It started with the Bush campaign. The candidate would read their message and at the end, I approved this message. I would certainly hope they approve. I think it would be interesting for a political candidate to read off their 30 second spiel and at the end say…
- I do not approve this message.
- I have no idea what I’m talking about or who wrote this.
- I don’t recall the message therefore I can’t, in good conscious, approve of it’s contents.
- Nobody told me about the message.
- The preceding message was completely irrelevant.
- I am aware of the message but know nothing of it’s contents.
- See Spot run.
Maybe they say “I approved this message” because it is the only part of the message they can say with any conviction. I don’t know why they feel the need to say it or why such an idiotic statement would catch on so well in the political world. Wanna know what I think?…
That’s just stupid.
—
btw- I approved this message.
December 16th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
LOL. It would be great if we could get them to be honest about anything.
December 16th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
We all know we’re in “Wag the Dog” land!
People have to participate for democracy to work! But everybody is too busy just trying to pay for their fossil fuel!
December 16th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
It’s all part of the McCain-Feingold speech limiting election “reform law.
December 16th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
I’ve noticed that when watching the american channels…LOL. I always thought it was weird when they said that…and then gave the msg themselves! lol…too funny
December 17th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Like a puppet on a string,
I can dance and I can sing.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:32 am
It’s a legal obligation for any candidate to pronounce the phrase “I am X and I approve this message” in each political campaign message they produce.
It’s not their choice to say it or not.The law forces them to do so.
Obviously, if they could legally do without this silly phrase, they wouldn’t say it. It just sounds quite weird.
December 20th, 2007 at 4:14 am
Thanx for commenting Ugo… I could understand if someone else read the message and then the candidate or whoever comes on and says “I’m so and so and I approve this message.”
But if the person reads the message themselves and then says “I approve this message.” That just makes no sense to me even if it is the law. And if it is the law then it should fall under the category of stupid laws, but only in the case where the individual is giving the message themselves. In that case it should be “I’m so and so blah blah blah…”
It also makes the candidate appear impersonal to his or her delivered message. If they had to approve a message they just delivered then they had nothing to do with the message creation. But was instead only the delivery boy or the puppet. I guess they face a paradox… either say it and look like a puppet or not say it and break the law.