Even before their Super Bowl ad blitz began last week, I had occasionally been checking out Hulu.com.  Mainly, because you can watch full episodes of Silver Spoons.

But they also have a channel that should appeal to political dorks, too.  Check out this channel, which compiles a lot of the most famous political ads in one place.  You can see Lyndon Johnson’s famous “Daisy” ad, which implies we will all die via nuclear missile if Barry Goldwater  were elected. You may remember that this ad aired during an era when everyone in politics got along just fine and members of political parties were best friends.  This is in stark contrast to the horrifying ads of today, where candidates accurately point out that their opponents support expensive universal health care plans.  Have politicians today have no shame?

In any event, the ad that struck me the most was this 1978 ad from one Richard Cheney of Wyoming, who was seeking a congressional seat.  What’s amazing was that even in 1978, future Vice President Cheney spent a large chunk of his campaign trying to convince people that he was fully recovered from a heart attack he suffered.   In fact, the ad features Cheney talking to a group of people out on a lawn about his heart troubles – he goes on to list several people who have run for office after suffering a heart attack. This just seems bizarre – it indicates that his opponent, a guy named Bill Bailey, may have been pushing the “Cheney might die in office” angle as a campaign talking point.  In any event, here’s the ad: