The liberal PR firm Fenton Communications, working independently from the Hillary Clinton campaign, has produced an anti-Donald Trump ad to air on CNN that is a mash-up of Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy," Walter Mondale's "Red Phone," and Hillary Clinton's 2008 "3 AM" ads.
Titled, "'You're Fired!' Takes on New Meaning," the ad depicts Trump's hand punching in the nuclear codes next to a red button.
Trump's hand is continually busy, as if it's eager to get the nuclear war going. Finally, we hear Trump say "You're fired" as he pushes the button and the screen is enveloped with a mushroom cloud.
Will it work today? Nuclear war is less of a palpable threat in post-Cold War America, which might make this scene seem far-fetched. But fears of getting embroiled in a conventional foreign war remain in the aftermath of Iraq. And with Clinton generally polling better than Trump when it comes to qualifications for Commander-in-Chief, keeping the focus on his lack of national security experience and overall erratic temperament is a sensible approach.
Titled, "'You're Fired!' Takes on New Meaning," the ad depicts Trump's hand punching in the nuclear codes next to a red button.
Fenton Communications Goes After Trump
"There's nobody bigger or better at the military than I am... We you get these terrorists, you have to take out these families, "we hear Trump say. A narrator then interjects, "When a president has his finger on the nuclear launch button, the last thing you need is someone explosive and irrational like Donald Trump." Mixed in are more classic Trump quotes: “I love war,” “I would bomb the s**t out of them,” and “I’d like to punch him in the face.”Trump's hand is continually busy, as if it's eager to get the nuclear war going. Finally, we hear Trump say "You're fired" as he pushes the button and the screen is enveloped with a mushroom cloud.
Can Fear of Nuclear War Still Move Voters?
In the cases of Johnson and Mondale (in the Democratic primary), conjuring up fear of an inexperienced hand on the nuclear button was effective in moving votes. But against the backdrop of the Iraq War, the tactic failed to help Clinton overcome Barack Obama.Will it work today? Nuclear war is less of a palpable threat in post-Cold War America, which might make this scene seem far-fetched. But fears of getting embroiled in a conventional foreign war remain in the aftermath of Iraq. And with Clinton generally polling better than Trump when it comes to qualifications for Commander-in-Chief, keeping the focus on his lack of national security experience and overall erratic temperament is a sensible approach.