Advertising Terror

Via Crooks & Liars, Keith Olbermann’s most recent commentary on the new Republican fearmongering ad.

This is one of Olbermann’s best commentaries yet. Some of his more recent have been a little too shrill and harsh for me, but he nails this one right to the floor.

Something to ponder:

The dictionary definition of the word ‘terrorize’ is simple and not open to misinterpretation: “To fill or overpower with terror; terrify; coerce by intimidation or fear.” Note please that the words ‘violence’ and ‘death’ are missing from that definition. For the key to terrorism is not the act-but the fear of the act. That is why bin Laden and his deputies and his imitators are forever putting together videotape statements and releasing virtual infomercials with dire threats and heart-stopping warnings.

But why is the Republican Party imitating them? Bin Laden puts out what amounts to a commercial of fear; the Republicans put out what is unmistakable as a commercial of fear.

Why indeed? It worked for them in 2004 and they’re counting on it working in 2006. The only way to counter a tactic like this is to reject it and get rational about what’s really important in this election — balancing an out-of-control paranoid administration with a counter-voice of reason.

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