ATTENTION TO DETAIL…. Two new ads were released today, one targeting a Democratic congressman, the other a Republican congressional candidate. They both relate to the same issue — the recently approved House budget plan — but the differences between them tell us quite a bit.
The first is from Kathy Hochul, the Democratic candidate in the special election in New York’s 26th district. Hoping to flip the seat from “red” to “blue,” Hochul’s first television ad focuses on the message most likely to resonate.
A few Democrats might be vulnerable to attack ads based on their recent budget votes. But just about every Republican is stuck — even one who isn’t in Congress.
“Jane Corwin said she would vote for the 2012 Republican budget that would essentially end Medicare. Seniors would have to pay $6,400 more for the same coverage,” the below ad says. “But the plan Jane Corwin supports would cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans.”
It’s pretty straightforward — the House Republican budget plan is awful, GOP candidate Jane Corwin supports the House Republican budget plan, ergo, don’t vote for Jane Corwin.
The other ad is in Arkansas, targeting Blue Dog Rep. Mike Ross (D), whose district is likely to get a little tougher thanks to Republicans controlling the redistricting process. The National Republican Congressional Committee has unveiled this radio spot, going after Ross for failing to vote for a budget plan that “cuts spending.”
But that’s pretty much all it says. The Democratic ad in Buffalo talks about Medicare, health costs, and tax policy, and points to relevant details from the House GOP budget. The Republican ad in Arkansas talks about “spending,” but omits any specifics from the party’s budget plan.
The moral of the story: Democrats desperately hope voters will learn the details of the Republican plan, and Republicans desperately hope they don’t. This should tell the political world quite a bit about the relative merits of the parties’ positions.
