Tony Schwartz, creator of "Daisy" ad, dead at 84

Full disclosure... (0.00 / 0)

I studied advertising at UT, have worked in the industry since '92 and own my own agency.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. ;-)

"I wonder now what Ernest Hemingway's dictionary looked like, since he got along so well with dinky words that everybody can spell and truly understand." -- Kurt Vonnegut

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by: Mack Simpson @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 17:09:03 PM CDT

The Daisy ad has an impact (0.00 / 0)

but LBJ won with 61% of the vote ... the biggest landslide in history at that point. To give the ad credit for "pushing [him] to victory" is not quite accurate.

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by: David Mauro @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 17:31:17 PM CDT

That was the end result, sure... (0.00 / 0)

...but at the time the ad ran, Johnson was very much afraid of losing the Southern white vote to Goldwater (who had voted against the '64 Civil Rights Act (which Johnson had signed). An open revolt of Southern Democrats was very much in the air.

LBJ's team used the ad to paint Goldwater as a loose cannon in dangerous times-- a theme LBJ continued to drive home once the ad opened the debate on the subject, solidifying Johnson's shaky base who were as scared as anyone else of the Soviet Union, and driving him on to an overwhelming victory.

"I wonder now what Ernest Hemingway's dictionary looked like, since he got along so well with dinky words that everybody can spell and truly understand." -- Kurt Vonnegut

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by: Mack Simpson @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 17:41:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Right (0.00 / 0)

But the ad ran less than two months before the election. It ran on September 7. On November 3, LBJ won 46 states and over 60% of the vote.

It certainly played a big role in his victory, but we shouldnt sell LBJ short.

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by: David Mauro @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 18:02:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Um... (0.00 / 0)

But Johnson did lose the Southern white vote. Goldwater carried Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and both Carolinas, as I recall.

Didn't matter, though; he didn't lose any other votes and, like you say, won big.

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by: davew @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 20:42:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Only one of the Carolinas, but you're right. ;-) (0.00 / 0)

"I wonder now what Ernest Hemingway's dictionary looked like, since he got along so well with dinky words that everybody can spell and truly understand." -- Kurt Vonnegut

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by: Mack Simpson @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 21:21:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Very true (0.00 / 0)

In fact, besides Arizona, I think the only states Goldwater won were in the South.

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by: David Mauro @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 02:54:40 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

White flag. (5.00 / 1)

Edited to say "contributed."

"I wonder now what Ernest Hemingway's dictionary looked like, since he got along so well with dinky words that everybody can spell and truly understand." -- Kurt Vonnegut

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by: Mack Simpson @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 07:36:44 AM CDT