Bringing a doting mother into your political ads probably is not the best idea, and constantly talking about how tough you are seems to be a pretty narrow approach to making your case…
POLITICAL ADS can tell you a story, but I have to think it’s not always one the candidates intended.
Take Jared Solomon, for instance. He is running, in a crowded primary, for Pennsylvania Attorney General on the Democrat ticket. His initial ads focused on two points – the National Rifle Association gave him an “F” and Planned Parenthood gave him an “A.” Well, OK.
But then came his most recent ad, which has to rank as one of the most cringe-worthy ever produced. As one social media poster said “it made me want to throw up in my mouth.” Hard to disagree.
Solomon’s ad features him and his mother. I can’t really capture its cringe factor in words, so here is a link. What on earth were you thinking, Jared? I’d say this is one of the most ill-advised ads I’ve ever seen. Take a peek and let me know if you’d vote for him based on this…
On a more serious note, I’ve been watching Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick’s early ads in what will be a November race between him and incumbent Democrat Bob Casey.
For those with short memories McCormick ran two years ago against Dr. Oz, and lost. Oz subsequently lost to Democrat John Fetterman. That election featured two “carpetbaggers.” Both McCormick and Oz were challenged on whether they actually lived in Pennsylvania. Oz did rent a house near Philly, supposedly, and McCormick rented a house in his native Northeast PA.
Now that McCormick is back for a second sip from the cup, the carpetbagger issue is back. Apparently, he owns a home in Connecticut, where his daughters are in high school and that shows up as his residence. But, while those accusations may raise questions of what state he really is loyal to, legally they do not matter. The law does not require a candidate to live in the state, but he or she must live there when elected. So, theoretically, the candidate could move into the state on election day.
WHAT HAS CAUGHT my attention, more than the residency issue, is the content of his early ads. Folks who remember the last election might recall Dave was big on macho, running ads and pictures of him with guns, traipsing through hunting fields with his buddies.
It would appear he is ramping up the macho bit this time around, which leads me to wonder who he is trying to appeal to. One ad touts his time at West Point and how that toughened him up. To be sure, anyone who puts in four years at one of our military academies and serves the country gets a “hats off” to me. But in the political context, what does that have to do with serving in the U.S. Senate in a “tough” sense? Discipline, yes. Ability to manage a crisis? Sure. But I am failing to connect the dots to work in the Senate.
Another add features his time as a high school wrestler in eastern PA. He talks about how you have six minutes to win a match and how that experience has made him “Pennsylvania hard.” McCormick did wrestle four years at West Point, gaining a lot of honors. But again, I’m struggling to find how that sort of toughness is a core qualification for service in a law-making body.
McCormick’s ads also hammer the other 99 Senate members he’d be serving with if elected. They are “career politicians,” he charges. He says they won’t do the “hard work” because they are “soft and selfish.” Well, lots of luck working with them on legislation if you are elected, Dave.
Bob Casey, first elected in 2007, has been running ads that contrast starkly with McCormick’s. Casey doesn’t talk about how tough he is, how selfish and soft his fellow senators are. Instead, he talks seriously in his ads about legislation, past and future, he’s involved with. He actually talks about what a senator does.
Which leads me to wonder, what is it about Pennsylvania Republicans that, at the Senate level at least, they can’t seem to come up with actual long-time candidates who are residents? Why is it all they offer up is Dr. Oz, who was long on media skills but short on any substance, and McCormick, who made most of his money in the investment business and now is a multi-multi-multi-millionaire and is funded by a who’s who of far-right donors?
All this also makes me wonder what is wrong with Republicans that they feel they have to run on “toughness?” If you look at McCormick’s resume, he has a lot of experience that could translate to the Senate, even if you disagree with his political philosophy. He has an engineering degree from West Point, combat experience, a doctorate from Princeton in international relations and served in multiple capacities with President George Bush. But, it all comes down to “toughness?”
It almost looks like McCormick has decided to focus solely on the stool-sitters down at the corner bar. I suppose there are some women who will respond to the” machoness” of his ads, but I have to wonder in 2024 if that is the best way to reach the female 50-percent plus of the vote, or young people?
From where I sit, Bob Casey early on is looking like the serious professional with a grasp of the job, while McCormick…well, I’m not sure what McCormick has a grasp of. As for Jared Solomon, oh no. Not in a million years, Jared.
Rich Heiland, has been a reporter, editor, publisher/general manager at daily papers in Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and New Hampshire. He was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team at the Xenia Daily (OH) Daily Gazette, a National Newspaper Association Columnist of the Year, and a recipient of the Molly Ivins First Amendment Award from the Walker County (TX) Democrat Club. He taught journalism at Western Illinois University and leadership and community development at Woodbury College in Vermont. Since 1995 he has operated an international consulting, public speaking and training business specializing in customer service, general management, leadership and staff development with major corporations, organizations, and government. Semi-retired, he and his wife live in West Chester, PA. He can be reached at heilandrich1@gmail.com.