GOP's Inadvertently Fitting New Slogan
By Bill W. Tuesday May 13, 2008 9:20am
Nice catch by Jason Linkins at HuffPo:
In today's New York Times' Caucus blog, Carl Hulse reports that House Republicans have got themselves a brand-new slogan:
It looks like Republicans will counter the Democratic push for change from the years of the Bush administration with their own pledge to deliver, drum roll please, "the change you deserve." [...]
What the GOP doesn't seem to realize, because they are idiots, is that "the change you deserve" is the registered advertising slogan of Effexor XR. ... also known as Venlafaxine, is approved for the treatment "of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults."
And if that wasn't funny enough for you, as Jason points out, the FDA took issue with the company over the Effexor ad "saying that the company made "unsubstantiated superiority claims.""
Why the GOP would ever think the slogan "the change you deserve" is going to work for them is beyond me. This is an election year when 22 of the 34 Senate races, 5 of which are open, are Republican, as are open House contests by more than 3 to 1 (26/8), not to mention the White House is occupied by the most unpopular President in our history. Good luck with that. Change is exactly what the people deserve. This has to rank right up there in GOP nescience-cum-hilarity apropos of everything right alongside their choice for the RNC Convention logo following Sen Larry Craig's toe tapping scandal.
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This seems to me to be a perfectly accurate statement.
You vote Republican and you get what you deserve.
Apparently someone decided that we deserved another 4 years of Bush's policies with a new face? Not much of a change, and I hardly think we really deserve it. Unless of course the nation actually elects McCain.
I'm still waiting for Wyeth's reaction to this. Companies spend a lot of money to generate their advertising material, and they generally don't like to share.
The words that come to mind are, "Halliburton politics", meaning that the Republicans made a mess of things, and now expect to get hired to fix that mess.
It looks like the rubber chickens are coming home to roost for some Democrats who were more deserted their constituencies to hide under the bid to escape GOP bad-mouthing:
o Original Shirely Golub (she's primarying Pelosi) Rubber Chicken Ad
o Joe Walsh (OR-03 primary) and Nancy Moran (OR-05 primary)
It's way past time that the Dem office holders started serving us rather than the Shrub and his lackeys!
hahahahahahaha! this stuff writes itself for those idiots in the GOP... whew! that's better... what a bunch of fools.
trademarking a phrase doesn't mean that no one else can use it. it means no one else can use it in a way that would confuse a consumer as to which product is being referred to. the real problem here is, is that the makers of effexor and the republican party are pitching the same product, a drug to lull the masses, although they have opposite effects. effexor relieves depressions. the republican party causes depressions.
Yeah let's all just take drugs so we can become happy and mindless drone slaves and automatons for Republican Industrial Age Assembly Lines.
Hmmm... do a google search on: wide stance elephant
And sure enough, the RNC convention is the fourth link. Gotta love it.
At least this slogan is better than "Head on" Apply directly to the forehead."
They should use
!! Cheney for twelve !!
Oh, this is rich. "The change you deserve."
Always keep in mind the reason why many Repubs are Repubs; they take the definition of 'republic' as meaning rule of the Great Unwashed (otherwise known as the 'demos' in Greek times) by the (self-proclaimed) Enlightened. (See, Strauss, Leo.) The demos deserve nothing less than contempt. So the 'demos' deserve to take it up the arse. Hence their governing style...if you can call it that.
Bush ties optimism for Mideast reform to Israel
Yeah - steal the lands from the former occupants; build a fortified nation-state populated by complete foreigners to the region; force the former occupants into concentration camps; imprison, torture and murder those who resist; pump in hundreds of billions of dollars of domestic and military aid (all at US Taxpayers' expense) - sounds like a formula for success that can be duplicated everywhere else in the Middle East.
Bush couldn't be clearer about his intents for "spreading democracy" in the Middle East.
The whole ad, except possibly the word "Myth", could be used as a GOP Ad. As in:
"There's nothing you can do to treat your depression" - You voted for us, fools.
