Balanced Rebellion
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Balanced Rebellion is a campaign advertisement and campaign project launched by AlternativePAC, the political action committee supporting Gary Johnson for President of the United States in the 2016 general election.
Project
The website enables voters who dislike both major party candidates, but have a slight preference for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, to pair their vote with a voter feeling a slight but opposite preference, so that both voters – matched by the website and known to one another only by first name – can vote for Johnson without feeling that they are helping throw the election to a major party candidate they oppose.[1][2][3][4]
According to journalist Brian Doherty, editor of Reason magazine, the project is intended to appeal to voters who, "while disliking both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, didn't want to feel that their third party vote helped make the one they hated more win."[4]
Video content
The five minute video ad, viewed on the website of AlternativePAC and Facebook, features an Abraham Lincoln character called "Dead Abe Lincoln" who explains the concept of the website, comparing Trump to someone's drunk racist uncle and Clinton as a corrupt politician trying to "make millions on political favors." He likens the United States to Gotham City, in the Batman comics, comparing Clinton with the Mob and Trump with the Joker. Johnson is then likened to Batman.[5]
Dead Abe Lincoln goes on to promote Johnson as a candidate, pointing out that he was popular as the Republican Governor of a Democratic state where he reduced taxes and that he wants to protect personal privacy.[5]
Dead Abe Lincoln also makes the point that Abraham Lincoln was a third party candidate.
Video production
The video is produced by the Harmon Brothers, four brothers who work together as comedy producers.[2][3][5]
Viral video
The video, promoted on Facebook by AlternativePAC at an initial cost of $330,000, soon went viral,[1] with 9 million views by August 9,[2] and 17.3 million views by September 7.[4]
See also
- Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016
- America (advertisement), Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign advertisement.
- Act of Love (political statement and advertisement), Donald Trump 2016 campaign advertisement.
References
- 1 2 Hackman, Michelle (26 August 2016). "Match Game: Website Promises Guilt-Free Voting for Gary Johnson". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 Stanley, T.L. (29 August 2016). "Abe Lincoln Trashes Clinton and Trump in This Insane Ad for Libertarian Gary Johnson". AdWeek. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- 1 2 Weigel, Dave (27 August 2016). "Libertarians hope rallies and ads can nudge them into the presidential debates". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 Doherty, Brian (7 September 2016). "HIT & RUN BLOG Pro-Gary Johnson "Balanced Rebellion" Ad Viral Sensation of this Political Cycle". Reason (magazine). Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 Doherty, Brian (26 August 2016). "Dead Abe Lincoln Says: Vote Gary Johnson". Reason (magazine). Retrieved 8 September 2016.