Ok, so the GOP had been giving Rep. Bruce Braley (D. IA) about his latest attack ad against Joni Ernst (R. IA):
http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/...
Braley’s new ad attacks Republican Joni Ernst on her claims about being able to cut spending. In a play off Ernst’s famous campaign spot about how castrating hogs gives her the ability to “cut pork” in Congress, the narrator in Braley’s ad says that when Ernst “had the chance to do something in Iowa, we didn’t hear a peep. In the state Senate, Ernst never sponsored a bill to cut pork, never wrote one measure to slash spending.”
The Democrat’s campaign spot includes an image of a baby chick as peeps are heard in the background.
“Bruce Braley has shown time and time again just how tone-deaf, elitist and offensive he is,” said Brook Hougesen, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Tim Hagle, a political scientist at the University of Iowa, tweeted, “Imagine if a GOP candidate had used a ‘chick’ in an ad against a female opponent.”
Braley’s campaign manager Sarah Benzing responded to the flap by focusing on the ad’s message.
“That we still haven’t heard a peep from state Sen. Ernst’s campaign on the substance of our ad shows just how clearly her record does not live up to the image she’s protraying on TV,” Benzing said. “The facts matter, and the thrust is state Sen. Ernst talks a lot about cutting pork, but her actions are something else entirely.”
The Ernst campaign sent out a release with links to bills Ernst co-sponsored that would impose a hiring freeze in state government and a constitutional amendment limit government spending and the ability to raise taxes. “Braley previously told the trial lawyers that if they gave him money he would be their voice in the Senate, and it’s now clear that it comes at the expense of everyone else,” said Ernst spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel. - USA Today, 6/5/14
Personally, I think Ernst and the GOP are full of shit on this issue. You can claim Braley's ad is cheesy or lame but sexist? They're just trying to make noise over nothing regarding this ad. It's a lame attempt to disprove the GOP's War On Women. Especially since Ernst is big opponent of abortion rights. But here's where that whole "sexist" argument is going to bite Ernst on the ass:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/...
Last year, the husband of Iowa Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst, her party’s nominee for Senate made his opinion known about Hillary Clinton on Facebook.
“Truly more of a hag now than when she was 1st Lady!” Gail Ernst wrote, sharing a Benghazi-related image.
Gail Ernst mostly uses his Facebook page — which is public — to rally supporters to his wife’s Senate bid. Gail Ernst is a prominent surrogate for his wife, making official campaign appearances touted on Joni Ernst’s official campaign Facebook page. He often comments on posts on his wife’s campaign Facebook page from his own.
Currently, Ernst’s campaign is attacking the Democratic nominee, Rep. Bruce Braley, for a TV ad, which features a baby chicken and attacks Ernst for “never making a peep” about government spending while in the state senate. After Republicans complained about the imagery and accused Democrats of hypocrisy, the spot generated a lot of negative media attention for Braley. - BuzzFeed, 6/9/14
By the way, the timing for this couldn't be any more perfect:
http://www.upi.com/...
A Rasmussen poll released Friday shows Ernst gaining a 1-point lead on Braley, 45 percent to 44, while a Loras College poll gives Ernst a wider advantage, 48 percent over 42 percent.
Election statistics guru Nate Silver warns that Ernst's lead may be somewhat overstated. Silver is skeptical of Rasmussen's track record and Loras College's lack of one, and writes that "candidates sometimes get a temporary bounce from the favorable publicity surrounding a primary win, which then fades." Still, he adjusted his estimate of Braley's chances for victory down to 60 percent, from 75.
And yet, it's not all bad news for Democrats. In the Loras poll, which also finds Republican Gov. Terry Branstad holding a 52-to-38 percent advantage over Democrat Jack Hatch to hold onto his office, Hillary Clinton remains by far the most popular choice in hypothetical presidential match-ups.
The poll finds Clinton holding decisive leads over Republicans Chris Christie (9-point advantage), Mike Huckabee (10 points), Paul Ryan (11 points), Jeb Bush (11 points) and Rand Paul (14 points). And with just 10 to 14 percent of voters saying they're still undecided in those potential races, Clinton's advantage in Iowa remains pretty solid. - UPI, 6/9/14
Yeah, despite the accuracy of these polls, it still makes Ernst and the GOP look stupid for attacking Braley for sexism and then her husband getting caught calling Clinton a "hag". Especially with the majority of Iowa voters preferring Clinton over any of the presumed GOP candidates. So who's the real sexist here again? Expect more of this shit on the campaign trail. Lets make sure Braley is ready to beat this nut job come November. Click here to donate and get involved with Braley's campaign:
http://www.brucebraley.com/