"Reality: You have options" - Keep drinking the Kool-Aid!
"The change you deserve" - None, if you're going to vote for us again.
"Ask your doctor if voting GOP is right for you" - Should you be institutionalized?
I hear every mother say
They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They're so hard to satisfy, you can tranquilize your mind
So go running for the shelter of a mothers little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimize your plight
Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old
The GOP has plenty to be depressed about! This is the third "hard core Republican" Congressional seat they have lost in the last couple of months:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeJSSMRzNUEc&refer=home
There is still the distinct possibility that Dems will "snatch defeat from the jaws of success" though for the Presidential race if "ideologues" in the Obama and Hillary camps can't let go of the vitriolic demonizing attacks and unify behind the nominee.
The blogs tend to be "echo chambers" for the vitriol and not in touch with the larger American public. You only have to look at the posts on the "Obama - Hillary Dreamticket" thread to see it. Here it is widely opposed, but the recent Quinnipiac poll showing that 60% of the people would like to see it illustrates the difference between the blogs and the public at large.
“the change you deserve”
.. sounds like an advertisement for a (full) diaper ..
They can add this to the campaign slogans....
Keep campaigning Cheney for the GOP ....
Long time Mississippi GOP House seat goes Democratic.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-mississippi-elect_wed...
and this can be filed with McBush's international crime ties...
Bush friend accused of weapons smuggling...
Buenos Aires - Former two-term president Carlos Menem will go on trial July 8
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20080514...
I'm sure the politicians in the GOP think so little of the American public that this slogan is completely accurate in their eyes. What they've been given us is exactly what (they think) we deserve.
Speaking of drugs, there was a clip on MSNBC of Dennis Quaid speaking to Congress about drug errors and negligent practices by drug companies, specifically Baxter. He testimony went deeper, he is being proactive in speaking against a probable decision of the Supreme Court that would favor drug companies by giving them immunity from certain drug errors. He is asking Congress to intervene should the Supreme Court find in favor (which they will) of the drug companies.
I noticed this about the side effects and made a few notes on how the Repugs. fit the profile;
Common side effects
NOTE: The percentage of occurrences for each side effect listed comes from clinical trial data provided by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. The percentages indicate the percentage of people that experienced the side effect in clinical trials.
Nausea (21-35%)[citation needed]
Headache (34%)[citation needed]
Apathy
Constipation********************************yes
Ongoing Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Dizziness (11-20%)
Fatigue
Insomnia (15-23%)
Vertigo
Dry mouth (12-16%)
Sexual dysfunction (14-34%) *****************yes for sure
Sweating (10-14%)
Orthostatic hypotension (postural drop in blood pressure)
Vivid/Abnormal dreams (3-7%)
Impulsive Actions *************war in Iraq anyone?
Increased blood pressure
Decreased Appetite (8-20%)
Electric shock-like sensations also called "Brain zaps ****************yep
Increased anxiety at the start of treatment
Akathisia (Agitation) (3-4%)
Memory Loss *************for sure
[edit] Less common to rare side-effects
Note 'Rare' adverse effects occur in fewer than 1 in 1000 patients. 'Infrequent' adverse effects occur in 1 in 100 to 1 in 1000 patients.
Cardiac arrhythmia
Increased serum cholesterol
Gas or stomach pain
Abnormal vision
Nervousness, agitation or increased anxiety
Panic Attacks ***********yep
Depressed feelings
Suicidal thoughts ***********and taking the rest of us with them
Confusion ***********yep
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Loss of appetite
Tremor
Drowsiness
Allergic skin reactions
External bleeding
Serious bone marrow damage (thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis)
Hepatitis
Pancreatitis
Seizure
Tardive dyskinesia
Difficulty swallowing
Psychosis ***********uh huh
Hair Loss KARL ROVE'S HEAD AMONG MANY OTHERS
Hostility *******OH YEAH
Activation of mania/hypomania.
