The Governor’s Race: Stein Slams Robinson
I walked into my bedroom, turned on the TV, caught a glimpse of Mark Robinson’s face, turned, his voice roared – stopped me in my tracks.
Most political ads are cliches wrapped in flashy graphics, dark music, laced with melodramatic voices – you watch one for five seconds and tune it out. But in Josh Stein’s ad about Mark Robinson no one said a word…except Mark Robinson.
When I see a political ad I usually think, ‘That one’s a base-hit’ – or a double, or triple, or home run. Most often I think, ‘Another swing and miss.’
In his ad Stein played three videos: Robinson striding across the stage in the front of a church, roaring like a fiery preacher, ‘For me there’s no compromise on abortion. It makes no difference to me how that child ended up in that womb.’
In the next video, leaning back, head swaying from side to side, angry, Robinson roared: Abortion ‘is not about protecting the lives of mothers. It is about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.’
In the third video Robinson said if the legislature was willing he’d ban abortion ‘for any reason.’
Like Robinson, I believe a fetus is an innocent life. And the only justification for taking that life is to save the mother’s life. But most people, even Republicans, don’t see it that way.
If Robinson had said calmly, For me this is a moral question, a religious question – most people would still shake their heads. But they’d understand. They might vote against him but they’d respect him for doing what he believes is right.
But standing the front of that church Robinson didn’t sound like a saint trying to show a sinner the light – he sounded like an indignant Pharisee looking down his nose at a sinner. Even if you agreed with him you didn’t like him.
I asked a lady who opposes abortion if she’d seen the ad the next day – she said two words about Robinson: ‘Obnoxious. Mean.’
Josh Stein pinned Robinson to the carpet on an unpopular issue. But his second punch was more devastating: As three videos played – with only Robinson talking – people watched Robinson in the flesh. And Josh Stein didn’t have to say a word.
The Governor’s Race: Stein Slams Robinson
I walked into my bedroom, turned on the TV, caught a glimpse of Mark Robinson’s face, turned, his voice roared – stopped me in my tracks.
Most political ads are cliches wrapped in flashy graphics, dark music, laced with melodramatic voices – you watch one for five seconds and tune it out. But in Josh Stein’s ad about Mark Robinson no one said a word…except Mark Robinson.
When I see a political ad I usually think, ‘That one’s a base-hit’ – or a double, or triple, or home run. Most often I think, ‘Another swing and miss.’
In his ad Stein played three videos: Robinson striding across the stage in the front of a church, roaring like a fiery preacher, ‘For me there’s no compromise on abortion. It makes no difference to me how that child ended up in that womb.’
In the next video, leaning back, head swaying from side to side, angry, Robinson roared: Abortion ‘is not about protecting the lives of mothers. It is about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.’
In the third video Robinson said if the legislature was willing he’d ban abortion ‘for any reason.’
Like Robinson, I believe a fetus is an innocent life. And the only justification for taking that life is to save the mother’s life. But most people, even Republicans, don’t see it that way.
If Robinson had said calmly, For me this is a moral question, a religious question – most people would still shake their heads. But they’d understand. They might vote against him but they’d respect him for doing what he believes is right.
But standing the front of that church Robinson didn’t sound like a saint trying to show a sinner the light – he sounded like an indignant Pharisee looking down his nose at a sinner. Even if you agreed with him you didn’t like him.
I asked a lady who opposes abortion if she’d seen the ad the next day – she said two words about Robinson: ‘Obnoxious. Mean.’
Josh Stein pinned Robinson to the carpet on an unpopular issue. But his second punch was more devastating: As three videos played – with only Robinson talking – people watched Robinson in the flesh. And Josh Stein didn’t have to say a word.