Now this is what I'm talking about:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The ad is backed by a significant, six-figure statewide buy, I’m told. The spot tells the story of Pryor’s own battle with cancer, and features the Senator sitting alongside his father, David Pryor:
DAVID: When Mark was diagnosed with cancer, we thought we might lose him.
MARK: My family and my faith helped me through the rough times.
DAVID: But you know what? Mark’s insurance company didn’t want to pay for the treatment that ultimately saved his life.
MARK: No one should be fighting an insurance company while you’re fighting for your life. That’s why I helped pass a law that prevents insurance companies from canceling your policy if you get sick, or deny coverage for preexisting conditions.
The spot represents an effort to shift the debate over the law away from the land of GOP talking points where it has resided so long — in this and so many other Senate races — and back to one of the fundamental moral imperatives driving health reform, i.e., protecting the sick and vulnerable from insurance industry abuse. Republicans have long sought to dominate in the anecdote war — stressing hyper-exaggerated horror stories about canceled plans and lost coverage — while refusing to acknowledge the existence of the law’s many beneficiaries. And Dems have been perhaps not engaged on this front forcefully enough, because in places where control of the Senate will be decided, pointing to the folks gaining coverage might not be compelling to the persuadable voters Obamacare has alienated.
In this ad, Pryor engages the battle over anecdotes by citing his own. Republicans have cast Pryor’s vote for the health law — and that of most other Dem incumbents — as proof they are little more than Obama stooges. This ad pushes back by personalizing Pryor’s vote — its implicit message is that it wasn’t for Obama but rather was born of Pryor’s own personal experience and a moral obligation he felt towards those who might one day endure the same.
It is also in keeping with the larger strategy of Pryor and other Democrats, who are emphasizing their personal ties to the state, and their families’ political legacies and brands (hence the appearance of Pryor’s father), to survive amid a difficult national environment. - Washington Post, 8/20/14
This a great strategy, especially in Arkansas where the uninsured rate has dropped significantly under the Affordable Care Act. Pryor knows he's in a tough race and the GOP is gunning for him big time:
http://www.newsobserver.com/...
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus touted Arkansas' role Tuesday in the party's fight to take control of the U.S. Senate, as he kicked off a series of visits to the state by national GOP figures over the next week.
Appearing with Republican Senate nominee and U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, Priebus criticized two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor as too closely aligned with national Democratic figures. The GOP needs a net gain of six seats to take control of the Senate, and Arkansas' heated Senate race is important to Republican hopes.
"If you want to stop (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid, you've got to actually fire Mark Pryor," Priebus said. "If you want to end this dysfunction in Washington, you have to fire Harry Reid. If you want better health care, better schools, you have to fire Harry Reid. You have to also retire Mark Pryor."
Priebus spoke to a group of volunteers at one of the GOP's campaign offices, appearing with 4th Congressional District hopeful Bruce Westerman and Attorney General nominee Leslie Rutledge. - News Observer, 8/19/14
But Democrats are hitting back hard at Tea Party extremist, Rep. Tom Cotton (R. AR):
http://www.katv.com/...
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee launched a new ad Tuesday, hammering Republican Senate candidate Tom Cotton over a vote he made against a funding bill for children's hospitals.
It's the second ad hitting Cotton over the issue. The new ad targets Representative Cotton's vote on a bill that passed the House in February 2013, by a vote of 352-50. According to Congress.gov, it was an appropriations bill for "children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate and medical training programs." Cotton's campaign responded with a statement from spokesman David Ray. He said, "Senator Pryor's Washington allies are doubling down on their false attacks. The truth is that no funding for Arkansas Children's Hospital was lost because of these votes, and Tom Cotton has voted repeatedly to fund pediatric research, including his strong support for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act."
The ad fires back at Cotton saying, "We can't trust him to stand up for Arkansas, or tell the truth." Cotton is running against Democratic Senator Mark Pryor, Libertarian Nathan LaFrance, and Green Party nominee Mark Swaney. - KATV< 8/19/14
Red state Democrats like Pryor aren't running away from the Affordable Care Act and they deserve our support. Click here to donate and get involved with Pryor's campaign:
http://pryorforsenate.com/
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