Republicans deserve better!

Tired of John McCain and Sara Palin, MO (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:31 PM)

This ad is designed purely to rile up the rabid bone-head base. Quick you dummies, send us the rest of your money. The Rupubs sure act like they have something to hide.

I've done some "fact checking" on my own.....this is truly a scary woman. I do not want her next in line to be the PUSA.

Greg R., Spokane, WA (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:31 PM)

The partisan hack-a-thon continues. To quote George Costanza: "It's not a lie--if you believe it." The raison d'etre of the GOP.

Dave in Omaha (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:32 PM)

Great find!!!!!!!!!

Anne/Ohio (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:34 PM)

LOL!!!AGAIN at their meager attempts to hide behind not talking about the AMERICAN PUBLIC. The TRUTH is what can potentially destroy Palin - not the diggers.

Libratine (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:34 PM)

Why does everything have to be so sensationalized???? We're supposed to be talking about the future of the country here!!!!!

annoyed, boston, ma (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:36 PM)

Doesn't Gov Palin advocate shooting wolves from helicoptors to increase moose population in order to help moose hunters?

Disgusting

Chiburbs (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:36 PM)

Wolves were also a favorite fear-image of the National Socialist Party in Germany as a run-up to the reich.

Mark Thieme (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:37 PM)

No need to find where the canines buried their bones as they always dig them up themselves when they get desperate for their chow. The red meat rhetoric is nothing more and Americans eyes and ears are on the issues-jobs, education, healthcare, etc.!

The hound dog and pit bull will not prevail-No Lipstick Politics here as strong women are not buying their hype. The only people they are biting are those at MSNBC. Report the news fairly. Let's talk about education ad on air-Fear and Perversion Politics.

Sheila from Texas (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:39 PM)

And I am sure that there were never any Republicans sent to Chicago to check out Obama.
This would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
McCain has lost all honor in his fervent desire to win at all costs. Shame on him.

Jane MI (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:40 PM)

I guess the McCain camp was right when they said "This campaign is not about issues." Has he come up with any issue-orientated ads of late? One can only assume there is a reason for that. Attention McCain: we are not stupid. Palin is the VP candidate and has been hidden from the press to be properly schooled. Do you think we don't realize that? I have faith that Americans will reject the Rove politics this time- hopefully we learned a lesson when we elected Bush. I am a Republican who fell for the "patriotism" "abortion" propaganda in the past and voted for Bush twice. I am proudly voting Democrat for the first time in my life, fully rejecting this filth! I hope other Republicans (actually Independents & Dem's too!)will join the movement at RepublicansforObama.org.

Izzy Buffalo, NY (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:40 PM)

So what exactly do the wolves represent? Gov Palin releasing the hounds on all her perceived enemies, real and imagined. This ad is stupid in a big way.

I am so tired of Karl Rove tactics, won't he just go away. Shame on McCain for sinking into the mud like this.

Barb, LA (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:40 PM)

It is appropriate as it is exactly what Bush/Cheney did throw us to the woves and that policy will be continued with McCain/Palin.

Enough!!!

goodwin, arizona (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:41 PM)

Well, it figures.

Karl Rove worked on Bush's campaign.
Karl Rove is working on McCain's campaign.

Republicans only know how to use fear, lies, and deceit to stir a mindset of apprehension and division among voters...they use it to win elections, then they thumb their collective noses at the people who voted them in, sit back, and enjoy their sense of entitlement, largesse, and above-the-law way of life.

PAMama4Obama (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:42 PM)

Ah ooo ooo

werewolves of juneau

ah ooo ooo

this is too easy today (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:42 PM)

Is this another example of a 'scurrilous' attack which is actually true?

Here's another one-Barack Obama is running for president of the United States.

I think bratty kid Obama is showing what thin skin he has. If he doesn't want people pointing out the things he does and says, or the policies he holds, then he should drop out of the race and let Biden run. At least Joe is an adult.

The president is a grown-up job (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:43 PM)

Since we concentrate on distractions and not on issues here's a cross-over. No one in the MSM is taking on Palin's environment record but if they want to talk wolves, there's plenty to talk about. Read more....

