Oddly enough, the Republican National Committee's attempt to mount a populist attack on a self-serving, wealthy elite fails to fly
Who
It is the Republican National Committee, the leadership organisation of the GOP. Though in this year's gruelling Republican nomination battle, the RNC has looked like an especially hapless referee at a cage fight. The RNC's main job is to get as many Republicans as possible to win office across the US, and also to bag the White House for the party's nominee. So it is relentlessly focused on President Barack Obama, seeking out perceived vulnerabilities and news ways to define him as negatively as possible.
What
There is nothing Republicans like more than wallowing in the concept of the "liberal elite". In this cosy fantasy world, Democrats are Hollywood-loving latte-sippers with a fondness for sushi. They live in either Los Angeles or New York (San Francisco, if they are environmentalists or gay) and have oodles of money to splash around on their favourite charity causes. They are vain and superficial, and feel superior to everybody else in the world. It goes without saying that New York Fashion Week fits rather marvellously into this stereotype.
So the Obama campaign's decision to hold a fundraiser during Fashion Week would seem a gift to a GOP communications team. Hence, the rapid production of a 51-second long attack ad.
When
It is up and out now on the internet. Again, it is one of the many cheap and cheerful, swiftly-produced ads aimed at going viral. As this is one that is tagged to an actual event happening Tuesday evening, it has a better chance than most of getting passed around.
Why
This ad plays into two strands of thought. The first is the aforementioned GOP obsession with the idea of a liberal elite: one that inhabits Hollywood, college campuses, the media and industries like fashion. This ad, then, is "red meat" to the GOP base.
The second strand is that Obama does suffer from a genuine "disconnect" problem. Among many people, not just conservatives, Obama can seem aloof, uncaring and distant from the problems many Americans have gone through in recent years. This sort of ad, and subject matter, could play into that trope and broaden the appeal of the video beyond the party faithful into the much sought-after "independent" voter bracket.
How
The ad begins – hilariously – against a background of funky faux 1970s-style elevator mood music. Words flash onto the screen revealing that the Obama campaign's 2012 schedule includes a New York Fashion Week event. An invite appears. Crikey, Scarlett Johansson is going to be there! I thought this was meant to be an attack ad?
The invite reveals Obama For America campaign manager Jim Messina will be a special guest and the event will help launch the "Runway to Win" collection of clothes and accessories that have been drawn up by a group of Obama-supporting fashion designers. The ad lingers over the invite, then switches to the words: "The billion dollar campaign presents …" before launching into a series of shots of not especially high-priced and not especially nice consumer goods. They include a fairly awful tote bag, a scarf and other items all for under 100 bucks. The prices are "ker-chinged" up in a conscious nod to the famous Mastercard series of adverts. The final slogan completes that line of humour and is meant to be a brutal putdown that strikes a blow for the common man (and woman) against the evil liberal elite.
"Watching the Obama campaign host a ritzy NYC fashion show while 12 million Americans remain out of work? Priceless."
It then belabours the Mastercard point. "There are some campaign moments money can't buy. Obama's celebrity-filled fashion show is one of them," it concludes.
The ad is a miss. Which is a great shame – and I say that as a liberal elite media person who likes the odd latte himself. There was the potential for a lot of fun with this topic (you don't have to be a conservative to find something ridiculous about Fashion Week figures trying to be political). But the ad lacks punch. The music is off-kilter; it's hard to demonise going to a party with Scarlet Johansson and it just doesn't look glamorous, or exciting, or even expensive.
There is a bigger problem, too. With this ad, the RNC is trying to strike a populist tone. Just as Newt Gingrich has been doing with his attacks on Mitt Romney. But it does not work.
Everyone knows the GOP is the party of big banks, big business and the 1%. They cut taxes on the richest Americans. They are almost certain to elect Romney – who likes to fire people, sees $374,000 in speaking fees as not much money and admits he does not care about the very poor – as their nominee.
So, pretending to be cross about a few partying New York fashionistas hawking some cheap handbags for Obama is not very convincing.
Back to the drawing board, guys. Leave the anti-rich populism to people who really mean it.