Gutter Politics in the Global Village

He is not your typical slick TV announcer. In fact, the only thing slick about him is the distinctive air of a man who has spent a fair amount of time with his hands in fishliver oil. He’s a Portuguese fisherman, and his message is simple. Good thing, too, because his English is bad. “Will you join me in watching Congressman Barney Frank address the issues of our town on Tuesday at nine o’clock?” he asks haltingly, squinting at the cue card.

You’re tuned to the Portuguese Channel, a program service on Whaling City Cable Television in Fall River, Massachusetts. You’re watching a commercial created by John Florescu for Congressman Barney Frank. If you’re wondering how in this age of ultra-sophisticated political campaigns Barney Frank dared to put a commercial like that on the air, he didn’t. He sent it over the wires.

RA

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Richard Armstrong

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He is not your typical slick TV announcer. In fact, the only thing slick about him is the distinctive air of a man who has spent a fair amount of time with his hands in fishliver oil. He’s a Portuguese fisherman, and his message is simple. Good thing, too, because his English is bad. “Will you join me in watching Congressman Barney Frank address the issues of our town on Tuesday at nine o’clock?” he asks haltingly, squinting at the cue card.

You’re tuned to the Portuguese Channel, a program service on Whaling City Cable Television in Fall River, Massachusetts. You’re watching a commercial created by John Florescu for Congressman Barney Frank. If you’re wondering how in this age of ultra-sophisticated political campaigns Barney Frank dared to put a commercial like that on the air, he didn’t. He sent it over the wires.