Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Letterman on Mitt’s campaign cliches

Video: Letterman on Mitt’s campaign cliches

posted at 9:20 am on January 10, 2008 by Allahpundit
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You could fill an episode of “Late Show” with this gag if you applied it to the Democrats’ hope/change road show, but as with yesterday’s awkward call and response, it does reveal an essential truth about Mitt’s campaign. A friend who supports him e-mailed me last night in despair, predicting Michigan will be his swan song because he’d rather bow out and retain some pride than go on winning silver, or even bronze, medals with this sort of paint-by-numbers rhetoric. I’m skeptical but if it happens then you heard it here first. Well, second.

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18 bumper stickers…they all have those. But Mitt can’t put tears on his bumper stickers like the Clinton’s can.

right2bright on January 10, 2008 at 9:24 AM

I saw this sketch. You’re right, they could apply this to 90% of the Dem and GOP field.

Fact of the matter is, those cliches are what stick in people’s minds. There’s a very good reason why advertising executives get paid a lot of money. Their catchy little phrases work.

natesnake on January 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM

Here’s a poll where you can vote for the candidate that you like the least.

Mcguyver on January 10, 2008 at 9:27 AM

Aren’t cliches what campaign speeches are all about?

Esthier on January 10, 2008 at 9:27 AM

Ironically, Letterman is a cliche.

regal on January 10, 2008 at 9:32 AM

And if he does, who would he support? I would HOPE, Thompson.

Michigan is a complete and total farce - DEMOCRATS are taking over the voting there because they don’t have a primary to vote in.

What has this election game come to in this country? We are becoming the laughing stock of the world and with good reason.

stenwin77 on January 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM

From what I have seen the only candidate that brings up anything other than cliches is Fred, but it also seems people don’t want to pull their heads out of the sand or a certain orifice long enough to listen.

bbz123 on January 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM

I’m with Mitt!

Letterman sucks. Time to move on to browner pastures.

madmonkphotog on January 10, 2008 at 9:34 AM

is it me or was that not even a funny bit?

Jared_MA on January 10, 2008 at 9:34 AM

Just saw a header on Fox saying Kerry is endorsing Obama. Is it just me or is that the kiss of death?

bbz123 on January 10, 2008 at 9:38 AM

Aren’t cliches as pro forma for traditional campaigning as going to Iowa and NH to suck up to the local voters? Surely, we aren’t expecting our brave little candidates to go out on the campaign trail with nothing their real views and ideas to support their positions! B. Hussein wouldn’t have a single thing to say if he couldn’t use cliches!

My favorite cliche of all time came from Clinton’s 1996 campaign stump speech where he implored us to elect him to be the “bridge to the 21st century.” Not one reporter dared point out the 21st century was coming no matter who was in the White House. ;-0

highhopes on January 10, 2008 at 9:40 AM

Cliché? Touché! (But I’m voting for him all the same.)

Tzetzes on January 10, 2008 at 9:41 AM

Kerry’s support for Obama guarantees a Hillary victory for the Dem nominiation. I’ll bet Hillary had something to do with this

georgealbert on January 10, 2008 at 9:54 AM

Why take someone who doesn’t know whether the U.S. should win in Iraq seriously in his criticisms here?

ptolemy on January 10, 2008 at 9:58 AM

From what I have seen the only candidate that brings up anything other than cliches is Fred, but it also seems people don’t want to pull their heads out of the sand or a certain orifice long enough to listen.

bbz123 on January 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM

“Clear conservative choice.”

“Prosperity.” “Security.” “*Fred’s third platitude*”

BKennedy on January 10, 2008 at 10:04 AM

Why do so many people on this board like this guy? Why do so many of the pundits like this guy? We have four great candidates in Rudy, Huck, Fred, and Mac…..forget this guy. Come on he announced his Presidential Run and did a commercial for Ford!

arizonateacher on January 10, 2008 at 10:05 AM

Letterman is a grumpy old douche.

thareb on January 10, 2008 at 10:18 AM

Letterman calls Mitt an *ss in this sketch.

terryannonline on January 10, 2008 at 10:21 AM

Retardedly unfunny which is not unexpected of Letterman, whose show has been painful to watch since the day it began. Now that he’s spiraled into liberal kookdom it’s all the more agonizing. Funny how he picks on Mitt’s cliche machine and completely forgets to mention that his own side easily racks up ten times time the amount of platitudes, generalities, and flowery speak.

Jockolantern on January 10, 2008 at 10:24 AM

But isn’t it cliché yet to point out the clichés of the nominees? Sort of a meta-cliché?

Laserjock on January 10, 2008 at 10:27 AM

Like I care what that nattering nabob of negativity thinks. Or that witty word smith, AP, in this instance :-).

