Schaffer's ad moved mountains
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 06:56 p.m., May 14, 2008
Updated 08:13 p.m., May 14, 2008
Screen shot of Bob Schaffer's incorrect television ad with Mt. McKinley
Screen shot of Bob Schaffer's corrected TV ad with Pikes Peak.
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They say faith can move mountains. Apparently, so can political campaigns.
But when a television ad for the Republican Bob Schaffer's campaign for U.S. Senate mistakenly switched Mount McKinley in Alaska for Pikes Peak in Colorado, the consequences can be rugged and steep.
"I am very frustrated," said Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams, who admitted the mistake and said a corrected ad will be on the air by Wednesday night.
"What is frustrating about it is that when we saw the rough cut of the ad we asked the media consultant to check that," Wadhams added. But after being reassured that the mountain was a "stock photo" image from Colorado, the ad ran.
It didn't take long, though for some mountaineering Democrats to climb all over the error. The Web site ColoradoPols posted the discovery, leading several activists to contend that the error says more about Schaffer than his media consultant.
"For Schaffer, who comes from Ohio, to not know the most important mountain in Colorado is just foolish," said Mike Huttner, executive director of the liberal group Progress Now Action.
Wadhams, however, defended the accuracy of the rest of the ad, which highlights Schaffer's having proposed to his wife atop Pikes Peak and the fact that his daughter attends the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
"I think the overall message isn't distracted at all," Wadhams said. "The message is still good."
He also countered that Schaffer's opponent, Democrat Mark Udall, also had to pull video of a campaign Web site in October. The C-SPAN video showed Udall speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Use of the C-SPAN footage violated House rules and the video was pulled from the Web site.
Schaffer and Udall are competing for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Wayne Allard.
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May 14, 2008
6:17 p.m.
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Froward69 writes:
HA HA>>> (simpsons style)
pulled for violating the rules... is nothing compared to
the WRONG Mountain???? Damn Funny thats what that is...
May 14, 2008
6:59 p.m.
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Gene writes:
Thank you Mike Huttner for pointing that out. Oh, by the way, you might want to coach B. Hussein Obamama on the 57 states where he is campaigning. I thought it was the U. S., I could be wrong on that and he is talking about the 57 Islamic states. If you had any thoughts on that Huttner, or Forward69 for that matter.
May 14, 2008
7:29 p.m.
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Froward69 writes:
Aww Gene, don't be so sore.
John Sydney mcSame III is meat on the table for those debates.
57 states? you miscounted.
May 14, 2008
7:53 p.m.
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J_Phil writes:
Gene, go back to 1980...
Mr. Schaffer, go back to Ohio...
There, I think that about covers it.
May 14, 2008
8:21 p.m.
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Jonah writes:
I vote for J_Phil's suggestions!!!
May 14, 2008
8:57 p.m.
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Brain writes:
Froward69;
Your partisanslip is showing. Have you ever done a commercial?
May 14, 2008
9:17 p.m.
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ColoradoDave writes:
They are running a candidate for Senator from Colorado and they mistake this:
http://www.peakware.com/photos/174e.jpg
For this:
http://www.peakware.com/photos/1014c.jpg
I love Colorado and our mountains but there is no way anyone familiar with Colorado should mistake a 20,000 foot mountain with a 17,000 foot vertical rise for anything around here.
Shows you how out of touch with Colorado Bob Schaffer really is.
May 14, 2008
10:45 p.m.
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Jonah writes:
Hey, when you're from Ohio they all look the same!
May 14, 2008
11:42 p.m.
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me2 writes:
There is a great book called "Rising from the Plains" about the early days of the USGS in Wyoming.
The author says that the Tetons have been in dozens of movies that were supposed to be filmed in Colorado, Montana, Idaho and even New Mexico.
Those old 50`s and 60`s movies. Now that I have told you this, keep your eyes out for the Traveling Tetons. They really are all over the place.
May 15, 2008
12:29 a.m.
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YellowCatRedCat writes:
"Colorado is my life"--points to Mt. McKinley. What an apt metaphor for the whole campaign...
Oh, and Gene, you're a raving xenophobe. Congratulations.
May 15, 2008
12:45 a.m.
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clyde writes:
So in reality, which one of our 57 states does Mt. McKinley reside?
May 15, 2008
7:01 a.m.
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SJ writes:
"The Deerhunter" used the North Cascades in Washington as a substitute for the Pennsylvanian Appalachians.
May 15, 2008
8:03 a.m.
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Gandalf writes:
I think Gene is a multiple personality impersonator if you consider his ridiculous, partisan rant. He's impersonating Dick Wadhams, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity all in one sentence. Heck, maybe he's even Ann "Man" Coulter in disguise.