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If you've seen the ad, you know why I think of it as "The Waltons" ad. If not, you can view it on the timber industry page, here. Or read my summary.
My local TV station, KCBY, on "Northwest News" did a "Truth Test" report on this ad. They labeled it "Misleading" on two counts. 1) It implies that Measure 64 would eliminate all logging, and this is not true, 2) it claims that Measure 64 will leave bureaucrats in charge of forests. They already are.
What I liked best about the "Truth Test" was that the reporters let slip their own opinion of the timber industry. The anchor asked the reporter "And that family, the Ramsays are they for real?" (Even I, cynic that I am, hadn't thought that it might be a fictional family portrayed by actors.) And the reporter replied, "As far as I can tell. I have a phone number and I talked to the daughter and she said they really do own land . . ."
But all of that isn't what really bothers me about this ad. It's the blatant manipulation of the heartwarming family images by an industry only interested in their bottom line, images that have nothing to do with the issues at hand: clearcutting and pesticides. Do they really think we voters are so easily snowed?
