Two of this morning’s developments strike me as on precisely the right track, along the lines of what I posted earlier today.
First, Elizabeth Warren has a new radio ad that talks not so much about Brown in particular, as about the national Republican party in general.
Here’s the transcript, if you can’t play the video:
Announcer: Have you heard this? A Republican running for U.S. Senate in Missouri actually said a woman who was raped won’t get pregnant. Listen:
Rep. Todd Akin: If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
Announcer: This can’t be happening in 2012, right? But it’s not just one extreme candidate in Missouri; it’s part of a Republican pattern.
Just imagine if Republicans win the White House, or gain control of the U.S. Senate. Already this year, Republicans in Congress blocked legislation to ensure women get equal pay for equal work. Republicans pushed for a law that could allow employers to deny women birth control coverage. Mitt Romney said he wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood. His running mate, Paul Ryan, cosponsored legislation that could outlaw birth control pills. And if Republicans control the Senate, they decide who sits on the Supreme Court and whether we could lose Roe v. Wade.
For women, there’s a real choice in this election. Learn more at elizabethwarren.com.
This ad hits a lot of important points: Republicans are out of touch; some of them are astoundingly ignorant; they want to turn back the clock on important progress that society has made in recent decades. And if you elect a Republican, it will keep happening. All messages that need to be emphasized, particularly in light of recent events.
Second, Scott Brown is (as I said before) generally quite likable, but he does have weaknesses, and one of them is that he is surprisingly thin-skinned. Check out this hilarious video in which Brown expresses displeasure that his general election opponent would dare to talk about … wait for it … his voting record. No, I’m not kidding.
Transcript: “I think I’m pretty clear on where I stand. I don’t need Professor Warren talking or speaking or commenting on my votes.” (You can view the whole NECN story at this link.)
How perfectly ridiculous. One would think that a high-minded, “let’s talk about the issues” fellow like Brown claims to be would welcome his opponent talking about his voting record, rather than, say, “kings and queens.” But what Scott Brown really wants is a high school popularity contest, not an election. He wants to be homecoming king, not a US Senator.
In response to Brown’s comment, Warren released the following statement (email, no link):
“Scott Brown voted against equal pay for equal work. I’m going to keep talking about that.
“Scott Brown voted for the Blunt amendment to limit women’s access to birth control. I’m going to keep talking about that.
“Scott Brown supports Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan – Mitt Romney who says he wants to end Planned Parenthood and Paul Ryan who cosponsored legislation to outlaw birth control pills. You can bet I’m going to keep talking about that so the people of Massachusetts know Scott Brown’s record and where he stands — with his Republican Party against the interests of women and families in the commonwealth.
“Women and their families in Massachusetts are going to keep talking, speaking and commenting on his votes and his support for the Romney-Ryan ticket because Brown’s election could hand the Senate to the Republicans and enable them to implement their radical agenda.
“Scott Brown’s votes are on the record. His work to put Romney-Ryan in the White House and to put Republicans in control of the Senate is on the record. He has made it clear that he is part of a Republican Agenda that is harmful to women and that protects Wall Street and the big banks while it leaves working families to pick up the tab.”
Again, this is a smart approach: hit Brown for his bad votes, and, equally if not more importantly, tie support for Brown to support for the national Republican party and its extreme agenda. And use Brown’s ridiculous off-the-cuff comments to emphasize his childish reaction whenever anyone dares to take issue with his position on anything.
Everyone should assume that the last poll is right: that Brown is up 5 with under three months to go. Use that to light a fire under yourself and your friends. We’ve said all along that this will be a hard election to win. But there’s no doubt that it can be done.
danfromwaltham says
Lest we forget Brown knows all too well what it’s like to be sexually abused? If I was EW, I would not go there, like a hanging curve ball thrown by former Red Sox pitcher Bob Stanley.
David says
you want Brown to win, and the ad is effective. QED.
jconway says
Flawless ad exactly what I recommended and everything David said in this post is perfect and I agree with 100%. Tie him to his bad record, his extremist party and assume the bad polls are real and use them as motivation. Wake up progressives and admit we are losing now so we can win in November!
Christopher says
Scott Brown doesn’t call himself a Republican in his ads and the radio spot in this post didn’t either. The radio ad sounds like something that could have been produced by the DSCC and distributed for candidates nationally to simply add, “I’m…and I approved this message.”
Scott Brown’s latest TV ad ends with him saying that his experiences have made him want to help others who are trying to get ahead. My reaction was to wonder when he became a Democrat, which may be precisely his point. I’d like to see an EW ad that starts with footage of him saying that and then listing all the votes that contradict that sentiment. The email was more direct but of course is being read almost entirely by those already supporting her.
Finally, I do not think it is sufficient to simply call him a Republican as if that by itself is a vicious epithet that will turn everyone off automatically. First, there are some who favor it on the merits or like balance for its own sake. Second, Brown can use the extremists to his advantage and say basically, “Yeah, but I’m not one of those nuts,” and both perception and frankly a bit of reality will bear that out. We need to talk about specific votes that he himself has cast that would cast him in a bad light.
jconway says
Independent women are key-tie him down to his bad votes and the bad people in his party.
demeter11 says
Scott Brown has been extraordinarily successful in keeping Massachusetts voters in the dark in his record and I think it’s time for the Warren campaign to go full-tilt on educating us.
The ad is very convincing about the repub party but not Brown. So, here are tweaks that will “out” Brown:
“Republicans in Congress blocked legislation to ensure women get equal pay for equal work and Scott Brown agreed with them. Republicans pushed for a law that could allow employers to deny women birth control coverage and Scott Brown actually cosponsored that legislation.
.
Then I’d love to hear an devoted to Scott Brown voting twice to keep the big money in politics secret aka the DICLOSE Act, as well as his Wall Street donors. People realy care about this. I understand, but have not verified, that he was the deciding vote in the first Disclose act vote. If that’s true EW can really pin it on him. I’ll see if I can find out.