Moveon.org has put out a political ad attacking John McCain on the Iraq War. Josh Schroeder, a private citizen, has responded to that ad. See both of the video ads below.


You Can’t Have Alex! - Video




The political ad above was put out by moveon.org. Its been called ‘You Can’t Have Alex!’ or ‘Not Alex’. The little actress is holding a baby and telling John McCain that he can’t have ‘little Alex’ for his hundred-year war. This, of course, is a complete twisting of what John McCain said about the war. Their version of his statement is one of those things where if you say it often enough and loudly enough that people start believing the spin rather than the facts.

The ad is obviously aimed at pulling on the heart strings of mommies so that they will be afraid John McCain will take their babies and send them to war. Its obviously aimed at scaring mommies badly enough that they will therefore vote for Barack Obama. For those of us who have seen our sons go off to war, the video is infuriating. The implication is that there’s something wrong with people who choose to serve their country in the military (yes, its a CHOICE), and that there is something intrinsically wrong with our military.

The video is nothing but fear mongering. It implies there is a draft. It implies that John McCain will swoop into your homes and take babes from mothers’ arms and send them off to foreign lands to make them do bad things. It also implies that little Alex is more special than the sons of mothers who have to sit at home while their sons fight for our country.

It undermines the military and its disrespectful to those who serve. It is a slap in the face to all mothers who spend months and years having to consciously live their lives with a constant aching in their hearts and terror in their souls while their sons are deployed.

Little Alex is no more special than my son, or any of the other sons and daughters who were raised to feel a sense of duty to country.

Predictably, bloggers are having a great time responding to this lunacy. Don Surber wonders how Alex feels about all this. Fausta reflects on the emotional appeal of the ad. Jim Geraghty points out that by the end of a hypothetical second John McCain term, little Alex will be nine-years-old and not likely to be drafted at that age. Ed Morrissey gives a reasoned response by pointing out that John McCain, of all people, understands the nature of the sacrifice required of those who go to war as well as those who watch and wait as their precious children go to war.

And the parodies begin. Allahpundit posted a parody. But my favorite so far was posted by Josh Schroeder, who calls himself ‘one private citizen‘ and says ‘Not My Wallet’ … enjoy that video below.


Not My Wallet - Video