A new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee, attacking Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), shows the challenge that the GOP faces in trying to dislodge some of the big senior House Democrats that they’ve targeted in this seemingly Republican year. Even in an ad calling for Skelton’s defeat, they still praise his service in office.
“Ike Skelton — over three decades in office, he’s made us proud,” the announcer says. At this point, you might think it’s an ad for Skelton. But then the knife gets twisted.
“But now our country faces new and urgent problems. Massive spending, Pelosi’s stimulus, mounting debt, job-killing energy taxes — and Ike Skelton voted for them all. Ike voted with Pelosi 94% of the time. After 33 years in office, maybe it’s time for Ike Skelton to come back home.”
Will this ad be effective? Or will too many viewers just hear the “he’s made us proud” at the beginning, and tune out the rest?
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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