Speaking of cliche’s, has anyone heard Obama’s rousing but empty “Yes we can!” sermon? Here’s a one word response: HOW?

Buy Danish on January 10, 2008 at 10:33 AM

As usual, Letterman misses the most important part of that speech. Mitt didn’t reference the troops until the very last sentence, and it was a throw away. I called Mitt’s HQ yesterday and spoke to a staffer. She was nice enough, but was obviously busy with something else. I doubt she really understood what I was saying nor do I think the message will earn me a return phone call.

If anything costs Mitt my future support, it WILL BE that issue.

csdeven on January 10, 2008 at 10:47 AM

stenwin77 on January 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM

Not true…

Top Michigan Democrats made another plea Wednesday to coax supporters of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards to vote “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Michigan primary, rather than staying home or crossing over to vote in the Republican contest.

Obama, Edwards, and Bill Richardson yanked their names off the ballot here, leaving New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as the only leading contender for Democratic voters.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and state Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said Michigan Dems can still have an indirect say in the nominating process if they check the “uncommitted” box on the ballot. State law prohibits write-ins for candidates who have not authorized write-in campaigns; Obama, Edwards and Richardson have not.

If “uncommitted” draws at least 15 percent of the vote in a congressional district, delegates not bound to any candidate could be sent to the national convention, possibly enabling Obama and Edwards supporters to play a role in the nomination.

“You can’t afford not to vote in Michigan,” Levin said. “It’s critically important to vote to have impact on the delegates going to (the national party convention).”

Michigan campaign teams for Obama and Edwards are actively urging their supporters to vote “uncommitted,” Brewer said.

Pam on January 10, 2008 at 10:52 AM

You could fill an episode of “Late Show” with this gag if you applied it to the Democrats’ hope/change road show

Yeah, but then that wouldn’t be the Dave who sandbags conservative guests like Bill O’Reilly and demeans all things Republican, now, wouldn’t it.

Which, among other reasons, explains why I watch “TLS” about 1/100th as much as I used to. (I like Ferguson much of the time, though, when I can stay up that late.)

Captain Scarlet on January 10, 2008 at 11:02 AM

In terms of cliches, I may have missed it but I haven’t noticed anyone picking up on Obama’s “yes we can” being
the English version of the “si se puede” (sp?) of immigration activists.

Coincidence?

cs89 on January 10, 2008 at 11:11 AM

Speaking of cliche’s, has anyone heard Obama’s rousing but empty “Yes we can!” sermon? Here’s a one word response: HOW?

Buy Danish on January 10, 2008 at 10:33 AM

Deval Patrick still hasn’t answered that question, but he’s still our Governor and he’s still driving a Cadillac.

BKennedy on January 10, 2008 at 11:19 AM

Well, Hot Air certainly should know something about cliches. Every article is followed by one.

Nuance.
Red Meat.
Uh Oh.
Better than you.

BigD on January 10, 2008 at 11:39 AM

Has Letterman had more than a dozen funny bits since he was dropping stuff off of buildings on NBC?

He should have stayed on strike …

GoHskrs on January 10, 2008 at 12:40 PM

Well, Hot Air certainly should know something about cliches. Every article is followed by one.

Nuance.
Red Meat.
Uh Oh.
Better than you.

BigD on January 10, 2008 at 11:39 AM

You forgot Heart-ache. :P

Fact of the matter is, those cliches are what stick in people’s minds. There’s a very good reason why advertising executives get paid a lot of money. Their catchy little phrases work.

natesnake on January 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM

/agreed. Reading Frank Luntz’s book has me realizing just how meme-a-rific people’s minds can be with public speeches. Because of that though, its a balancing act, ’cause you want people to remember your major points/ideas/slogan/whatever but if folks perceive you as only a slogan machine, you loose credibility, and the substance of your message gets lost.

PolitiNOOB on January 10, 2008 at 12:57 PM

There was maybe 1 genuine cliche in that list. gad that was lame Letterman

Drunk Report on January 10, 2008 at 1:07 PM

Why is Letterman going after Romney, and not Silky or Huckabee? Because to conservatives he is as much an enemy as Jon Stewart and Colbert.

WasatchMan on January 10, 2008 at 1:11 PM

Real people still watch Letterman?

MarkB on January 10, 2008 at 2:55 PM

Wow, end the writers strike… that was incredibly stupid. Pick out virtually any politician and try to catch them NOT using a long string of cliches.

RightWinged on January 10, 2008 at 4:52 PM

Mitt Romney Will Say or Do Anything, to become President..

Whatever the POLLS SAY, thats What Mitt will tell you..

Mitt Romney is a cross between John Kerry and Bill and Hillary Clinton.