Varnish Remover

The Picture of Sen. Dorian Gray

When campaign strategists politely invite voters to retire an incumbent, they’re said to be “giving the opponent a gold watch.” Legacy, a spot from Democrat Elliott Close’s campaign against 95-year-old Sen. Strom Thurmond, is a 14K example of this technique. It cleverly places the still-popular politician in a time machine and gives South Carolina voters permission to ease him out of office without repudiating him.

Legacy, produced by Kevin Geddings of Geddings Communications for Elliott Close for U.S. Senate. Windows or Mac; download time, 3.5 minutes at 56K {Sound for sound only

As the camera zooms in on the liver-spotted Thurmond of the third photo, the narrator voices what must be the thoughts of his constituents by now: “We appreciate all he’s done.” But that’s not just a “thank you”; it’s a gentle “goodbye.” This is a Dorian Gray brought out of the attic of memory, aging before our eyes.

The next scene clinches the argument. It begins with a tight shot of an open book featuring two photos of Thurmond. In one, he looks as if he’s offering a farewell salute; in the other, he’s an old man working out, trying to hang on. The camera cuts away to reveal that the reader is Close, sitting in his own living room. Literally closing the book on Thurmond, Close says respectfully that this election is “about the next century, not the last one.”

As the camera zooms in on the liver-spotted Thurmond of the third photo, the narrator voices what must be the thoughts of his constituents by now: “We appreciate all he’s done.” But that’s not just a “thank you”; it’s a gentle “goodbye.” This is a Dorian Gray brought out of the attic of memory, aging before our eyes.

Back in his living room, Close promises to continue to do the one thing that everyone concedes Thurmond does well. “I, too, will provide great constituent service.”

The next scene clinches the argument. It begins with a tight shot of an open book featuring two photos of Thurmond. In one, he looks as if he’s offering a farewell salute; in the other, he’s an old man working out, trying to hang on. The camera cuts away to reveal that the reader is Close, sitting in his own living room. Literally closing the book on Thurmond, Close says respectfully that this election is “about the next century, not the last one.”

Back in his living room, Close promises to continue to do the one thing that everyone concedes Thurmond does well. “I, too, will provide great constituent service.”