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October 14, 2005 08:00 AM UTC

Air Hick

  • 35 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Here’s the ad. Thanks to Coyote Gulch for the link.

hickenlooper.jpg

Love him or hate him, you’ve got to say this for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper: there hasn’t been a Colorado politician who is better at finding a shtick and, er, “shticking” to it. From 9News.com:

The man who became known for riding a motor scooter in his first campaign ad is now jumping out of planes. On Thursday, Mayor John Hickenlooper unveiled the ad in support of Referenda C & D showing him skydiving.

In the ad, Hickenlooper is falling at 130 miles per hour when he says that because of a glitch in the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) the amount of money the state can spend on education, health care and transportation is “falling and faaaaaling!”

Forget about Referenda C&D, because people are going to be buzzing about Hickenlooper in this ad for a long time. You can debate Hick’s merits on a number of different issues, but there’s no question that he is the smartest Colorado politician (with credit to his PR staff, of course) we’ve seen in a long time at projecting an interesting and memorable image. Who else would have a) agreed to do this ad, and b) been able to pull it off without looking silly?

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35 thoughts on “Air Hick”

  1. Interesting that the Yes on C ad campaign starts with the Governor in what looks like a deposition, and wraps up with Hick skydiving.  Hey, at least they responded to the critics.

    The No on C campaign needs a new ad.  They’ve been taking a beating from Atkinson’s attack dogs and they never respond directly.  The rule in this business is: respond to every attack, through the same medium.  If they can afford produce the commercial, it’s so darn easy to respond to the Yes on C attacks.  Respond guys, RESPOND!!!!

  3. it’s so darn easy to respond to the Yes on C attacks. Respond guys, RESPOND!!!!

    so easy? the attacks? the “No” crowd was caught red-handed. The “attacks” you speak of came straight  from Colorado’s Blue Book… literally every colorado voter can look and see for themselves who’s  being upfront and honest and who’s trying to spin them into voting their way.

    How exactly do you propose they respond to the truth, especially since the voters can so easily fact check these ads for themselves?

  4. free campaign advice so take it for what it’s worth:
    If you spend all your time responding to your opponents in a campaign, you are allowing them to set the discussion and agenda. The successful campaigner set his/her/their own agenda and stick to the message, maybe adjesting slightly to voter response, not to opponents responses.

  7. “Nice to know the education level of the random GOPs who post here bashing C & D.”

    thanks for doing your part to breakdown the stereotype of liberals as “elitist”… nice.

  8. If C & D fail, getting a college education will only be left to the ‘elite’.

    Last time I checked, having a college education was the American dream, not some left v. right thing.

    And if you look at exit polls in Bush v. Kerry in 2004 you’ll note that that people with just bachelors degree tend to vote GOP, while those with more or less education tend to vote more for the Dems.

  9. Oh, come on, 3bm, pacified is hardly the first on this blog to get a bit snarky.  But your point is well taken.  Keith and Beth may not understand economics, but you can’t fault them for erudition and courtesy.  Plumber, now…

  10. Here’s a link to the actual ad.

    Hickenlooper is amazing and he will win the Ref. C and D election.  He’s the most popular politician in the state and one of the best “Big City” Mayors in the country.

  15. Screw the Governors office for Hick (Ritter can win that one).  I’d like to see him take on Allard in ’08–he’d be a stronger candidate than Udall.

  17. The funny thing is, Walt Klein didn’t do it.

    David Kenney, who is also doing 3A and is the Mayor’s go to guy, did this spot. 

    Props to Kenney for writing this one, and Hick for agreeing to do it.  Great spot.

  20. I appreciate the nice comments … but I must set the record straight… the credit for this ad first and foremeost goes to John Hickenlooper who put aside a fear of heights to drive home the fact that C&D is so important to our state.

