Days after his rivals, Dan Forest is launching his first TV ad in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.
The 30-second spot is about as plain as a campaign commercial can get: candidate sitting on a living room couch with his beautiful family holding smiles for painfully too long, a close up with a Bible prominently placed, not coincidentally, on a bookcase behind his head. (No Mike Huckabee situation here, this is obvious. Forest's folks moved the books from the family shot for the close up shot to place the Bible next to his head -- look closely at the shelf in the ad.)
His campaign won't release buy information or disclose where the ad is running -- making it hard to know whether anyone is seeing it, or whether it just lives on the Internet. (Update: It appears the buy is a miniscule $2,000, meaning few will see it.)
Forest's main rivals -- Dale Folwell, Tony Gurley and Grey Mills -- all began airing ads weeks ago in the low-profile GOP primary for lieutenant governor. But unlike the governor's race, where early ads for Walter Dalton helped boost him in the polls, the timing of Forest's ad may work because many voters are just now paying attention.
Comments
N&O: thanks for bringing this to our attention...
May 10, 2012 - 3:15pm — TOPASSISTANTIf the useless N&O opposed to the Bible and is point this out, he gets my vote!
You are all making a mountain out of a mole hill
May 3, 2012 - 5:36pm — queequegscoffinThe author is NOT picking on the bible, you all are making something out of nothing just like the liberal press.
The Forest campiagn turned the bible into a "Prop" if you cannot see that you are blinded by ignorance.
"Away with the Christians to the lion!"
May 3, 2012 - 1:35pm — inandohBack in the old days it is believed that Christians were thrown to the lions. Now they are thrown to the liberal press. It is becoming a national pastime.
Dan Forest's Bible and Faith
May 3, 2012 - 3:01pm — donaldm264Christianity is what this country was founded upon. As a Christian I am proud that Mr. Forest is showing his faith, that is what every Christian should do. The "separation of church and state" means the state cannot tell the church what to do and the church cannot tell the state what to do. It does NOT mean that God should be taken out of our schools, our public buildings, and our government. It is Christian morals and values that made this country, and makes for good policy. English is the language of America and Christianity is the religion of America. People living here can worship as they want, BUT, we should not be caving in to liberal ideology and taking Christianity out of America.
Don't stop what you are doing Mr. Forest and don't compromise your faith!!
Don Money,
Greensboro
PLEAZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEE
May 3, 2012 - 11:51am — OriginalHe is tweeting about it. Can you find the Bible? How sick is that? Uncalled for.
This is WRONG
May 3, 2012 - 11:50am — OriginalWho doesn't have a Bible in their home? Obviously John does not. What kind of reporter tweets and makes fun of this? A pitiful one. I feel sorry for you John. This is just low. To have someone in office that is religious must scare you to death. Well, the rest of us do NOT feel that way. He is a good man and a Godly man. Oh my, a Christian Man that loves God and his family... what is this world coming too?? You better wake up John before it is too late for you.
Give me a break!
May 3, 2012 - 7:36am — queequegscoffinDan Forest is not getting ridiculed for including the bible he is being called out for using it as a PROP. In the wide shot it is not there and then in the close up the bible has been placed on the shelf. Therefore during production there was a conversation during a "break in the action" about placing the bible on the shelf for the next shot. It was either premeditated or they forget to put it on the bookshelf, in either case the bible was a PROP for this shoot, plain and simple.
And the campaign email response to this article is absurd, the author is not attacking the bible he is attacking the TACKY NATURE of way it was placed in the ad by the production crew and campaign staff... "Dan Forest Can Make Bible's Appear!" It was a terrible call by the production crew and the campaign staff and they got caught. Now they are crying about it and releasing an email stating that the News Observer is attacking the bible, which they plainly are not. It does not surprise me coming from a campaign and a campaigner that RUNS away from any debate with his own party. They have no message and no courage.
I can think of worse
May 2, 2012 - 7:14pm — romans1I can think of worse messages to send.
Dan Forest's Bible and Faith
May 2, 2012 - 4:42pm — diamondrn@gmail.comBefore I ever wrote my first article supporting Dan Forest in "The Charlotte Christian Patriot," I asked him to issue a statement that he did indeed have a 'Biblical World View.' Dan did so without any hestitation.
I am quoting part of an email I received from Dan Forest dated Aug. 23, 2011.
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"As a fiscal and social conservative, I’m doing my part to take back our country and our state from the fiscal and moral collapse that we all witness each day."
Here is what I believe:
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A Bible is probably the most valid symbol to represent the values that have shaped Dan Forest's world view.
I applaud him for including the Bible in the frame.
Sincerely,
Bob Diamond; Pharmacist, Charlotte, North Carolina