Murphy’s First Campaign Ad – FAIL

Recently I came across Congressman Scott Murphy’s first 2010 campaign advertisement on TV.  It left me shaking my head and chuckling.  I also found it posted on YouTube by ScottMurphy2010.  Take a few seconds and check it out:

Ok, he’s got a big family.  I wouldn’t relish shopping for their Christmas presents.  Frankly, though, I don’t see how family size plays into whether or not any candidate is the right person to represent New York’s 20th District.  So, let’s examine what Murphy says within the ad.

Here’s Murphy’s statement that first got my attention:

For starters, sometimes they eat too much.  Just like Congress spending money.

But, wait.  Mr. Murphy, aren’t you one of those in Congress who’s been voting to spend money like it’s going out of style?

Next:

To get anything done, you’ve got to be tough.  And ignore all the talk.

Really?  Initially there was a vote against the healthcare reform bill.  Later, when the pressure was cranked up by Democrat leaders… that vote changed to a “yes.”  Mr. Murphy, did you “ignore all the talk” then, or did you cave to pressure?  Truthfully, and I’m not being sarcastic here, I’m not sure.

Finally:

I approve this message because I know about Washington.  I’m going to teach them they have to pay attention to us.

And then he’s tagged “out.”  Kind of ironic, huh.

Mr. Murphy, it looks like you’ve got a wonderful family.  I really do admire your dedication to your family.  However, this political advertisement is a failure.

Hey Murphy… it’s time for a debate

One of the political races that I’m watching is New York’s 20th Congressional District.  In the interest of full disclosure, I do not live in the district.  A few months ago I volunteered for Patrick Ziegler’s campaign for the Republican nomination.  That nomination went to Chris Gibson, and I firmly believe that Gibson is the best candidate for the job.

Gibson is running against incumbent Scott Murphy.  Murphy officially kicked-off his campaign a few days ago.  At the same time, Gibson welcomed Murphy to the race and challenged him to a series of debates.

I’m hearing through the grapevine, but I have not been able to officially confirm, that Murphy may be too busy to debate, even during the August “Summer District Work Period.” At the same time, I have not seen any significant indication that Murphy has agreed to any debates.  (Please correct me if I’m wrong.)  I sure hope that’s not true.  An informed constituency is vital to the future success of our Republic.

I am fairly confident that I understand Gibson’s views.  But I’d sure like to hear more about him and his positions.  I’m sure his potential constituents want the same.

At the same time, I have to say that Murphy baffles me.  He is painting himself as a fiscally conservative Democrat.  I’m not convinced that his voting record proves that.  (Just a slight understatement.)  He initially voted against the health care reform bill in November 2009.  However, in the midst of intense political pressure, Murphy voted for the bill a few months later.  Around the same time, I wrote a five page paper about Murphy for my grad school “Group Communications & Leadership” class.  I worked hard to take an unbiased perspective on Murphy’s leadership capability.  The paper concluded as follows:

Is Murphy a leader in the manner described by Kouzes and Posner? [authors of a book used in the class]  Clearly, he demonstrates many of the traits, and there are many more positive examples not included within this paper.  If that does not qualify him as a leader, it certainly shows that he has the potential…  However, the perception of inconsistency and indecisiveness during the health care debates begs further question.  It is impossible to determine with complete certainty whether Murphy caved to political pressure and polls, or whether he stuck to the principles that he described… For those taking Murphy at his word, he is a leader.  Doubt exists for those with a more jaded view of the political process…  Only Murphy truly knows that answer.

During the health care debates last year, I will credit Scott Murphy with stepping up to the plate.  He faced his supporters and critics in a number of town hall meetings and other public settings.  Certainly, more so than the -ahem- representative from my district:  Paul Tonko.  (I can only recall one town hall meeting hosted by Tonko… but that’s another story.)  Murphy needs to clarify his views and his inconsistencies to his constituency.

Time to man-up Murphy!  Schedule the debates.

Endorsing an Ordinary Citizen

Big news for Upstate New York tea partiers and ordinary citizens!  Patrick Ziegler, a grassroots candidate for New York’s 20th Congressional District, received an important endorsement on Monday night.  The Warren County Republican Committee endorsed Patrick.  Why is this a big deal?  It’s the first county to endorse him in the 10-county district.  Why is it surprising?  Check out this article and this blog post from the Post-Star.  One of Patrick’s opponents hails from Warren County, and conventional wisdom might expect the nod to go his way, not to Patrick.  That’s why we should always take conventional wisdom with a grain of salt.

I am a big supporter of Patrick.  That is because he is an ordinary citizen like so many of us.  He is the political outsider looking to represent the citizens in the 20th District.  He is not looking for a career in politics or in Washington DC, but he feels called to bring the right change to Capitol Hill and true representation to the 20th District.

Finally, to ensure full disclosure, I am documenting the fact that I am volunteering for Patrick’s campaign in a PR role.  I am not being paid, but I will do my best to help send an ordinary citizen to Congress.

Check out Ziegler2010.com for more info.

Patrick Ziegler, Ordinary Citizen, to Announce his Candidacy

Just a quick post tonight.

If you are an ordinary citizen fed up with the poor quality of our elected officials, I want to extend an invitation to you.  On Wednesday, March 3rd you can meet Patrick Ziegler as he kicks off his campaign for the NY 20th Congressional District.  Patrick is an ordinary citizen, a tea partier, and someone I intend to profile for this blog at some point in the future.  He is hoping to secure the Republican nomination, and I am confident that he can beat the incumbent, Scott Murphy.

Come out to the The Goodtimes Lakeview Restaurant in Ballston Lake, NY on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 4:00 p.m. to support Patrick as he announces his candidacy.

You’ll meet a true patriot.