See Democrap ad against Mike Taylor (R-MT) online (why he dropped out)

The Smoking Gun ^ | 10-10-02 | The Smoking Gun

[GraniteStateConservative]

A Republican candidate today (10/10) dropped out of the Montana Senate race claiming that the state's Democratic party gay-baited him in a new attack ad. The 30-second TV commercial, paid for by the Montana Democratic Party, focuses on allegations that GOP candidate Mike Taylor diverted federal student loans when he ran a Colorado beauty salon/hair care school. The controversial spot uses clips of Taylor from a segment that once ran on a Denver station (and which promoted the Michael Taylor Institute of Hair Design). Taylor contends that the Democratic party's use of the "Beauty Corner" clip was done to insinuate that he was a gay hairdresser. In the spot, Taylor appears to be giving a facial to a male customer. "The ad has destroyed the campaign. We have no money left and we don't want to stoop to the same level," said Alan Mikkelsen, who spoke today to the Billings Gazette. (1 page)

Click here to view the Taylor ad with RealPlayer.

[KQQL]

MT Loves MAXY....
He brings Pork....

What a pathetic cheap shot...
he was losing anyways.

[The Old Hoosier]

I can't stop laughing. I love the music.

[X-Servative]

Publicity stunt. Taylor has received more free publicity than he could have ever hoped for, taken the heat off of the actual charge, and demonized Cleland. When you don't have cash for ads, free publicity is your best recourse, and he was presented with a golden opportunity.

Taking the traditional Rats strategy right to them. Priceless!

[UofORepublican]

I'm sorry, but that is hilarious.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Was that a young Tom Daschle in the chair??

[Dems_R_Losers]

Thanks for posting that, I was really curious.

I would bet there is some serious pants-soaking going on in Rat circles now that this has gone national. They thought they could just smear Taylor with this but it would never get out of Montana. I hope the Republicans have the stones to call the Rats out on this one, especially to the New York Times, where 3/4 of the newsroom is gay. I want to see them squirm on this one.

I can just imagine the outrage if this had been an ad by a Republican senator against a Democrat challenger. Hoo boy!

[Reaganesque]

"Not the way we do business in Montana".

The whole ad insinuates the guy is gay with the pictures it shows and the 70s porno music in the background. And then they cap it off with "Not the way we do business in Montana". The gaystapo would have already demanded the outright execution of any Republican who OK'd such an ad. But it's a Democrat. I will be surprised if it makes tommorrow's network morning shows.

[Lyford]

Bump

[Mensch]

IF what the democrats allege is true, and if I were running against Taylor, I'd have run that ad. I think it's pretty freaking hilarious!

[basil]

You are right about that--but I have heard no one mention whether there's any proof that the charges about him misusing student loan funds is true or not. Has anybody heard anything about that aspect of the ad?

[Zack Nguyen]

You are right. Republicans would never have gotten away with that. Remember Senator Packwood? He makes a few passes at assistants, tries to make out, lies to the Senate and get thrown out. As he should have been. Clinton has sex in the Oval Office, lies to a grand jury, has credible evidence surface that he raped a woman, and the hard feminist left sticks with him like glue. They standby their man.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

If its true, then they have all right to run an ad, but this one (70's porno music and all) definitely hits below the belt. I have two questions: 1) Are the charges true (this matters), and 2) Is he gay (just curious).

[Maximum Leader]

Taylor just ran in the wrong state. Be loud and proud man!

He should have moved to California and he'd be governor by now.

[willgetsome]

I don't see the big deal. Why didn't the Republicans get a better candidate for this race?

We've got to stop playing "victim" and start kicking A@@. Going down fighting is better than going down like a whiner.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

You are right about that--but I have heard no one mention whether there's any proof that the charges about him misusing student loan funds is true or not. Has anybody heard anything about that aspect of the ad?

The guy's wife said she filled out the forms and must have made a "clerical error." For him to drop out over this, I'm guessing there might have been just a little bit more going on there than just a "clerical error."

And I gotta hand it to 'em, that WAS a freakin' hilarious commercial.

DTH

[The Old Hoosier]

ROTFLMAO!!!

[Tall_Texan]

A gay spokesman in Montana claims the ad is offensive but blames *Taylor* instead, saying it sends a bad message to run away from the image.

The fairies won't blame the Democrat who ran the ad, oh my no. They blame the victim of the ad for recoiling in horror at the stereotyping.

Personally, if the facts in the ad are true, I find nothing wrong with Baucus running it. But if the queers are upset with the ad, you would think they would want to lash out against the people who put together the ad, not the opponent.

And, I agree with the point that Montana *ought* to be able to come up with a better candidate. Republicans own this state. Baucus ought to be as easy to pick off as the seantors from North Dakota and South Dakota. The GOP has the numbers to win.

[Villiany_Inc]

"And, I agree with the point that Montana *ought* to be able to come up with a better candidate."

When I move out to Montana (say about 5-6 years at most), I will be sure to give them my name... doesnt seem like I could do much worse.

[crusher999]

Now that Taylor has dropped out....it will be very interesting to see how much of a ruckus the Democratic party puts up if his replacement has a better shot at winning than Taylor had.

This situation has "double edged sword" written all over it.

If they protest too much, then even "Joe and Josephine Six Pack" would be able to begin to understand the hipocracy of these elitist whiney hipocrites.

If they don't protest at all (which I doubt), then they will most likely loose.

Rumor has it that popular Republican ex-Gov Racicot may take the slot...and if he does, then you can pretty much move Montana into the "R" column.

With a chance (albeit slight, but still a chance) that NJ can still go "R" and if Racicot does indeed step into the ring...then we all just might be witness to the biggest muck up in Democartic Party history.

The delicioulsy poetic part of it would be that they would only have themselves to blame.

Just one more thought about all of this...

With the Dems playing the "GAY CARD", I hope that Joe and Josephine also pick up on the fact that there is no cow too sacred to sacrifice when it comes to gaining and maintaining party power.

[patriciaruth]

demonized Cleland.

Cleland is the Senator in Georgia, and Saxby Chambliss is running against him.

This race is in Montana and Baucus is the Democrat who authorized the gay smear ad.

Taylor is married and has a child.

Baucus supported some of President Bush's close votes in the Senate, and he may be getting his payback now by not having to run against a White House picked and funded candidate.

[Tall_Texan]

Dems already have that figured out. If Taylor is replaced, the Dems will scream "hypocrite" at the Pubs because the GOP faught the Lautenberg switch. Liberals have a tremendous ability to charge others with what they themselves are guilty of.

As for Racicot, I don't think he'll go for it because it would be an uphill climb and he would need to organize a write-in candidacy unless the Montana GOP pulls a Lautenberg. And how many voters in Montana can spell "Racicot"?

Marc has a cushy job now and wouldn't want to sully his name with a failed election bid.

Montanans will have to look elsewhere.

[hobbes1]

Ping

[mware]

I live in New Jersey. If the good people in Montana would like to borrow our NJ Supreme Court they are welcome to them, as long as they keep them.

[Lyford]

OK. So now I've seen the ad. And my reaction is "where's the gay-bashing?" I think it's a damn good ad, if accurate. I don't understand the fuss, and I don't understand why Taylor is dropping out because of that ad. Is it untrue? Then say so. If it isn't, he screwed up. The Republicans certainly screwed up by nominating him. They need to live with it, otherwise all of us that have been castigating the Democrats for the Torricelli/Lautenberg maneuver are just hypocrites. If the Republicans can run a write-in campaign for the next 3 weeks, great. Otherwise, they need to obey the law, and deal with the fact that they screwed up.

[grumblibear]

OK, now, what's hilarious here is the reaction to this ad, both by Taylor and his opposition.

For one, he looks about as gay as a New York Jets quarterback in the 70's. That's how everyone who had some cash dressed in those days! Just because it's the 80's when that infomercial was shot, well, that merely shows old Mike was a bit behind the times. We allow that sort of time lag for states like Montana.

The pilfering of student loan funds seems a bit more serious and of more potential concern. That Mike just folded at the ad shows he's not quite up to a national office and the attacks that will bring on. Or that the charge of misappropriation of funds is basically true.

Had Mike been truly politically savvy, he would have parlayed his new found notoriety into hitting up gay republican organizations for some sympathy funds, then used them to fight back like a man.