By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Democrat congressional hopeful Estakio Beltran published a rather unique campaign ad on YouTube. In the video he declares: “They call me a long shot. They say I can’t win in this district. But what happens to an elephant when it stands around, doing nothing, for too long?”
The camera panned to an elephant piñata, and then back to Estakio, who blasted it the face with a pump-action shotgun.
“My name is Estakio Beltran,” he said. “And I approved this message.”
He then rode off on a donkey toward a sign pointing toward the U.S. Capitol.
Estakio is vying to win the 4th Congressional District seat to be vacated by long serving Republican Doc Hastings who is retiring. His campaign removed the video from YouTube but that certainly did not stop the Streisand Effect from casting the video into stone via copying by other YouTube fans.
His spokesman afterwards put out more spin than a Trap Machine throwing clays:
“The purpose of the video was to call attention to a do-nothing Congress in need of a kick in the butt,” campaign spokesman Grady O’Brien said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. “Now it’s time to move forward and focus on the issues that are important to the people of this district: jobs through innovation, education, and accountability in Washington, D.C. Estakio’s message of bringing a fearless new energy to Congress remains the same.”
His attempt to appeal to Eastern Washingtonians with his shotgun prowess most certainly failed, especially considering the 4th Congressional District is heavily Republican and is not likely to take kindly to the symbolism, much less the general idea of shooting something cute in the face. Teddy Roosevelt would have surely considered it unsporting.
Toward the end of the ad, Estakio declares, strangely, that he is a “good shot.” But most wouldn’t consider it good bragging rights to say you can hit an elephant at twenty feet with a shotgun.
Finally Estakio rides off bareback on a rather small donkey; ready to take on DC. Shotgun in hand, this young buck’s campaign might go down, but not without a blaze of glory. He certainly rid Eastern Washington of its elephant piñata menace. We can be at least thankful for that.
By Darren Smith
Sources
KIRO TV
Streisand Effect
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
I’m not a Republican or Democrat. I know that is like I’m speaking in tongues when I say that to a Dem or Rep duopoly cultists. Saucy and I laugh about that all the time.
Stupid ad worthy of quick removal. Funny though. Would Nick bring up the tragic Gabby Giffords event ff it was a GOP gunner making a fool of themselves, as is generally the case? GOP mindset courtesy of Joe the Plumber: your dead kids don’t trump my guns….
When candidates go for the vote, they have to dumb down the message and play to the emotional. Fear and hyperbole bring out your base. Rational thought and reality bore most partisan and poorly informed base voters….
Who is Gabby Giffords?
raff, Any DEMOCRAT doing this, in the wake of Gabby Giffords needs to be BLASTED w/ no inane “Yea, buts.” Mespo just did that.
Trained seals are actually quite easy to deal w/, throw them an anchovy and they’ll do anything you wish.
Well, I am from Texas so I am not ascairt of guns and carry my little 5 shot 38 in my purse whereever I go. But I have to wonder…
If Sarah Palin
A Critique In Pure Doggerel
by Squeeky Fromm, Girl Reporter
If Sarah Palin shot an A$$
The Democrats would shout “No Mas!!!”
Katie Couric would have a stroke
While Letterman would snark a joke.
The New York Times op -ed guys spew
Their anti -gun editorial view,
(While praying for some mental case
To go apesh*t shooting up some place.)
Stupid school boards would quickly ban
“Sarah” T – shirts out of hand.
Rachel Maddow would smirk and leer
(Along with that “Chris” guy who looks like her.)
The smarm would flow for months and years
While Chris Matthews shed his tingly tears.
But, thank goodness, she did not!
Sooo, no tempest in teapot.
Nevermind.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Nick,
The truth is hard to deal with sometimes.
Actual Jackass Shoots Fake Elephant! Film at Eleven
He is just a guy riding a donkey.
Guns do not belong it political ads or discussion. It sort of, you know, misses the whole point.
“Yea but the Republicans..” Right on cue!! Trained seals.
I would not recommend this kind of ad for any candidate, but this gun/macho image is very popular among candidates. Just ask McConnell and others who just can’t wait to be photographed with a gun in their hands.
His reasoning for making this type of ad is unknown, but one reason for making such an ad would be to appeal to right-wingers who love guns and violence more than they care about elephants and politics. The basis of Fox so-called “news” is to appeal to those folks who feel inadequate, insecure, afraid, and who draw sustenance from simplistic concepts that glorify ignorance, violence, hate, racism, misogyny, religion, and dominance.
OT, but…
“Lunging “pit bull” fatally shot by Coeur d’Alene officer was a black lab”
http://www.krem.com/news/Pit-bull-fatally-shot-by-Coeur-dAlene-officer–266483721.html
anon, Anybody who knows about Labs knows there is no such thing as a vicious Lab. The poor dog only wanted to say hello and lick the cop. it is obvious cops need to be trained better to recognize dog types and breeds. Also I think it should be policy that before a cop shoots a dog, they must have shown a bite or other PROOF of bad intent. Just looks like a bad doge does not and should not be allowed as a defense.
Having just read Mark’s story about an elephant being treated cruelly and then to read of one being shot for a political ad, this guy certainly wouldn’t get my vote. I’m sure the imagery I saw isn’t what he had in mind but it was disturbing anyway.
He blew, but he tried – that is more than most of us sitting here criticizing Washington do.
All of us have told a joke that fell flat, blown an interview or been rejected in reaching out. Not a big deal, lick our wounds, learn and move on.
All that said, it was still a funny way to get his 15 minutes.
While drawing attention to a do nothing Congress is a good idea, the imagery of shooting them is not. I do however understand the frustration.
Would Gabby Giffords approve that ad? Insensitive and stupid.
If you did that, would YOU care to hold the camera? I loved the ad. The only thing that would get more votes is to show the elephant being blown apart, rather than simply falling over.
But most wouldn’t consider it good bragging rights to say you can hit an elephant at twenty feet with a shotgun.
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blind fold him, spin him around three times and try again. maybe he’ll be on “america’s funniest home videos”.