Sitcom Appeal

[Michael Tee]

The ads for Newsmax.com "Can They Win?" show McCain's face in the left foreground and Palin's face in the right background of a narrow rectangular horizontal strip.  Just the heads, both smiling.  Old, gray and smiling; young, round-faced and smiling.  Grampa and Sally Field.  They look fun and wholesome.   All-American.  Feelgood.  Maybe they're gonna win on the visuals.  Biden is not a happy-looking guy.  Looks like he's got a perpetual grievance.  Obama's cool, but there's no "team effect" there, they are two independent agents.  They don't look like they enjoy each other's company much or at all.  The Biden-Palin shot looked like there was something going on there between them, a Grampa-Bootsy kinda vibe.

Jeeziz I'd hate for this to be decided on the visuals, on image alone, but it's happened before.  Reagan.  Maybe a party of businessmen has its hidden strength - - these guys know what people REALLY want.

[Michael Tee]

Look at it again - - it's not a grandpa-granddaughter vibe, more like a father-daughter thing, a team effort.  He's smiling and confident, as befits the older generation, she's more serious and businesslike, but her lips are slightly parted (incest vibe??) but that's even more effective as a team - - one's the smiling, outgoing sales guy, one is the smart, serious back-office guy (or woman.)

Whatever it is, that picture is powerful and appealing.  God-damn those Republicans, they know how to package!