Video: “I Hate Heroes”
posted at 3:30 pm on July 7, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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It’s not what you think. Vincent Curatola uses his Sopranos persona in another ad for the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace — which is also not what you think. The CDW wants to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which … is also not what you think, or at least not what its name implies. The EFCA, also known as “card check”, would eliminate the requirement for secret ballots in union organizing, allowing both unions and employers to pressure employees on votes.
Curatola targets Al Franken, who supports the EFCA, in his own inimitable style:
Curatola is actually a moderate Democrat; he supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries, although she also backs EFCA. His efforts against Al Franken come expressly from this issue, which Curatola has backed for months. His easily-recognized persona makes this new ad just as effective as the first, and it will get plenty of play in Minnesota’s metropolitan areas of the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Rochester.
How much damage will this do to Franken? According to the polling cited by CDW, 65% of Minnesotans oppose the EFCA. Forty-one percent said they would less likely vote for a candidate who supported it; 37% of union households said they’d be less likely to vote for a pro-EFCA candidate. Eighty percent believe that secret ballots are a necessity for union organizing elections.
Only 15% of union household voters in Minnesota preferred “card check” for union organizing elections. Seventy-two percent prefer secret ballots. So why the big push for the EFCA? The union bosses need more revenue, and they need to organize more shops in order to get it. Workers don’t like paying dues for marginal benefit, but with “card check”, they can bully people into voting for union representation — and dues.
Franken may pay a big price for his support of the EFCA. Johnny Sac wants to make sure he does.
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The almost lifelike Al Franken is funnier than the real one.
JammieWearingFool on July 7, 2008 at 3:36 PM
How Stalinist of Franken. Knowing how people vote, if not before, then after.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 7, 2008 at 3:37 PM
LOL! Nice ad.
Tim Burton on July 7, 2008 at 3:37 PM
Sweet to see a political ad that makes one laugh out loud!
Al is toast.
Maquis on July 7, 2008 at 3:38 PM
P.S. I know that it’s an impossibility. But, Franken’s big mouth is actually wider than his face.
How can this happen?
Anybody?
OhEssYouCowboys on July 7, 2008 at 3:38 PM
…….. this is not what I thought it was going to be.
Seven Percent Solution on July 7, 2008 at 3:39 PM
The cardboard cutout of Franken has more personality than the real one.
Don’t worry though Al, this is Minnesota and we have a tested and proven record of electing crap-for-brains people into political office; you might be the recipient of such mental illness.
Bishop on July 7, 2008 at 3:43 PM
wonder if playing Johnny Sac and understanding how things work better made him become a moderate Dem on issues like this?
jp on July 7, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Great ad.
Is Al really still a viable candidate?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 7, 2008 at 3:46 PM
That’s great. It’s nice seeing conservative themes on offense.
Iblis on July 7, 2008 at 3:46 PM
I’m still having trouble with the term “moderate Democrat.” But, I guess that Lenin was more “moderate” than Stalin.
I’m going to have to think about this.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 7, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Physicists currently believe it involves the interplay between the Sun’s gravitational pull and the extreme, nearly perfect, vacuum between his ears acting on his facial muscles. The effect is somewhat tidal in nature and is susceptible to sunspots.
In short, he’s a big f*#%ing clown!
Bubba Redneck on July 7, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Obama is also a big supporter of the EFCA:
VolMagic on July 7, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Blue on blue! Good stuff.
CP on July 7, 2008 at 3:54 PM
OK, that makes sense. Gravitational and physiological matters combining into a perfect storm of human alteration.
Thanks, Bubba.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 7, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Ed, are you trying to say we won’t have Minnesota to kick around anymore?
Limerick on July 7, 2008 at 4:02 PM
He’s actually a paid actor, and is no more putting “effort” against the passage of EFCA then he was putting “effort” into glamorizing the Mafia. Someone was just bright enough to figure out that, gasp, unions and the mafia are connected in people’s minds (and real life), so using a recognizable (fictional) Mafia figure to take the side of the union bosses in the commercial would wave a red flag to the non-brain dead liberals.
VolMagic on July 7, 2008 at 4:02 PM
also of note, for businessmen with the parasites that are the Unions attached to them…..they would be in many cases support the Al Franken side of this out of necessity. Then they can payoff Johnny Sac and manipulate the Union to help them out.
One of the things that happens from immoral outfits like Unions, it forces more immorality from the Business in response.
jp on July 7, 2008 at 4:14 PM
ha nice ad
trailortrash on July 7, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Why can’t GOP ads be like this?!?
It made the point and it made me laugh!
newton on July 7, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Goldberg missed the mark on his book cover for LF
This should’ve been the Cover for Liberal Fascism
jp on July 7, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Personally. I always thought Curatola was the best actor on the Sopranos. I miss Johnny!
TheBigOldDog on July 7, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Awesome!!
