Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) “danged fence” ad was widely panned earlier this year, but his more recent “huckster” television spot is attracting rave reviews.
McCain’s ad labeled former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) a “huckster” for appearing in an infomercial for a company that promised customers “free money” grants from the government.
McCain’s ad was rated the most effective in a survey of political insiders Wilson Research Strategies conducted for The Hill.
“The McCain campaign’s ad attacking J.D. Hayworth was the strongest across the board,” said Alexander Brunk, who directed the survey for Wilson Research Strategies.
As part of an ongoing feature called Air War, the group e-mails campaign or issue ads to survey participants, who view the ads and rate their effectiveness on several criteria.
“Respondents of all political parties felt like it [McCain’s “huckster” ad] was memorable and effective,” Brunk said.
In May, Republicans and Democrats bashed McCain’s “danged fence” ad, in which the Arizona senator called for the completion of a border barrier that he had previously criticized. Joe Scarborough, a former Republican lawmaker and now MSNBC host, mocked the TV spot on his “Morning Joe” show.
While the “danged fence” ad arguably is more memorable than the “huckster” ad, the “huckster” ad has had more of an impact.
A poll conducted after the ads went up on the air showed McCain pulling ahead of Hayworth.
McCain got 64 percent of the test vote, compared to only 19 percent for Hayworth, in a Rocky Mountain Poll by the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center released last week. Surveys from before the ads started airing in June showed Hayworth trailing by around 10 points.
McCain’s advertising is being produced by California-based Republican consultant Fred Davis.
No comments:
Post a Comment