Summer 2006: Greatest Hits

The fall 2006 semester officially starts next week, and all of us here at Georgetown Dems HQ are getting ready for another busy election season. Before we move on, though, I'd be honored if you would join me for a walk down memory lane with my favorite political clips of summer 2006. Without further ado...


5) George Allen and the macaca. What, exactly, is a macaca? Well, depending on who you ask, it's either a macaque, a horrible racial slur, or a Spanglish abbreviation for "shithead." (By the way, you know a Senator is in trouble when his alibi is that he just meant to call the guy a shithead.) Either way, it's one of the worst Republican political gaffes of the summer-- and that makes for great entertainment.

4) Ted Stevens' A Series of Unfortunate Tubes. In all fairness, I don't see why it's such a big deal that Ted Stevens doesn't understand how the internets work. Republicans have never been on the cutting edge of hip, and back when Senator Stevens was our age (circa 1835), the only way to communicate probably was through a series of tubes (though dump trucks weren't introduced until the 20th century). Nevertheless, it's a pretty damn stupid statement, and the remix is one of this summer's classics. (The original is funny, too, if rambling old Republicans are your kind of thing.)

3) Arnold's Neighborhood. Yeah, it's a brazen attack video by a campaign we know and love, but it's just too funny not to include. And you won't be able to stop humming the tune for days. Laugh at Ken Von Lay at your own peril, though-- you just might end up going to hell.


2) Brad Miller's Fiesta. Think nobody can put immigration, gay marriage, flag burning, and unadulterated bigotry into a coherent 60 second spot? Think again. This is the funniest, most absurd radio ad of the summer, and one of the most ridiculous attack ads you'll ever see. You might have trouble believing it, but this ad is not a joke-- and neither is Vernon Robinson's newest offering. While the second ad is a little less funny, it makes a convincing case for why Republicans should never get into the recording industry.

1) The Lamont Bear Ad. Far and away, my favorite political clip of the summer. If you needed another reason for why Joe Lieberman crashed and burned in the primary, look no further than this truly awful ad. The good news: if Lieberman loses, his team has a bright future in Saturday morning television. GRRRR!

(Note: All Colbert Report and Daily Show clips are automatically disqualified, since there are just too many good ones for me to post here.)

What other clips did I miss? Let me know in the comments.