Weight Loss (of concern when treating patients suffering from anorexia nervosa)
Weight gain (effect not clear, but of concern when treating people who may have Body Dysmorphic Disorder).
Homicidal Thoughts
Aggression **********YEP
Depersonalization **************YEP
Visual Hallucinations
Swollen and/or bleeding gums
Frequent urination
Rasputin @ 16:
Thanks Ras, well said. It would appear some folks are willing to bite their own nose off, to spite their face.
Nice to see ya again Ras.
MountainMan23 @ 17:
Like changing politicians and diapers for the same reason?
I think the GOP may have *finally* underestimated the intelligence of it's supporters. Incumbents running on "change". Hilarious.
Before reading the text, the phrase that popped out is the one I thought the Republicans had selected ...... "Reality, you have options." Much more appropriate.
The change that americans deserve--All existing senators life sentenced--hard labour orange jump suits--Georgia prison's Inmates.
he said frosted flakes!!
he said shooting the elephant!!
Big Pharma pretty much OWNS the GOP so, maybe they were just sharing marketing firms ?
nemo @ 12:
Throughout the 18th and early 20th centuries, the conservatives of the time referred to the working class as the "Great Beast". They were necessary to make the machinery of society run-- to be exploited by their betters, the wealthy.
Oops- mant to say 18th, 19th, and early 20th.
I'm always shocked that they aren't beaten to death with their call for 'change'.
They have the white house, they have the supreme court, and they have enough members in Congress to stall any legislation (after being on the flip side of that for 6 years after being totally in control of Congress since 1995).
"Hold your nose and vote Republican...cause Osama says so"
I don't think they are clueless about this. I bet whichever GOPer came up with this "new" slogan is heavily medicated on this Effexor. I'm sure if I was a Republican political hack at this moment in history I'd be living in depression city. No, I believe that the genius who suggested this new slogan has likely been immensely helped by his prescription, and so he/she ripped off the slogan. Its all so hilariously appropriate! And sadly also maybe an indicator of the prescription drug over-medication...abuse...of the reigning political class.
LibertyLover @ 23:
Sound like the perfect ad campaign for Senator Vitter (R-Dungeon)
PLEASE.. for the love of god PLEASE let them use this.. it will be fodder for the late shows for months!
The fact that both parties are campaigning on the issue of "change" shows pretty clearly that we have serious problems! This is not really a good reason to vote for more of the same (stating the obvious!).
Personally, I can only see ONE way to really make change. We have to DRASTICALLY slash the military budget (and it's offshoots) to the point that the overall budget is balanced, and a new "peace dividend" is available to fix infrastructure, education and social programs. Unfortunately, without proposing this route, candidates/parties have to rely on "voodoo" economics to support their platforms. You can't get labeled as "weak on defense" and still get elected, so it's another catch 22. I hope Obama is smart enough to juggle this one (i.e lie to us now, so he can really change things after he's in).
Sometimes I think the repugs want to go down in flames this Nov. They have McCrazy for president which they can't stand and 8 years of bush to run on. I think maybe they just want to get the bleeding over with quick.
Sometimes you have to hit bottom before the recovery can begin
"The Change You Deserve"? Once again, Repubs blame the victim.
I know there is a joke in there someplace ...
CatAtomic @ 29:
The perfect world of GOP insanity set in motion by the elite with the most power and money makes about as much sense as perfect communism. Democracy is not a Republican priority.
Frankly I really don't know what horrible sin I must have committed to deserve the living hell that has been inflicted upon me for the past eight years, but it must have been really, really bad.
The thing I find most ironic about the slogan is that "you deserve" is the antithesis of repub philosophy. In repub minds, people don't "deserve," they "earn." You don't deserve anything just because you exist, you have to work hard for it. You don't deserve health insurance just because you're American, you have to pay for it and the more you can pay, the better care you get.
