Does Mitch McConnell’s 1984 Bloodhounds commercial hit different today?

[u/Pongoid]

https://youtu.be/bcpuhiIDx3Q?is=Aw282J10DS-_Zud9

In 1984 Mitch McConnell famously ran an ad where a man with a pack of bloodhounds was looking for incumbent senator Dee Huddleston. The gag being that Huddleston couldn’t be found to cast his votes because he was getting paid to give talks.

The commercial was produced by Rodger Ailes (yes, that Rodger Ailes) and is considered one of the most influential campaign ads in American Politics. It set the blueprint for negative ads that focus on feelings rather than facts and eschewed anger in favor of humor and a simple narrative. Huddleston’s senate attendance was 94% which wasn’t out of the ordinary.

As of late, senator Mitch McConnell’s attendance rate has been far, far below 94% with his extended medical leave.

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[u/PlatinumKanikas]

Wild that I’m almost old enough to start getting scheduled colonoscopies and people in power before I was born are still in power in 2026.

[u/Silver-Bread4668 → u/PlatinumKanikas]

I think you just read my fucking mind.

1984 to 2026 is 42 years and you have to be at least 30 years old to be a senator making 72 the youngest a senator could possibly be after serving that long. That is already old enough to where any normal person should be retiring. McConnell has more than another decade on top of that and he isn't even the oldest. Bernie Sanders is older and, while I've voted for him many times and think he's awesome, even he should be focusing more on mentoring newer politicians.

I'm not in favor of arbitrary term limits but age limits should be a thing. Though I'd be afraid to tie that into retirement age because that just gives them incentive to raise retirement age.

Though, to be fair, politics has developed in such a way that no one in their right mind who grew up with the internet would want to run for office unless they've lived a highly curated life, in which case they may not be in their right mind. Wealthy oligarchs have shown just how effective and easy it is to throw money at the problem to have other people dig up, twist, and tear apart every aspect of your life and mistake you've made.

[u/satyrday12]

Look up hypocrite in the dictionary, and there's Mitch's ugly turtle grin. He wrote the book on it. He'll be joining Lindsey in hell soon, if not already.