I Agree to See

The Web's Largest Political Ad Library

I Agree to See

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

I agree to follow
  • Watch
    • Latest Political Ads Happening Now
    • Hilarious Political Late Night Clips
    • WWI and WWII Propaganda
    • Ads From the Past
    • Speeches
  • Latest Elections
    • 2018 Elections
    • 2017 Elections
    • 2016 Presidential Election
    • 2016 Congressional Elections
    • Browse All
  • PSA’s
  • Blog
    • Blog: I Approve This Message
    • Political Blogroll
  • FAQ
    • The Campaign Brain
    • 2016 Presidential Election
    • Political Trivia
    • Campaign and Election Terms
  • Submit Your Ad
    • Candidate Connect
    • California Candidates
    • Build Your Profile
  • About Us
    • FAQ About Us
    • I Agree to See: Internship
  • Subscribe

David Vitter’s Last Ditch Mea Culpa Has Something Missing

Posted on
November 10, 2015
by Agree Staff
As our own Eric Jaye once explained "Political Survival Means Having to Say 'I’m Sorry.'" For a politician mired in scandal, sometimes a heartfelt "mea culpa," backed up with a credible record of how he (it's usually a "he") is "still fighting for you," is just the trick for winning one more election.

That's the logic Sen. David Vitter and his political consultants are relying on to comeback from a double-digit deficit and win a Louisiana gubernatorial race that was supposed to be a cakewalk.

David Vitter Has Said Sorry Before

The mea culpa worked for him before. When Vitter was busted back in 2007, after the leader of prostitution ring facing trial released her phone records and Vitter's number was in them, he quickly apologized, laid low, then three years later won re-election in a landslide. The scandal seemed to be behind him. Vitter's Republican opponents in this year's preliminary election alluded to it but failed to defeat him.

But last week, Democratic John Bel Edwards delivered a brutal attack ad accusing Vitter of taking "a prostitute’s call minutes after he skipped a vote honoring 28 soldiers who gave their lives in defense of our freedom" and after "Prostitutes Over Patriots," Vitter felt he had no choice but to deliver a fresh mea culpa.

In the ad "Difficult Times" (initially given the more unfortunate title "Hard Times"), Vitter speaks to the camera and cuts to the chase. "Fifteen years ago, I failed my family, but found forgiveness and love." Following the typical mea culpa formula, Vitter pivots to how hard he fights for you, "I learned that our falls aren’t what define us, but rather how we get up, accept responsibility and earn redemption ... You know me. I'm a fighter. And as your governor, I'll get up every day to fight for you for a much better, stronger Louisiana."

This Sorry May Have Missed The Mark

There's only glaring problem with this mea culpa: he's not apologizing for the specific charge leveled by Edwards.

As LSU professor Robert Mann noted in a piece for Salon, while Vitter had previously received public forgiveness for using prostitutes, the Edwards charge of missing an important vote was new: "It was the first time anyone had credibly suggested that Vitter’s prostitution habit in the late 1990s and early 2000s had influenced the performance of his public duties."

The new Vitter ad apologizes for failing his family, but not for failing his constituents. And that undercuts the claim that he will "get up every day to fight for you." If this mea culpa ad doesn't work the way some others have, it will be because it is one sorry short.
  • Previous
  • |
  • Next
I agree to follow

Trending

  • Kirsten Gillibrand Anti-Trump
    Kirsten Gillibrand Launches First Anti-Trump Ad of 2020 Campaign

    Desperate for a boost as she lags in the polls, presidential candidate...

    More
  • State Senate sarah mcbride video
    Transgender Activist Sarah McBride Announces Run for State Senate Focusing on Issues, Not Identity

    Transgender activist Sarah McBride, who rose to national prominence af...

    More
  • astronaut mark kelly arizona senate gabby giffords mark kelly us senate arizona
    Astronaut Mark Kelly Launches Bid for Arizona Senate, With Help from Gabby Giffords

    Mark Kelly entered the Arizona Senate race against incumbent Martha Mc...

    More
  • tulsi gabbard 2020 presidential campaign announcement tulsi gabbard official presidential campaign
    Tulsi Gabbard Brings “Love and Aloha” to the 2020 Presidential Campaign

    In the run-up to her 2020 presidential campaign entry, Hawaii Rep. Tul...

    More
  • kamala harris 2020 campaign announcement kamala harris for president
    Kamala Harris Makes It Official

    Sen. Kamala Harris entered the 2020 Democratic presidential primary wi...

    More
  • larry hogan 2020 presidential campaign republican challengers to trump 2020 republican candidates
    Is This Inauguration Video from Larry Hogan a Step Towards Running Against Trump in the GOP Primary?

    Politico’s report that Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is c...

    More
  • kamala harris mood mix stephen colbert kamala harris 2020 presidential campaign
    Kamala Harris Offers Her “Mood Mix” to Stephen Colbert

    The “Colbert Primary” is off and running, as several Democ...

    More
  • cory booker 2020 presidential campaign announcement video nike cory booker 2020
    Cory Booker Starts 2020 Race With Gangbusters Video

    Sen. Cory Booker jumped into the 2020 Democratic presidential primary ...

    More
  • lizzie fletcher voted for nancy pelosi republicans attack democrats who voted for nancy pelosi
    Republicans Slam Democratic Frosh Who Voted For Nancy Pelosi

    The House GOP-affiliated Super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund waste...

    More
  • Who is happy that donald trump is president
    Liberal Group Asks: Who’s Happy That Trump is President?

    A little known liberal group called Future Forward USA Action is airin...

    More
  • barack obama eric holder redistricting barack obama redistricting barack obama gerrymandering eric holder gerrymandering barack obama is back
    Obama is Back … and Ready To Tackle Partisan Gerrymandering

    Former President Barack Obama is putting his considerable prestige beh...

    More
  • the koch brothers tax reform bill donald trump tax reform koch brothers how the koch brothers sell tax reform gop tax bill charles koch david koch paul ryan tax reform donald trump
    How the Koch Brothers Sell Tax Reform: A Guide

    It was a balmy August afternoon in 2015, when Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, ...

    More
  Speakeasy Digital Ads I agree to see

Recent posts

  • Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Makes Star Turn on “The Bachelorette”
  • Speedos: Which Maine Senate Nominee Wore Them Best?
  • The Top 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2018
  • The Top 10 House Races to Watch in 2018
  • Wikileaks Slid into Don Jr.’s DMs and Tried to Finesse Donald Trump’s Tax Returns

Comments Below

Recent Posts

  • Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Makes Star Turn on “The Bachelorette”
  • Speedos: Which Maine Senate Nominee Wore Them Best?
  • The Top 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2018
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Our Staff
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms
© 2018 I Agree to See is a project by Storefront Political Media
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on the Campaign Exchange
  • Our Staff