Joni Ernst started the Republican Senate primary as a little-known Iowa state senator, but this spot helped her get national attention. Ernst declares she grew up castrating hogs on a farm, so she'll know how to cut pork. Ernst then calls for cutting spending. Pretty much all the Republican contenders were talking about cutting spending, but Ernst was the only one who did it memorably: She easily won the GOP nomination, and later prevailed in the general election. It may be an exaggeration to say she owes it all to this commercial, but there's little doubt that it made a big difference.