Also, "you deserve" is primarily used by ambulance chasing lawyers in their TV ads, as in "get the settlement you deserve" or by loan sharks as in "get the car you deserve." So the repubs are using the language of the worst kinds of lawyers and loan sharks. What a bunch of maroons.
The change America deserves is no neocons/GOPers elected to office or participating in government. The change we deserve is for the current crop of crook to be incarcerated for their crimes, for a long, long time.
Vote for a GOPer-Free America. How's that for change, Mr RNC-Type?
Is that Amy Poehler in the ad? :)
Not only that, but the lady in the add looks like she is on more than just an antidepressant. If she votes for McCain, she'll need to be.
The Republicans are engaged in psychological projection again.
(Sometimes it seems like it's all they know how to do.)
A more accurate slogan would be: "The change we deserve."
Effexor also gives us a new Dem slogan: Republican Incompetence? There is something you Can do. You have Options.
Oh, I've used effexor for the last 7 years. What a coincidence. I tried to get off once but the shocks to the brain was so great it scared the hell out of me. I was able to finally quit taking effexor by gradually tapering off. Whew... I'm so glad to be rid of the change I deserved. I guess the tapering off thing is analogous to the GOP seats being lost in heavy red districts. It's good to be on good old Prozac now, that's for sure. I couldn't stand the "Change" I received from the GOP!
Peace!
Incredibly appropriate.
I had a doctor that prescribed that stuff for me. Pretty nasty. Turned me into a raving sociopath. I could have walked through a hail of bullets and not cared in the slightest. The sexual side effects were also pretty bad. No matter how hard you tried, climax (victory?) was always just out of reach.
The slogan fits the Republicans perfectly.
MountainMan23 @ 13:
sounds to me like you recieved an education that was wothwhile , most dont!
It's actually an improvement over the original "The pittance you plebians deserve", delivered by a glowering Cheney and smirking Chimpy. Chimpy couldn't pronounce pittance or plebians. After hearing Bush pronounce it "plesbians" for five straight takes, Cheney had his goons punch out Chimpy (Biff! OOF! Wack!), picked up his umbrella and monocle and headed back to the
Penguin's NestNaval Observatory.The once-vaunted Republican marketing machine has fallen and can't get up. On Monday, House minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) unveiled a new slogan for the GOP, only to learn that "The Change You Deserve," was fittingly already in use to market the anti-depressant drug Effexor. Now a central promise of the Republicans' 2008 rebranding effort, to balance the budget by 2012, is dead on arrival. As it turns out, Republican nominee John McCain already abandoned his short-lived, first term balanced budget pledge.
For the details, see:
"House GOP Makes, McCain Breaks 2012 Balanced Budget Promise."
I for one am not surprised that the GOP is unwittingly using a slogan ripped off from the advertising campaign for a psychotropic drug! In my opinion, while there are people who genuinely benefit from psychotropic drugs and while there is some legitimate need for them, I don't believe that either the need or the benefit is nearly as widespread as the healthcare industry (and the advertising industry) have been trying over the last ten years or so to make us believe there is. Frankly, I think that people in this country are being encouraged to rely on psychotropic drugs for much the same reason that the people in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" were encouraged to use soma -- as a way of numbing themselves to their own problems instead of doing something about them. After all, a lot of people find it difficult at best to cope with change -- and for the most part, this is a society which doesn't encourage a lot of introspection. Ironically, even though our culture claims to value independence, there's also an equal if not greater amount of pressure to conform. For at least some people, if they're unhappy with their lives, it's a lot easier to pop a "happy pill" to block out the bad feelings (even if it leaves them not feeling anything much) than it is to actually explore the reasons why they're unhappy since that might mean making changes which could potentially invite the disapproval of other people. How many people in this culture ever bother to ask themselves whether they really want to get married, or have children, or buy some of the things they buy? I think a lot of people do it simply because that's what everyone else (including our culture) has told them they should want.
