LD17 Ad Watch

Jesse Hernandez and Mark Thompson, two of the three Republican candidates for the legislature in LD17, have teamed up to air a campaign spot bashing State Senator Meg Burton-Cahill and State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira.

"Bashing" is all that it is, too. It seems to be all that the Republicans have this year.

And this being an election year and all, that wouldn't normally rate a blog post. Attack ads aren't exactly unheard-of during even numbered years.

However, this spot is so cheesy and sloppily insulting that it is less campaign rhetoric and more schoolyard taunts.

The spot begins by showing three crudely drawn mouse figures with the faces of Burton-Cahill, Ableser and Schapira pasted on them while something resembling the song "Three Blind Mice" plays in the background.

The spot first captured my attention when I heard it playing on a cable news channel.

They absolutely massacred the pronounciation of Ed Ableser's last name, making it sound like it is spelled "Ablazzarrr."

I was going to poke a little fun at them for making such a bush-league mistake as not getting their opponent's name right, but after watching the entire ad, I'm not so sure it was a mistake.

Moments later the mouse bearing Senator Burton-Cahill's face is pictured losing her balance, and with her cane flailing, falling over the edge of whatever she is standing on (the artwork for the spot is *really* low-grade).

It seems to be a clear jab at her medical issues involving her ankle. She spent much of last year hobbled by that ankle and needed a cane for support.

Deliberately mispronouncing one opponent's name and making fun of another's medical problems? Are they adults running for public office or for punk kids running for recess bully?

Sheesh...

Anyway, another curious thing that I've noticed beyond this spot is the teaming up of Hernandez and Thompson on signage (as well as this spot) while their fellow Republican candidate Wes Waddle is all but frozen out. I'm not sure what is going on there, but I almost titled this post "Whither Wes Waddle?" if only for the alliterative effect. :)

However, the post isn't really about him, and the actual title, while incredibly boring, describes the content of the post far more accurately.

Later!