'Attack of the 50-Foot Pelosi' Is Latest Bizarre GOP Attack Ad

By Matt Smith Thu., Jul. 1 2010 at 11:45 AM

Categories: Politics

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Monstrous Pelosi, ruthlessly destroying Republicans ability to concentrate

A new National Republican Congressional Committee ad airing in states such as Pennsylvania uses Pixar-style 3-D animation to depict Nancy Pelosi as a crazed 50-foot monster, once "confined to liberal San Francisco," but now an evil puppet-mistress forcing House Democrats to bend to her will.

While entertaining, the ad smacks of Republican desperation. The commercial's message -- that Pennsylvanians cast a vote against 'Liberal San Francisco' when they support congressional candidate Tim Burns -- channels the idea that the poor local sap has nothing going for him other than antipathy for the sensibilities of a far-off city.

After the jump, a movie:

The Washington Post, which reviewed the ad Thursday, suggests the ad might even burnish Pelosi's reputation, despite the fact it depicts her as a crazy cartoon monster. Republicans have chosen her as a bogeywoman precisely because she's been effective, the Post asserts.

Pelosi has unabashedly wielded the leverage of her office to muscle her agenda through the House. Once dismissed by her opponents -- and even some of her fellow Democrats -- as a lightweight, she has proved to be "the most powerful speaker we've seen in modern history," said political analyst Charlie Cook, whose assessment is shared by a number of congressional scholars.

A question the Post didn't breach: Why would Republicans invest resources in a decent production value cartoon based on self-defeating nonsense when they're supposedly heading toward midterm elections on a so-called wave of public support?

By augmenting Pelosi's Palinesque ability to delight supporters and vex detractors, Republicans seem to be giving the game away.

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