In much the same vein, I think that the GOP is trying with all its might to resist change -- in all honesty, I think that if many Republicans could have their way and were honest enough to admit it, they'd turn the clock back to the 1950's when the vast majority of minorities (ethnic or otherwise) had little if any political clout and therefore didn't merit much attention. I think the GOP is trying to get the American people to resist change as well by numbing them to the problems in our society -- encouraging them to focus on "paper tigers" such as gay marriage which will probably never affect them directly and which will never go away, as well as subtly encouraging a mindset of immediate gratification and limited short-term benefit in an attempt to keep people from looking at the big picture and seeing just how out-of-kilter our society has become.
this is excellent news for hillary!
Let me get this straight. The Repugs are promising us "the change we deserve" from .....them? Those cats are stoooooooopid.
I can see it now. They will reach into their pockets, pick out a few coins and toss them out to their masses while at the same time laughing all the way to the bank saying "There you go you idiots, here's the change you deserve."
The slogan: "The Change You Deserve" also flies in the face of what so-called conservatives call "Personal Responsibility".
I smell desperation.
Vote for me I am a Republican...the change you deserve, since you haven't had enough of me yet.
This was first caught by Bluestem Prairie. From Jason's post....."(Hat tip to Bluestem for catching this gem.)"
THE CHANGE I DESERVE.....
HOW ABOUT SOME FUCKING CHANGE FROM A $5 WHEN I BUY A GALLON OF GAS
I'M READY FOR A BLACK PRESIDENT... A WOMAN PRESIDENT... I'D VOTE FOR A JEWISH BROWN DWARF WITH A SKIN CONDITION IF I THOUGHT SHE WOULD HELP THE :
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMY
END THE WAR
and ... going for the WIN.... please don't forget to ALWAYS call him
JOHN "THE REPUBLICAN" MCCAIN
he hates that middle name... but should wear it proudly ... like a flag lapel pin
The re-PIG-lics "change" would constitutes moving in the opposite direction of the will of the people.
They're running on a platform of fewer rights for women, destroying all rights to privacy for ordinary citizens, stepped up and perpetual wars, more tax breaks for the wealthy, no help or relief for the middle classes along with increasingly diminished or obliterated safety-nets for those in need.
That's not the kind of change people are interested in.
*
Gordon Smith (R-OR) is trying to run on change. He has an ad that bad-mouths the two leading Dem candidates in the primary and ends with "we need a change" and a shot of Gordon with the I approved this ad, voice-over. First time I saw it I almost fell off the couch. Twelve years in the senate and he has the nerve to call himself the candiate of change. If that's what you've got Bush-Boy, it tooks like Oregon is going to be 6 out of 7 Dem. (They might have had a chance at Darlene Hooley's seat, but both Reps have made asses of themselves this week - accusations of secret abortions, self-righteous posturing about dirty tricks - plus the districe now holds a slight Dem edge.)
Bye, Gordo - don't let the door hit you on the way out.
The Republicans are going to be eating SSRI's like candy after November..
Anyone remember this gem from Larry Wilmore on the Daily Show?
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=156702
Yes, we do need antidepressants after last 7 years of King George's rule!
Best thing since Nixon'S reelection: the Committee to RE-Elect the President (C.R.E.E.P)
KayI @ 3:
Hell, Wyeth probably gave the RNC the slogan, in exchange for keeping protections/policies that favor Big Pharma (Pharmaid?) in place.
Ask your doctor if the GOP is right for you. Side effects include...
Personally I thought the slogan sounded like a threat.
"Reality, you have options"
Classic.
This also recalls Mencken's comment to the effect that we get the government we deserve
:-) Apart from Effexor XR, Amnezac with "amnescilin/atrocitate oblivium" too is approved for the treatment of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults…
The GOP should immediately recommend this product. See video here.
:-)
L.A. Confidential @ 8:
Too late to avoid it! We already ate and drank today! We're sunk! Where are the detoxification tents being set up?
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