I always thought the Iowa U.S. Senate race was kind of a snoozer but thanks to a crowded GOP primary, it just became quite entertaining:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
For her first television advertisement of her U.S. Senate campaign, Republican Joni Ernst is going with a porcine theme.
"I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm. So when I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork,"Ernst says in the ad. "Washington's full of big spenders. Let's make 'em squeal."
Ernst, a 43-year-old state senator from the southwest Iowa town of Red Oak, wants to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin. She's one of five GOP candidates - all of whom are struggling to gain a foothold in the race. A recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll showed nonehas made much of an impression in GOP circles, and the June 3 primary vote is fast approaching.
On Monday, statistician Nate Silver wrote on his website that Iowa Democrats have a 75 percent probability of holding onto Harkins seat. Silveraccurately predicted the outcome in every state in the 2012 presidential race. U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley of Waterloo is the lone Democrat seeking the Iowa seat.
On the GOP side, Ernst is competing againsta wealthy former Texas utilities company executive,Mark Jacobs, who began spending money for radio, network TV and cable TV ads before Christmas. Despite that advertising, the Register's poll a month ago found that 67 percent of voting-age Republicans in Iowa were still unsure of who Jacobs is. Three other competitors -- Des Moineslawyer Matt Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney; Sam Clovis, a Sioux City-area conservative radio talk show host and college professor; and Ames car dealership manager Scott Schaben -- have not yet done any advertising, a key to boosting voters' familiarity with a candidate. - Des Moines Register, 3/25/14
Little more info about the add:
http://atr.rollcall.com/...
Operatives in the Hawkeye State said the ad’s peculiar nature is Ernst’s way of gaining media attention for her bid, which has thus far been overshadowed by one of her GOP primary opponents, wealthy businessman Mark Jacobs.
Jacobs began putting ads up on Iowa radio and television late last year — spots backed largely by his own personal wealth.
The other candidates in the June 3 primary include radio show host Sam Clovis, former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker and Navy veteran Scott Schaben. But if no candidate garners at least 35 percent of the primary vote, the field proceeds to a nominating convention, where GOP activists will decide who gets the party’s nod.
The GOP nominee will face Rep. Bruce Braley, the de-facto Democratic nominee.
Iowa’s Senate race is rated a Leans Democrat contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call. - Roll Call, 3/25/14
Little more info about Ernst:
http://thehill.com/...
Ernst, a state senator and military veteran who is being quietly backed by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), is facing a crowded GOP field for the nomination. Self-funding businessman Mark Jacobs (R) has been on the air for months and has led in early primary polls, though that's likely driven by his cash advantage more than anything else.
The ad is initially just running on cable in Des Moines, according to her campaign, but a spokesman says the ad buy will expand in the coming weeks.
Republicans are hopeful they can coalesce around a a candidate and defeat Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) in the fall to win retiring Sen. Tom Harkin's (D-Iowa) seat. - The Hill, 3/25/14
Ernst's campaign has been endorsed by failed 2012 presidential candidate, Mitt Romney (R. MA). So what does Ernst's peculiar ad intend on doing?
http://time.com/...
Not only does she remove pig testicles, she smiles talking about it. The gender politics behind the spot—Ernst would join only four other female Republicans in the Senate if she wins—are both bold and hilarious. In a city of broken down men, she tells voters, it will take a woman with a knife to fix things. “Let’s make ‘em squeal,” she announces. And at that point she is no longer talking about pigs, at least not of the livestock type.
Ernst, a state legislator and veteran of the 2003 Iraq war, is running in a crowded field of Republicans, which includes Mark Jacobs, the former CEO of Reliant Energy, who has so far not disclosed any pig-slicing expertise. Whoever wins the primary, however, is expected to have a tough time beating Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley. A March 13 Quinnipiac poll found Braley with double-digit leads over most of his possible GOP opponents.
But then that was before the pigs started to squeal. - Time Magazine, 3/25/14
We shall see. Of course whoever wins the GOP nominee will get the Koch Brothers backing. The Kochs have already been running attack ads against Braley but Braley is one of the Democrats getting help from environmental groups:
http://blogs.wsj.com/...
An alliance of clean-energy groups is launching a $5 million campaign of issue ads and an 11-state grassroots effort on Monday in support of three Democratic Senate candidates who have been attacked in ads from Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group supported by the conservative Koch brothers.
Several green groups including the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Sustainable Business Council Action Fund, will pay for $2.5 million in TV and digital issue ads supporting embattled Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina, and Senate candidates Rep. Gary Peters of Michigan and Rep. Bruce Braley of Iowa.
The TV ads will run for two weeks, said communications consultant David Di Martino, who is working with the green alliance.
The $2.5 million field campaigns cover 11 states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado and Montana, and continue to the November election. Funders include the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Wildlife Federation. The grassroots effort will involve phone calls, leafleting, knocking on doors and local events, according to Mr. Di Martino.
Democratic lawmakers and fundraisers have been fretting in recent weeks that they won’t be able to match conservative groups’ outside spending in the midterm elections. The new green campaign was planned to help belay some of those fears.
“While we may be drastically outspent,” by conservatives, said Mr. Di Martino, “This is just the tip of the spear of what our groups are willing to do for clean energy leaders.”
This is the second major push by Democratic groups in the past week to respond to a wave of ads from Americans for Prosperity and its allies. The Senate Majority PAC is spending $3 million to launch campaign ads in Colorado, North Carolina and several other states, saying that Republicans want policies that help the Kochs and other billionaires. - Wall Street Journal, 3/24/14
If you would like to donate or get involved with Braley's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.brucebraley.com/