Jim-Rose on July 7, 2008 at 4:31 PM
ROFLMAO! You’re 100% dead-on! That is it. No question.
TheBigOldDog on July 7, 2008 at 4:31 PM
Both Al and Possum need to see this Guardian piece on supervised voting in Zimbabwe: Stolen Ballots
“They Waatch!”
Maquis on July 7, 2008 at 4:31 PM
Nicely done, Ed. I read the first paragraph, laughed out loud, and went back to confirma that it was posted by Allah. Nope. Your snark is coming right along, isn’t it?
Jaibones on July 7, 2008 at 4:33 PM
I lost my job to a union trying to turn our shop… my boss shut down the whole place rather then switch over… UNIONS SUCK!
-
it was the best job I had ever had, and that man treat us better then any employer I’ve ever seen… they sent spies in, picketed us with one or two guys, sued us over and over and over… and we were all making far more money than we would have any where else… UNIONS SUCK!
Kaptain Amerika on July 7, 2008 at 4:34 PM
I work in a warehouse, a blue-collar job. Anytime this scam come up I get VERY nervous that it`ll pass.
ThePrez on July 7, 2008 at 4:39 PM
One of the best low-budget political ads I’ve ever seen.
pookysgirl on July 7, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Limerick, you can still kick Minnesota around because many of the people here are truly insane.
I wish I could post pics here, or perhaps the Cap’n could, because there are still people who put “Wellstone!” banners in their front yard, refresh their Wellstone bumper stickers and wear jewelry and shirts which say “WWWD” (what would Wellstone do).
Kick away: We elected Wellstone, Ventura and Ellison, and Frankie has a decent shot too. I would move to Canada but even they think Minnesotans are retards.
Bishop on July 7, 2008 at 4:55 PM
I think so as well, I emailed Goldberg about it…hope he reads. would make for a funny post at the Corner I think.
jp on July 7, 2008 at 5:21 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9pPiBtDLZQ
WoosterOh on July 7, 2008 at 5:47 PM
That’s good! Really Good!
David
LifeTrek on July 7, 2008 at 6:05 PM
ha! Funny, that.
Short and sweet.
On point and target.
Humorous and smart.
RNC: n. b.
poke fun of flimflam opponents with the like
maverick muse on July 7, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Franken looks like Howdy Doody with bad haircut.
( at least Howdy could part his hair properly )
and that FrankenVoice: can’t it be declared illegal to run for public office with a voice that whiney-smarmy and irritating?
Janos Hunyadi on July 7, 2008 at 6:28 PM
F You morons! Franken is running for the United States Senate in my state of Minnesota and because of the RNC and Bush and McAmnesty he’s probably going to win! So, make fun, have your jollies and wish the whole frigging thing away but it’s about to happen and the Republican Party is to blame an until you call for everyone at the top to resign immediately, things are NOT going to change! John McAmnesty is a losing cause and you are drinking the KoolAide if you actually believe this dufus can win anything nationally! C’mon! He’s your Reagan!
sabbott on July 7, 2008 at 7:28 PM
I’m overwhelmed with such an intellectual display! The unimpeachable logic! You persuaded me! I’ll drink your Kool-Aid instead.
jgapinoy on July 7, 2008 at 8:14 PM
F You moron’s!
sabbott on July 7,2008 at 7:28PM.
sabbott: So you want everyone to know how you voted,how
Liberal (commumist)of you!
Making information available,as to how one has
voted,is what,labeled and then targeted!
I think your just bitter that your party,Liberal
Democrats are still clinging on to Bill Clinton
who almost destroyed your Demorat Party!
And now Hopey and Changey is pulling the same
stunt,as Slick Willy,you hope for a grand leader,
and because Liberals can’t see,yer gonna get
screwed again,your party never learns!
Say hello to Stuart for us,will ya! :)
canopfor on July 7, 2008 at 8:21 PM
sabbott, I am in awe of your ability to articulate a clear, coherent argument supported by concise, factual information
wipe the flecks of foam from your mouth and chin, and stop reading Newsweek and listening to CNN
Janos Hunyadi on July 7, 2008 at 8:50 PM
FYI, the guy who played Paulie Walnuts on the Sopranos told a reporter that he was a righty, so I guess they’re not all as far left as Gandolfini.
rjwest21 on July 7, 2008 at 9:18 PM
Most probably works just like black holes in outer space.
Shy Guy on July 8, 2008 at 7:15 AM
Wow! Brilliant! You saw right through me! Except you missed the part about me being a CONSERVATIVE! Idiots! The only reason that Al Franken can even be considered a viable candidate this year is because my old party, which left me, has fallen apart! They have zero message, a loser candidate and no national campaign for the house and senate! In a year where they could clearly take it to the democrats with a simple Conservative message of energy independence and lower taxes to stimulate the economy they can’t figure out what to say because they are not CONSERVATIVES!!!
sabbott on July 8, 2008 at 8:18 AM
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