Throughout the catalog of right-wing organizations, one can easily find examples of attempts to connect two things which, under rational thought, would have no reason being mentioned in the same article, ad, or argument. Usually, the connection (or lack thereof) will leave you scratching your head.
Just take, for instance, Robert Morrison’s recent article on the Family Research Council’s blog that takes you through a confusing journey from the French national holiday, Bastille Day, to why we shouldn’t confirm Sonia Sotomayor. Then there was Operation Rescue’s recent press release that tries to connect Sotomayor and her virtually non-existent abortion record to the criminal prosecution of an abortion clinic worker in Florida. Kyle has previously written about the Right’s tendency to try and link seemingly distant subjects.
The most recent attempt to connect the unconnected comes in the form of a new television ad from the anti-abortion group, Fidelis. The ad, which launched today, attempts to intertwine the anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch and the importance of a “pro-life” agenda:
Dr. Joseph Kerwin, the first American doctor in outer space, joined other former NASA greats yesterday at a press conference sponsored by the Catholic pro-life group Fidelis, the creator of the new advertisement and its popular web site CatholicVote.org.
The event commemorated both the fortieth anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic landing on the moon and the new ad buy from Fidelis.
…
Brian Burch, the president of the group, told LifeNews.com that putting a man on the moon was once thought impossible.
“Neil Armstrong will go down in history as one of the greatest explorers. His long journey to the moon started, as each of us started, with a small kick in our mother’s womb,” said Burch. “Today, we salute the astronauts of Apollo 11 and all other brave pioneers who give meaning to the potential of every human life.”
With today marking the anniversary of the liftoff of Apollo 11 and July 20 marking the anniversary of the first moonwalk, the new Fidelis pro-life commercial comes at an appropriate time.
In a note to supporters of the organization, Kerwin talked more about the new “Imagine” television commercial. He said it would “be running regularly on local Houston television stations for the next several weeks.”
“Their new ad is already creating buzz in Houston, and I can’t wait for the rest of the country to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 with this new ad,” he said.
“Next Monday, media outlets around the world will commemorate the historic achievement of Apollo 11. The courage and dedication of the astronauts aboard Apollo 11, and hundreds of others involved in our nation’s space program make me proud of our great country,” Kerwin added. “But most importantly, the achievements of the space program remind me of the potential of every human life.”
“May we never cease to marvel at the gift, and potential of every human life,” he concluded.
While I understand the Right’s need to come up with new and innovative ways to market their message, I simply don’t think comparing Bastille Day and Sonia Sotomayor or abortion and outer space will cut it.