"In early 2007, Palin's administration approved an initiative to pay a $150 bounty to hunters who killed a wolf from an airplane in certain areas, hacked off the left foreleg, and brought in the appendage. Ruling that the Palin administration didn't have the authority to offer payments, a state judge quickly put a halt to them but not to the shooting of wolves from aircraft."

http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2008/09/08/sarah_palin_wolves/

And while you're at it looking at videos of wolves, check this one out on Palin's support of aerial shooting of wolves. But don't watch it while eating.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1287024576?bctid=1290867853

Marsha (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:43 PM)

You know the unbelievable Irony of the wolf ad is the fact that currently Palin is paying bounty hunters $200 for every wolf in her State that they kill. This, so that SHE can be the one killing moose instead of the wolves...
WHO is really the BIG bad wolf?

ann (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:43 PM)

Wolves with big floppy ears waiting to do America harm.

B. Hussein Obama (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:43 PM)

Just a cheap ripoff of the Ronny Raygunz ad featuring a bear. The born again GOP is just the same old smear and fear gang of terrorists trying to terrorize the American public into voting for them. Now the repugnant ones are poking the big Russian Bear in order to provide us with a new terror to worry about.

What a laugh that they would use the term Fact Check considering they never check their own "facts" before spouting them. Had they fact checked themselves they wouldn't be hounded by the media doing it's rightful of providing us with the real truth that will sink "Tailhook" Johnny's campaign ship.

Go Obama/Biden 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:45 PM)

Sorry, McCain but that is waht anyone running does. If your campaign would have vetted her you would not have anything to worry anout. Also according to the networks there are several investigations going on, not just Obamas. I am sure the same thing was done to Obama but nothing could be found, huh, because he is a good man.

L. Pacheco Fort Collins, Colorado (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:47 PM)

Are these the same wolves that Palin allows to be
hunted from helicopters and planes?
The ones where you have to turn a wolf's leg in
to get the bounty?

katiec Pekin, IL (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:47 PM)

Just when you think the McCain campaign cannot get more desperate or disgusting!!

GA GUY (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:48 PM)

Can't wait to see the MSNBC news coverage on these lies and the liars on the McCain campaign that tell them instead of discussing what the candidates would do if they were elected – yeah, that'll happen.

MSNBC – Be ashamed. Be very ashamed.

Joe Don, Topeka, KS (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:49 PM)

Well when you have the same Rovin' consultants feeding your campaign, it's easy to have similar imagery.

I was waiting for them to superimpose Obama's face onto a guy in an airplane shooting the wolves from his "lofty" Washington safe haven. It's funny that the factcheck.org references only tell half the story, and that most of the rumors they speak of were internet gossip. Let's see them debunk the main stream media's contentions. I call per diem.

John, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:49 PM)

I'm not sure I get this or it's purpose.

texas (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:50 PM)

And now FactCheck.org has fact checked the Fact Check ad and found it wanting. They even hinted that it was a violation of their copywright in that it did not preserve the editorial integrity of their original article.

Rod (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:53 PM)

From now until the election our focus should be about the issues. No more Republican smoke screens, no more talk about who are the mavericks. (They are a team in Dallas that uses basketballs as the tools of their trade.)

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! We've had 8 years of this nonsense and look what it has gotten us - nothing!!

BrendaF, Mesquite TX (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:54 PM)

It's not letting the wolves lose...it's called asking legitimate questions about the new gal on the block! We all know what there's to be known about Biden, except for a little bit of his bio, which Obama released expeditiously, but with Palin, the Repukes are keeping this relatively unknown under lock and key, and this is plainly not right! We need to know more about who may be the next VP, and as McCAin's VP with his old age, a lot closer than a heartbeat from the presidency.

Pat Huntington NY (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:54 PM)

Speaking of Dances With Wolves (the movie with Kevin Costner) was not it very sad when those narrow minded biggoted soldiers killed the wolf that Costner had befriended and had earned its trust.

