RSSRick Perry’s No-So “Strong” Ad
December 15, 2011
The Crunchy Conservative - See all 35 of my articles
We’ve all seen it. And if you haven’t seen it, you’ve at least heard of it. Rick Perry released a new ad titled “Strong”. If you haven’t seen it, you can view it here.
The ad was posted a week ago. Why is that important? It already has over 600,000 dislikes. That makes it the most hated video on youtube….even more than Rebecca Black’s “Friday”. If you haven’t heard that song and you don’t enjoy good music, feel free to view it here.
And I knew it wouldn’t be long before “Bad Lip Reading” jumped on it. And they did.
So why is everyone so upset about Rick Perry’s ad? Well, I get his point. I understand what he’s saying. I do think it is wrong that our kids can’t say “Merry Christmas”…but I tell them to. We celebrate Christmas in our home and we say “Merry Christmas”.
I need to address the “gays serving openly in the military” line. I think I come from a unique background. While my husband was serving in Iraq, I moved in with my sister-in-laws…who are now legally married. I asked my husband his feelings on gays in the military and he said it didn’t bother him “as long as they don’t make an issue out of it.” That’s the key. And that’s what makes me mad about this whole gay/straight issue.
I don’t walk up to people and say, “Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m straight,” because who I sleep with doesn’t define me. And honestly, it shouldn’t define anyone else either. Gay, Straight, whatever. Those who choose to allow it to define them need to re-evaluate their life. WHY would you make your choice in a life partner the focus of your life? It shouldn’t be.
My dad taught me I have to know who I am before I can share myself with anyone else. That’s one reason why I didn’t get married right out of high school (or even college). Because I was still learning who I was as a person. I don’t need someone to complete me. I can share myself with someone but I am complete in myself.
Who I chose to spend my life with does not define me. Don’t make it an issue and it won’t be an issue. If you love your Country enough to serve and possibly lay down your life for your Country, you should be defined as a solider, not as a gay soldier. Because who you choose to share your life with should have nothing to do with your ability to fire an M-16. And my husband agrees. And he’s been there.
Do I understand what Rick Perry is trying to say? Yes. Do I think he needs a new writer? Yes. Because I think his point could have been made in a totally different way. Maybe he was trying to snag the Christian voters with this move. But I think he alienated a lot more than he gained.
This ad was not “Strong” by any means.
Dec 15, 2011 @ 10:25:32
I saw the ad and was really puzzled as to why Perry was try to connect issues that really aren’t very closely related. Logic fail.
Based on the entire portfolio of Perry ads, I definitely agree that he needs a new writer.
Dec 15, 2011 @ 17:42:16
Crunchy, I like Perry as a candidate, mostly because he is a governor of a conservative state and our best presidents have been governors or generals. I like him, but good lord, his ads are pathetic. He should by Ron Paul’s guys, they are much better with a much less attractive product to pitch.
I like Paul’s message and part of that is the presentation, but when you put him out in public he does not shine, espencially when he tries to talk foreign policy.
I like any candidate with a ficacal conservative message. I know that the following statement will ruffel the feathers of the socially conservative readers, but what business is it of the president to discuss gay marraige, gays in the military, abortion, polygomy, locations of houses of worship, names of holiday decorations, music, sports or fasion? His job is to manage the federal departments, be the face of our foreign policy, be the commander and chief of our armed forces, and enforce the laws passed by the congress. None of that should impact my bedroom, my shopping habits, or my beliefs.
Good luck to all of the candidates and keep it clean.
Dec 18, 2011 @ 21:31:27
I don’t walk up to people and say, “Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m straight,” because who I sleep with doesn’t define me.
No? You’re married, aren’t you? What is “traditional marriage” but a big, fat declaration of “Hi, I’m straight”? You probably invited a bunch of people to witness a ceremony where you and a man got up and publicly declared your intention of sleeping together that night and for the indefinite future. Implicit in the ceremony is the idea that you’ll go and have sex-straight sex-together that very night! If you wear a ring and live in a marriage discrimination state then your wedding ring serves as a continual “Hi, I’m straight” statement to everyone you meet. And I notice that you mention your husband right in this post. Just can’t help flaunting your heterosexuality, can you?
Perhaps you don’t know any out of the closet gays. I do. They don’t go around introducing themselves as “Hi, I’m X and I’m gay.” They do talk about their partners or boyfriends/girlfriends, or dating woes. Some talk about their husbands or wives if they live in a state that believes in equal rights. In short, they express their sexuality in exactly the same way straights do. Except that certain segments of the population believe that they shouldn’t have the right to marry who they love, openly talk about their relationships, or who they are attracted to.
Try it sometime. Don’t acknowledge your husband. Refer to him as your roommate, if you must discuss him at all. Don’t wear a wedding ring or any present from him. Don’t talk about what actors you find cute. If your husband is hurt or worse, accept that you will hear it not from the hospital or police or military officials directly but from his legal next of kin, i.e. his parents-if they deign to notice your existence and acknowledge your right to know. Perhaps you’ll just know he didn’t come home one night. You’ll find out soon enough how much who you sleep with-or more to the point, who you love and want to spend your life with-defines you.