Cornyn - Agent of Change

by publius

I just saw my first Texas Senate commercial. Somewhat hilariously, it's Cornyn talking (with phony accents) about the need for "change." Cornyn, remember, is what Josh Marshall called a "wholly owned subsidiary of the Bush White House," and one of the biggest hacks in the Senate (unless of course if it's about bashing immigrants). Personally, I'd be interested to know what changes exactly he fought for from 2002 to 2008.

But anyhoo, it is interesting though that everyone is adopting the change narrative -- that's not a good sign for incumbents.

Comments

[Gary Farber]

It might, perhaps, be useful for those who aren't expert on U.S. politics, including our non-U.S. readers, to mention that you're writing of U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.

[jonnybutter]

Thanks for sharing this, Publius. Cornyn holds a special place in my heart for his absolute hackery. He has that blank affect of a bad actor waiting for the director to give him his lines for the day, but even after he gets and says them, he looks the same: doggone stupidity and cipher-dom you just can't hide. Would that McCain, who is by far a more craven opportunist, were this bad at playing the game.

Cornyn!

[Adrian]

Just like the Congressional and state ads in Western New York, the Republicans somehow forget to mention their party affiliation.

[liberal japonicus]

Adrian, I think Rossi is winning that race to the bottom. For you ObWi old timers, I believe Rossi was the one that Charles Bird argued was cheated out of the election by voter fraud.

[KCinDC]

Publius, does the lack of mention mean that you haven't seen Cornyn's "Big Bad John" video?

[frank]

This should make me want to vomit, but all I can manage is a shrug. What do you expect from Republican politicians now but the most bald faced lying.

[AIMAI]

Well, I think its a very sucessful ad for Cornyn, providing people don't grasp that he's been in the Senate for years and that they've voted him in before. But it begs for someone to photoshop it with Cornyn musing about how much he dislikes washington over either a) images of disasters that have happened while he was in the Senate or b) text explaining that cornyn is and always has been knee deep in corruption.

aimai

[AIMAI]

Well, I think its a very sucessful ad for Cornyn, providing people don't grasp that he's been in the Senate for years and that they've voted him in before. But it begs for someone to photoshop it with Cornyn musing about how much he dislikes washington over either a) images of disasters that have happened while he was in the Senate or b) text explaining that cornyn is and always has been knee deep in corruption.

aimai

[publius]

re the Big John video, i'm trying to forget i ever saw it -- no thanks to you :)

[russell]

Hey, he's a maverick too!

When Bush was riding high, these guys couldn't wait to line up under the Republican banner. Now that the brand is used up like an old rag, they can't run away fast enough.

Here is my prediction:

The Republicans get their asses kicked up and down the block in 2008.

They respond by taking Rossi's lead and legally changing the name of the party to "GOP" beginning in 2010.

Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken transforming itself into hip, happening KFC.

SSDD.

Thanks -

[Wendell]

But he looks ssssoooooooo Senatorial! If you called Central Casting, wanting a Senator, they would send you John Cornyn.

What more could we Texans possibly want?

[Anthony Damiani]

The thing that surprises me is that he feels the need to advertise. And I've seen this one four or five times already.

Certainly a very slick ad team he has-- not a lot of senatorial ads go national, this is the second one of his that's done so (even with the much derided "Big John"). They may even work, since they focus on the fuzzy impression level, dodging all those messy "issues"

Man, am I ashamed to be represented by that guy.