Has anyone seen those video tapes of the wolves being hunted and killed by airplane in the Alaska wild at the approval of Ms. Palin.

Her surrogate's explanation. The wolves endanger the Caribou population which the people of Alaska depend on for food. Of course several biologists in Alaska have stated this is bunk. They have also stated that Palin's environmental record in Alaska is non-existent and atrocious.

Let's see. The polar bears are not in danger according to Ms. Palin although scientist have shown more and more polar bears (and their cubs) swimming and drowning in large stretches of water between firmer land because of the ice melting. But no, global warming is not occurrring and does not endanger the polar bear. Now we have wolves in the natural wild habitat being hunted and killed by airplane. What's next Ms. Palin, a resurgence of hunting and killing massive numbers of whales off the coast of Alaska because they may interfer with the shipping of oil.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:58 PM)

Atleast these wolves aren't in sheep's clothing...if it smells like a wolf and looks like a wolf, it must be on the hunt!

Kathryn in Bham (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:59 PM)

Fool me once - that's fine!

Fool me twice - Shame on you!!

Fool me thrice - Shame on me!!!

Mark, Milwaukee, WI (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:01 PM)

Now, is this time will be as the past? MEDIA how can you help us stop Karl Rove?

Shubert, NY (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:01 PM)

Well... I guess it's a good thing she supports those despicable airplane hunting operations.

Basically, in Alaska, hunters fly low in airplanes when the ground is white with snow and spook wolves until they’re exhausted. Once they’ve slowed down, the hunter shoots the wolf from inside the plane with buckshot, which commonly doesn’t kill them the first time. After a couple of shots, and when the wolf has slowed to a crawl, the hunters land the plane and kill the wolf at close range.

The hunters then locate their den and execute any cubs inside. The Alaskan Government, headed by Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin, offers $150 for each left leg of a wild wolf. Palin has introduced legislation that will expand this practice, Alaskan House Bill 256

Now, I’m very pro-hunter. I come from a long line of hunters and have hunted myself, but when it’s no longer sport, it simply becomes killing. Shooting an animal from the sky is not sport. Executing cubs is not sport. It’s not gamesmanship, it’s cowardice.

Also, First Read, you should note that FactCheck.org fact checked this commercial and found it distorted the truth.

http://www.rodneyhopper.com

Rodney Hopper, Waxahachie, TX (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:03 PM)

Well if I used Republican thinking to rationalize this video- I would assume- being that Palin is in support of aerial wolf hunting (which by the way in and of itself is horrible)...that she is saying she wants Obama shot or better to shoot him herself!

I demand they apologize! Thank God Obama doesn't play into that garbage!

This is so stupid how many animal references are we going to make- time to get back to business- more ad money wasted and still no talk on actual policies- GOP you are wearing the American public a bit thin!!

Dana- NY (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:03 PM)

Well put, Carrie.

Although I thought more of the "black wolf" who comes to steal your daughter at night.

I can almost see the strings attached to McCain right now. They're being pulled by Karl Rove.

John McCain is not qualified to be the president; and even if he were, he's not worthy of the office.

Brendan D, Niles, IL (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:07 PM)

Do John McCain and Sarah Palin REALLY want to bring up wolves? There are wildlife groups out there who are INCENSED at the fact that Palin supports shooting wolves from helicoptors in Alaska. Hunting is one thing, but REALLY!

Indie Woman in Denver (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:13 PM)

What would Tim Russert think?

Everyone at NBC and MSNBC should ask themselves this question as they proceed with their continuing election coverage.

Wasn't Tim defined by making sure the real issues facing this country were discussed?

Didn't Tim work to make sure the average voter wasn't distracted by the "shinny little objects" (i.e. lipstick & sex education ads)Joe Scarborough laughs about on Morning Joe?

Wouldn't Tim ensure the press held campaigns accountable for facts?

It seems as if you have less interest in getting to the truth then covering the "spectacle of the show".

Please take your civic responsbility as seriously as Tim always did.

Jonathan (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:15 PM)

McCain IS "The Boy Who Cried--Wolf!"

Andress (Sent Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:15 PM)

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