Hasta La Creative!

Following the surprise announcement of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain’s VP pick, you can bet the Democrats are feverishly at work on a response ad. I’ll personally be surprised if they pass up this footage of Palin firing an assault rifle. Then again, I’d be just as surprised if the GOP didn’t use it. (In fact, I first found the scene at the 25-second mark of this “Palin for VP” video on YouTube.) Obama’s camp might use the shots to offset the maternal image that could lure Hillary supporters. McCain’s people might see it as a great symbol of Palin’s lifelong support for the NRA. Guns and military regalia always make for an interesting divide in political races. Conservative Margaret Thatcher got a popular boost from riding around in a tank, but liberal Michael Dukakis was hammered for similar footage—proving that an anti-military legislative record trumps actual service in the U.S. Army. Then, of course, there was Bush’s iconic flight-suit moment, which became a divisive image largely because of its role as a prelude to “Mission accomplished.” So what do you think? Will the Democracts go the boring route and talk about things like ethics investigations, or will they come out guns a-blazin’?

—Posted by David Griner