Politics aside, Republican politicians are very good — in a very bad sense — at not getting permission from musicians to use their music at rallies and using stock footage that is supposed to be America but isn't.
The Marco Rubio "Morning Again in America" ad starts out with a beautiful skyline and a small boat moving in a harbor. That shot is from North Vancouver looking back to the downtown Vancouver skyline. The boat does have a small Canadian flag.
Even if Americans made it to Vancouver for the 2015 Women's World Cup or TED2014 (or TED2016 going on right now in Vancouver) or the 2010 Vancouver Olympics or the many other reasons to come to Vancouver, they don't often see the skyline from North Vancouver.
U.S. uses sun, speed to win 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
TED2014 comes to Vancouver
Colbert Report collection of 2010 Vancouver Olympics coverage
I stumbled upon the skyline on my first trip to Vancouver since I discovered that you could ride the SeaBus for free if you had a day pass anytime past 6:30 pm weekdays and all day on weekends.
I bought my breakfast in Vancouver and ate it while watching the Vancouver skyline.
If you couldn't identify this skyline as being Vancouver, and clearly the Marco Rubio campaign didn't, the building with the spaceship in the final third of the photo would be the key.
The Harbour Centre has a 360-degree viewing deck with the Revolving Restaurant. The Vancouver lookout lists the observation deck as 168 m (551 ft) above "street level." That is comparable in height to the Washington Monument and the Tour (Tower) de Montréal at Olympic Stadium.
I was up in the Harbour Centre during my first trip to Vancouver. Though this was many years ago, I recall that the views from up above were marvelous. I have to admit that the best view of Harbour Centre came from flying in a seaplane back from Victoria into Vancouver. The seaplanes don't fly too far above the Vancouver skyline and coming into downtown Vancouver was incredible.
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Donald Trump also used foreign footage last month, though his "mistake" was a lot more harmful. The voiceover referred to Mexicans coming into the United States, but the footage was Moroccans making a break for the Spanish enclave of Melilla. The implication was people trying to get into another place (United States); the people fleeing were trying to escape from where they were. The better analogy would be people in the United States fleeing to Canada if Trump gets elected this fall.
Jeb Bush’s super PAC used stock video images from England and Asia for its new video last September. Those shots weren't as obvious as to their origin.
Canadian-born Ted Cruz had to recall an ad recently when the news came out that an actress who had done "adult" films delivered the key line in the ad.
The list of Republican politicians using songs without permission, but Canadian legend Neil Young was very vocal over Donald Trump using "Rockin' in the Free World." Trump tried to pass it off by saying he didn't really like the song anyway in the manner of a 6-year-old throwing a tantrum.
Young, who is a Canadian citizen, and doesn't vote in the United States, did allow Sen. Bernie Sanders to use "Rockin' in the Free World" during his presidential campaign.
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Even though this ad didn't come from Canadian-born Ted Cruz, the current crop of GOP contenders isn't too happy or knowledgeable about Canada. And yes, we find the two coincide.
Scott Walker, who is now out of the race, thought the U.S. should explore a wall with Canada. Donald Trump keeps saying Cruz could run for prime minister, even though he can't since giving up his Canadian citizenship to run for U.S. president.
We have every confidence that Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders will have an open relationship with Canada. While we disagree on a number of other issues, Mitt Romney and John McCain understood the significance of the U.S.-Canada relationship.
Mitt Romney does know a lot about Canada, which should be necessary when running for president
Mitt Romney says Israel will be first presidential visit, not Canada
John McCain speaking in Ottawa a major deal
John McCain in Ottawa: full text of the speech
Toronto gives a warm reception to Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton drinks a Canadian whisky
Hillary's campaign song a nod to a Canadian
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photo credits: Marco Rubio/YouTube; Harbour Centre
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