Casting Call for West Virginia GOP Ad Called for "Hicky" Actors

A casting call for a Republican West Virginia campaign ad called for actors with a "'Hicky' Blue Collar look."

The ad "Stop Obama," produced for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, features three men in plain clothes and trucker hats sitting at a diner, complaining about President Obama and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, the state's Democratic Senate candidate.

Manchin is locked in a tight race against Republican businessman John Raese. CBS News is calling the race a toss up.

According to material provided to CBS by a Democratic source, the ad was shot at the Oregon Diner in Philadelphia. A casting call for the ad reads, "We are going for a 'Hicky' Blue Collar look. These characters are from West Virginia so think coal miner/trucker looks."

The casting call also includes wardrobe suggestions such as jeans, work boots, flannel shirt, denim shirt, "Dickie's type jacket with t-shirt underneath," "John Deer hats (not brand new, preferably beat up)," and "Trucker hats (not brand new, preferably beat up)."

It is a common practice for political parties to use actors in campaign ads, and the NRSC's independent expenditure unit contracted with a GOP consulting firm, Jamestown Associates, to produce the "Stop Obama" ad. Jamestown Associates worked with another outside talent agency in Philadelphia to produce the ad, and the NRSC provided CBS with an e-mail from Jamestown Associates with detailed casting requests that include no references to "hicky" or "blue collar" actors.

"No one at the NRSC, or associated with the NRSC, had anything to do with the language used in this casting call," NRSC spokesperson Brian Walsh said. "We do not support it, and suffice to say, we would encourage our contractors to never work with this outside agency again."

While the NRSC is limited in what it can do about an ad commissioned by the NRSC independent expenditure unit, committee officials are now looking for this ad to be taken out of rotation.

The "Stop Obama" Republican ad for the West Virginia Senate race was shot at the Oregon Diner in Philadelphia, Penn.

/ www.oregondinerphilly.com

Manchin released a statement this morning saying that Raese insulted the people of West Virginia and should immediately apologize.

"Not only have they been spending millions to try and buy this election with lies and distortions, we can now see once and for all what he and his friends really think of West Virginia and our people," he said. "It's offensive and it only proves that John Raese has spent too much time in the state of Florida, living in his Palm Beach mansion, and doesn't know, understand or respect the great people of this state, and what we stand for."

Raese was similarly criticized in a recent West Virginia News and Sentinel op-ed for showing "complete disregard for West Virginians' opinions," after the Republican candidate reportedly offered cash prizes to West Virginians who produced the most published letters to the editor about Raese.

While Manchin is a popular governor, he has struggled in the polls against Raese, apparently because of his association with national Democrats, who are unpopular in the state. Republicans say the governor has changed his position on issues, such as health care reform, for political purposes.

With respect to the "Stop Obama" ad, the NRSC's Walsh said, "While it's one thing for actors to impersonate someone they're not because it's their job, it is entirely different when a governor is doing that so he can get promoted, as we've seen Joe Manchin do in this campaign."

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CBSNews.com Special Report: Campaign 2010

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Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[Forbus56]

In its never-ending search for negative GOP stories CBS will push this silliness. But Jerry Brown calling Whitman a "*****?" Can't find it with a search warrant.

[MerrellObrian]

Don't feel bad. I'm looking for the NATIONAL story over the DADT policy on Fox and not a word!

[tsimm97]

Kluzer-there's a big difference between what was done here and telling the truth about that psycho in Nevada...you know? The one who is really you.

[Amusedbyitall]

Vote Republican West Virginia if you think your children should aspire to achieve that "hicky look."

[kluzer12]

Wow, CBS and the Democrats are not doing the same thing???? I live in Nevada and you should see how Reid is attacking Angle. This is just left wing spin to try to get the base to vote.

[jgg000101]

good grief, people desperate when they have to reach for a commercial casting sheet to try and smear an opponent. This gets more play than when joe biden called obama a clean, articulate negro who could speak in and out of the negro dialect.

[WVVic]

Sure there will be Republican spin from outside WV. You should go to www.wvgazette.com and see all the Republican spin from within WV.

[nomossonmyrocks]

Both parties do this. What better way to get the message out than to have who appear to be "everyday", "common", "average", "ordinary" or whatever description you desire, people present it. Preying on the ignorance of their constituency/people has been a common practice since the beginning of time. Hitting on buzz words and images that they know will resonate is common practice in all advertising which is what all political "ads" are, advertising. Sex, subtle hints of race/racism without being blatant, omissions all leave the reader/viewer to draw their own conclusions right or wrong. Think about it. Why would a person spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to land a job that pays a couple hundred thousand(maybe a little less) unless they are looking for a big return on their "investment". And they can't get that return unless they get into the office and they can't get there without the advertisements that are aimed at the people that will put them there.

[babooph]

I thought the modern GOP had the deliverance vote locked up already?

[WVVic]

FACT: The "hicky" insult is still not as bad as Dick Cheney's reference to "incest" in West Virginia. West Virginia hicks still voted for McCain and dozens will vote Republican again this year.

[gman16506]

Getting the hick vote is like taking candy from a baby. All you gotta say is 9-11, Jesus, illegals, WMD's, gays and you get the hick vote.
................................
kinda like getting the dem vote. All you gotta say is Wall Street, George Bush, free health care, free money

Really is this story important enough to be on a major news network site?
All kidding aside, this is a pretty weak story for either cbs, cnn or fox