From time to time, I like to get all involved and opinionated about politicians and political issues. I used to be pretty hardcore about this stuff, listening to talk radio every day and arguing with random hippies on the street and stuff like that. But not so much anymore, although I still like to point out political stupidity wherever I can find it. And living in Portland, Oregon never fails to provide plenty of material.Democrat Jeff Merkley's campaign, ever alert to find ways to hit at Republican Sen. Gordon Smith's personal wealth, has a new web ad that ends with a satellite image of a palatial house in Maryland with a putting green in the back that is identified as Smith's residence.The only problem: that's not the home of the Oregon senator. As it happens, Smith lives down the street in another house (which is also pretty nice, being valued at more than $4 million). There's no putting green, but he does live near the Congressional Country Club, perhaps the most storied golf club in the Washington, D.C. area.
That's his neighborhood above. In the modern campaign world, even your backyard isn't safe from prying eyes (well, if they can pick out the right house).
Go ahead, check that web ad out. Now I voted for Gordon Smith twice. I like Gordon Smith. I think he's a good dude. But I am hardly a "Gordon Smith guy" any longer. He's changed some of his politics since being elected to the Senate, and we don't agree so much anymore on a lot of things. But that's neither here nor there. It doesn't really have a lot to do with why I think Merkley is an idiot. (I like to call him Jeff Jerk-ley.)
Now about this little ad mishap. First of all, you have to get the right house if you're going to show a big picture of it at the end of your ad. You just have to. Gordon Smith does live on the same street as the incorrect house that was shown in the ad, but it still makes you look really, really bad when you can't even get the right house pictured.
Second of all, don't put a big arrow and the words "putting green" on the ad unless you know it is the right house. This, again, just makes you look like an idiot. Gordon Smith doesn't have a putting green. And who really cares if he has enough money to build his own? Hippies/Liberals/Jeff Merkley always want to point out that being rich is some sort of evil thing. It's not always that way. Gordon Smith was a wealthy guy before he was elected to the Senate. He made his own money. I would be much more critical of someone who makes more money being a politician than owning a business.
Thirdly, let's talk about Gordon Smith's huge house. Let's say Merkley had been the Oregon senator for the past 8 years or so, instead of Smith. Can you honestly say that he wouldn't buy the biggest house he possibly could in the best neighborhood he could find? No, you can't. Sure he may not have the personal wealth that Gordon Smith has, but you know that if he was a senator himself, Merkley would have a huge house just like every other national politician in this country. News flash to Jeff Merkley: ALL senators have huge-ass houses in the best parts of Maryland. In fact, I think it'd be interesting to look at satellite images of the houses the Jeff Merkley owns. They might not be worth $4.2 million, but I bet you they ain't too shabby.
