Now this is a terrific political ad:
Some context: Richard Tisei spent 26 years as a Republican in the Massachusetts state legislature before running for (and losing) lieutenant governor in 2010. He’s likely to defeat 8-term incumbent John Tierney—who’s been politically damaged by a family scandal that’s included his wife’s conviction on tax fraud charges—in next week’s election.
Tisei also fits the profile of successful Republican candidates for federal or statewide office in Massachusetts: fiscally conservative (i.e., anti-tax), socially liberal (100% ratings from NARAL and Planned Parenthood), and a “nice guy”.
Dropping this ad at the end of what’s been a long and bitterly fought race, with lots of SuperPAC money poured into Boston’s expensive media market, is brilliant. It reinforces Tisei’s “nice guy-ness” and gives a sense of confidence that he’s going to win. The footage is of one of the most popular public beaches in Massachusetts’ 6th District—one that most voters in the district either have fond personal associations with, or know people who do.
If Scott Brown’s campaign had this kind of judgment (instead of spending weeks questioning Elizabeth Warren’s ancestry, and misrepresenting her work on behalf of asbestos victims), there’s a good chance Brown would be cruising to victory instead of grinding out the last days of a too-close-to-call race.
Crossposted at: http://masscommons.wordpress.com/