Garling Gauge

Gravel’s Presidential Acid Test

Sen. Mike Gravel: Two eras, two wars, same message.

If you connected with the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test then Mike Gravel is your presidential nominee.

Unleashing an acid test of his own in the form of a presidential campaign ad, former Sen. Mike Gravel tugs gently at the independent film maker in us all:

[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/gravel.flv[/flv]
Former Sen. Mike Gravel in his latest mind trip: Young Men and Women

Both surprising and welcome, this latest video actually makes sense.

In Young Men and Women the former Senator speaks of his experience, compares the Vietnam War to Iraq War, and defines his role in publicly exposing the Pentagon Papers, a secret government report on political, policy, and military involvement in the Vietnam War. Gravel makes coherent parallels between the stances taken by the two major political parties during that era and those same parties today.

Even with a cogent message, a spacey soundtrack and word-overlay separates Gravel’s Young Men and Women from the rest of the presidential pack.

Gravel’s ad, though, is not too unlike Sen. Joe Biden’s newest video relaying a personal experience of his own and calling for an end of U.S. occupation of Iraq:

[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/gravel1.flv[/flv]
Sen. Joe Biden, “Cathedral”

While unlikely to secure the Democratic nomination for president, Gravel has spiced up the primary campaign season with his blunt, angry talk and unprecedented campaign videos:

[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/gravel2.flv[/flv]
Rock

[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/gravel3.flv[/flv]
Fire

[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/gravel4.flv[/flv]
Gravel explaining his unusual videos

Those contemplating the effect these strange ads will have on the Democratic primary and 2008 presidential election need not ruminate unduly, for the videos are merely an embellishment this campaign season. What the videos do, however, is open the door for groundbreaking videos and ads from future candidates seeking public office.

Like all radicals, former Sen. Mike Gravel is shaping and expanding the boundaries of his particular arena. Gravel’s unusual messages are windows into what is possible, acceptable, and inspiring, a notion that can be shared by both progressives and conservatives.

Watch them with an open mind. Just don’t lose the message in the medium.

*

UPDATE: The Gravel campaign takes notice:

From the gravel2008 website:

“There is a nice write-up on the Garling Gauge political blog, applauding Mike for his videos on our YouTube.com site.”

Thanks for noticing. Happy to do it.

• See also: Garling Gauge Chosen Top Story by Gravel Campaign
• More on Mike Gravel, 2008 Election

http://www.nndb.com/people/987/000115642/mike-gravel-3-sized.jpg
http://www.danablankenhorn.com/images/2007/04/27/mike_gravel_smiling.jpg

Stumble it!