    Moreover, the original concept for the ad was not mine, but Lindy Eichenbaum Lent’s … I merely wrote the script and co-produced the ad along with a very very talented man by the name of Rock Obenchain from Dewey-Obenchain films.  Like most things … it was a team effort and I also apperciate the involvement and collegiality of Walt Klein and everyone at C&D who were instrumental in the ad and who are running a first class campaign.

  26. Governor!. President! God!!

    Goodness, ya’ll seem to just wet your pants every time the Huckster takes another photo op to the ultimate conclusion, i.e. silliness. Ol’ Hick can sure sell tickets and, as they say, any fool can buy one. He ought to pursue a career in the circus.

    Too bad a big wind didn’t come up and carry his skinny, self-serving, self-promoting, sorry, um,  countenance to, oh, say Wichita where God-fearin’ folk could get a real yukity yuk with the prospect of a mayor fallin’ from the sky. God does work in mysterious ways.

  27. George, someone needs to give your inner child a hug.  It must be difficult leading such a humorless unhappy life.  All across the state people are talking about this ad.  I’ve even heard anti-C/D folks praise it.  You just have your panties in a wad over Columbus Day.  Not sure why, since the parade went off without a hitch and the protestors behaved themselves.  Maybe Hick’s letter – that you so grossly misinterpreted – had a calming effect on everyone?  Regardless, it’s time to move on.  Maybe jumping out of a plane would give you a fresh perspective on things.

  28. Thanks for the advice, getoverit. Actually, jumping out of a plane is something I do for sport, not self-agrandizement. But, then, I’m not a politician who originally rode to victory on a Vespa. Ya’ll ate that one, didn’t yah!

    Oh, well… Go figure!

    Gotta tell you though, God (or a potential Governor) ain’t no skinny-assed self-promoting son-of-a-, um, gun who has perfected the art of hucksterism and sells snake oil to the woefully gullible. Which, getoverit, you appear to be. But, WOW, you’re not alone. As I said, any fool can buy a ticket.

  30. Thanks for your thoughts, voyageur. To repeat:

    “Goodness, ya’ll seem to just wet your pants every time the Huckster takes another photo op to the ultimate conclusion, i.e. silliness. Ol’ Hick can sure sell tickets and, as they say, any fool can buy one. He ought to pursue a career in the circus.”

    Curious screen name: voyageur. Didn’t know folks did that anymore.

    Incidentally, the ol’ Huck’s (Hick’s) sky event was in support of the pro C&D campaign which has raised about $5Mil from the likes of Pete Coors, Monfort, the bond folks, the construction and asphalt giants. Question: Doesn’t that give you just a little, wee bit of pause? Doesn’t that make you wonder about the Huck’s/Hick’s motivation?

    Nah, probably not. But, then–repeating for the third time–“…any fool can buy a ticket.”

  31. Thanks for your thoughts, voyageur. To repeat:

    “Goodness, ya’ll seem to just wet your pants every time the Huckster takes another photo op to the ultimate conclusion, i.e. silliness. Ol’ Hick can sure sell tickets and, as they say, any fool can buy one. He ought to pursue a career in the circus.”

    Curious screen name: voyageur. Didn’t know folks did that anymore.

    Incidentally, the ol’ Huck’s (Hick’s) sky event was in support of the pro C&D campaign which has raised about $5Mil from the likes of Pete Coors, Monfort, the bond folks, the construction and asphalt giants. Question: Doesn’t that give you just a little, wee bit of pause? Doesn’t that make you wonder about the Huck’s/Hick’s motivation?

    Nah, probably not. But, then–repeating for the third time–“…any fool can buy a ticket.”

    p.s. Just occurred to me that a present day “voyageur” might, just might, be a metaphor for a person who, working for the fat cats, scurries amongst the declasse to spread the gospel according to the power elite who–“I seen my opportunity and I took it” (George Washington Plunkett)–winky-wink at the glorious prospect of C&D passing and the possibilities, oh, the possibilities of all that money to be spent!!!

    Just an afterthought…

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