2goes2far? how about your ads?

The BBQ Pit
1

I’m referring to these assholes:
http://www.2goes2far.com/

Proposal 2 is a ballot initiative in Michigan to amend the state constitution to ease restrictions on stem cell research. We have been subjected to constant misleading ads from them, some of which go so far as to out and out lie about the proposal.(all their ads are viewable on their website)

They started with an ad about how much the proposal would cost the taxpayers, despite the fact that the initiative does not include any funding.

Next they talked about the limited available lines of stem cells, a legitimate concern at least, but if you watch the ad you’ll see how they not so subtly imply that this will lead to human cloning for the purpose of medical experiments. Of course, the proposal specifically says that cloning is not allowed, but lets not let that get in the way of a good scare tactic.

Next they went back to the money issue, pulling out a quote from the Prop 2 spokesman in which he says the stem cell research should be publicly funded. Through some sort of logical acrobatics they claim that this proves that the prop will cost the taxpayers money.

This brings me to their latest ad, the one that finally led me to make this post. In their most recent attempt to scare people with the horrors of science, they are now comparing stem cell research to the Tuskegee experiments. They claim both are examples of unrestrained science exploiting the most defenseless members of society.

A quick look at their organization shows they are headquartered in Grand Rapids, right in the heart of conservative, religious West Michigan. A look at their scattergun strategy of attacking the proposal with constantly changing, ridiculous charges that don’t even seem particularly well thought out seems to indicate that they might be disguising their real reason for opposing prop 2.

If you oppose stem cell research on religious grounds, fine. I’ll disagree with you but you have a right to your beliefs, however misguided they might be. But to oppose the proposal for religious reasons but hide it behind a deluge of hysterical scare ads is just bad form.

In conclusion, fuck you Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science & Experimentation, fuck you right in your stupid asses.

2

If it makes you feel any better, I hadn’t heard much about the proposal until they started these terrible ads. Now I intend to vote yes just to spite them. I mean, I agree with the proposal, but now I’m going to vote yes extra hard!

I end up shouting at my TV every time one of these ads come on.

3

I live in Grand Rapids and I am voting yes on prop 2.

(And in defense of my city, GR itself leans Democrat. It’s our suburbs that contain the religious conservatives.)

You can tell when you leave the city as the Obama signs become McCain signs. You could probably plot the city limits by the political signs. It is kind of funny.

I don’t hold a lot of hope that prop 2 will pass, but I really, really hope it does. Grand Rapids is rapidly expanding in the health care industry and I would love it if stem cell research became part of that. Lord knows Michigan needs all the new innovation and jobs it can get.

4

Every time I see one of those signs on a lawn, I make a mental note of “ultra-conservative, right wing wacko”. Thankfully, I see few of them around my area.

5

I have never even heard of this proposal, let alone seen a yard sign about it. Maybe I live in a different Michigan? Is your guys’ Michigan kinda mitteny shaped, too?

6

Ann Arbor doesn’t count, Kyla. :slight_smile:

The “No on 2” signs are thick on the ground down here in the southeast, too.

7

I don’t live in Michigan, but I get Detroit network affiliates on my cable service just like you do in Ann Arbor (I lived there for a few years, once upon a time). I’ve seen all the ads mentioned in the OP except the Tuskegee one many, many times. If you haven’t seen any ads, you haven’t had a tv on a local channel in months.

I will believe there aren’t any anti-2 signs in Ann Arbor, though.

8

Ah, well, I don’t have a TV. And I don’t pay a whole hell of a lot of attention to local politics, as I am not really a Michigander.

9

Proposal 1 legalizes medical marijuana and it would be really easy to see how someone wouldn’t have heard of that one. I’ve been amazed at the lack of attention it’s gotten. Maybe that’s a good sign, maybe medical marijuana isn’t thought of as a big deal by most people anymore. It’s expected to pass. Prop 2, on the other hand, is in trouble. Either an awful lot of people don’t like stem cell research or these fuckers’ ads are working.

10

I bet the wacko conservative machine is in high gear on the west side of the state:

Rev. DeVos says “Buy your bibles & Amway here! Vote ‘no’ on 2 or you are going straight to hell and you won’t be a diamond distributor!”

11

Well, I will definitely take some time to read about the propositions before I vote, but it already sounds like I know what I will do with those two, as I support medical marijuana (which I voted to legalize in my first election ever, in CA - twelve years ago!) and stem cell research.

12

I really think such blatenly false political ads should be open to some kind of penalties.

Is there anyway the people making them could be sued into bankruptcy for libel? Too late for the election but it’d set a good precedent for the future.

13

About their ads dealing with public funding:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080923/NEWS06/809230373/1008/NEWS06

The Doyle mentioned is David Doyle, spokesman for the group Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science & Experimentation (MiCAUSE).

nice huh? he acknowledges that his ad is lying, but justifies it based on, um, I don’t know, clairvoyance I guess.

Of course, he admitted his ad was a lie back in September and that first ad continues to run today. A google search reveals that the anti-prop 2 people are succeeding in pissing a lot of people off, we can only hope enough people try to find out the truth for themselves before election day.

14

Signs against 2 have been all over northwestern michigan.

Even the Catholic Priests up here have been putting in a spiel against 2.

But then this area is pretty overwhelmingly right wing. Kinda scary, ever since I realized that. I’ve been a stealth obama fan because of the political pressures going on at work as well.

15

HATE THOSE ADS!!

Sorry for the shouting, but damn are those ones irritating. The constant Shauer vs. Wahlberg attacks are bad too, but the out and out lying in the Prop 2 ads is just awful. I can’t imagine how anyone with two brain cells to rub together can manage to still support voting no after the absolute lies from that ad campaign.

16

You vote the hell out of that Proposition, Dude. Wish we had one in Georgia (though I doubt if it could pass here; we’re more likely to have a state Constitutional Amendment banning the creation of an army of gay cloned mandroids).

17

I support this kind of thing, but I didn’t vote either way on this prop because I don’t like amending our state constitution willy-nilly. I think putting anything into the highest law of the (state) land needs to be really, really explained and thought about and not so polarizing.

Am I wrong on this?

18

Those ads are the worst.

Ain’t that the truth. That’s not reason enough to vote yes on 2, but it’s something to consider.

19

That did give me pause. Unfortunately, I am afraid that if it gets voted down for this reason, nothing will ever come of it and there won’t ever be stem cell research in Michigan. I totally agree that the state constitution does not need to be messed with, but after the gay-marriage amendment (was that on the ballot last election?) I don’t think most people are afraid of changing it for polarizing and unnecessary reasons. Two wrongs don’t make a right and all that but I can’t figure out a way to get Michigan to leave its constitution alone and still move ahead on stem cell research. It’s kind of a sucky situation, and I wish it was written differently, but I am still voting yes.

20

Now that I have read this thread, I’ve noticed a few signs. Even here in Ann Arbor.