First it was a reboot of Twin Peaks.  Then Full House.  Next, Roseanne aka The Connors.  The only thing missing was the return of the commercials which financed these programs.  That is no longer true.  GEICO is now running a series of retro commercials including “So Easy a Caveman Can Do It” and “The Hump Day Camel.”  Which brings me to the title of today’s post.  Maybe it’s time the Democratic Party takes the same tack.

Remember Harry and Louise?  They were the stars of a $20 million advertising campaign funded by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA), opposing Bill Clinton’s proposed health care plan. (Then First Lady Hillary Clinton was tasked with leading the design and implementation of the new system which Republicans dubbed HillaryCare.)  Produced by the California-based public relations firm Goddard Claussen, each installment questioned how the proposal compared to their current coverage.  To reach its target audience (Clinton supporters), the spots ran during episodes of The West Wing during the 1993-94 viewing season.  Consider the following example of one Harry and Louise broadcast.

OPENING GRAPHIC: Some Time In the Future
LOUISE:  This was covered under our old plan.
HARRY: Yeah, that was a good one, wasn’t it.
NARRATOR:  Things are changing and not all for the better. The government may force us to pick from a few health care plans, designed by government bureaucrats.
LOUISE:  Having choices we don’t like is no choice at all.
HARRY:  They choose.
LOUISE:  We lose.
NARRATOR:  For reforms that protect what we have, know the facts.  If we let the government choose, we lose.  Call today.

The Clinton health plan went down to defeat, and in November 1994, the Republicans took control of Congress by gaining 54 seats in the House and eight in the Senate.

Ironically, the same actors who portrayed Harry and Louise in the mid-1990s reappeared in 2009 in support of the Affordable Care Act.  Two for two.  Not a bad win/loss record.  So just maybe, it’s time to bring them back.  Consider the following ad designed to run during the AFC and NFC championship games this coming Sunday.

OPENING GRAPHIC: A Kitchen Table Anywhere in America
LOUISE: Look at these bills, we used to cover them with your government salary.
HARRY: Yeah, those were the good old days, weren’t they.
NARRATOR:  Things have changed and not for the better.  Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress want you to work without getting paid.  They make you choose between paying the rent, college tuition for your children or medical care.
LOUISE: Having choices like that are no choice at all.
HARRY:  And for what?
LOUISE:  Donald Trump says we need a concrete wall on the Southern border and this is the only way to get it.
HARRY:  But I thought Mexico was going to pay for it.  Guess not.
[PHONE RINGS AND HARRY ANSWERS IT]
LOUISE:  Who was that?
HARRY:  My supervisor.  He says I have to report to work tomorrow even though I won’t get paid again next Friday.
LOUISE:  They’re forcing you to work without pay?  Isn’t there a word for that?
HARRY:  YEAH
NARRATOR: Treating dedicated public servants like Harry is not fair or necessary.  Call Mitch McConnell today and tell him he does not need Donald Trump’s permission to do the right thing. [McConnell’s phone number appears on the screen.]

Nielson reports 28.5 million viewers tuned into the Cowboys/Rams playoff game last Saturday night.  The audience for this weekend’s divisional championships is expected to eclipse those numbers.  The Kansas Chiefs with Pat Mahomes at quarterback have already seen a 34 percent increase in viewership over last year.  One can only imagine the numbers for a showdown between Mahomes and veteran Tom Brady. What better opportunity to send a message enough is enough.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP