Fresh off the weekend’s big news of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney naming Paul Ryan to be his Vice Presidential running mate, two ads by Romney for President and the Republican National Committee are hitting the air waves to show the clear contrast between this team and Obama-Biden.
Painting now in Reagan’s famous “bold colors”, Republicans are making clear that this campaign will now be about ideas and a vision for the country’s future as opposed to smear tactics and sensationalism from the left. Obama once argued that he wanted to have such a campaign – we’ll see about that.
Regardless, the first ad from Romney/RNC is “Long History.”
I’ll admit, when I first watched the ad, I considered it not very uplifting. But then again, it wasn’t supposed to be. It’s not uplifting because it shows in clear terms that Obama does have a “long history” of opposing work for welfare.
It shows Obama’s record against the positive value of work.
One works to support ones self or family, to be part of a team, to have a sense of self-worth, to feel part of the community. This ad focused on Obama and his record, but not on our shared sense of American values – hard work, determination, and individual success, that is, ultimately, celebrated by us all.
I am presuming future ads will – but with the Obama campaign getting ready to hammer Romney-Ryan over ‘mediscare’, it is understandable that the R & R campaign came out swinging.
The second ad is the more visionary ad.
Beginning with the introduction of Paul Ryan as Romney’s running mate, the ad is meant to show that we need to change course and elect new leadership in November.
Entitled “Big Solutions”, this ad discusses not only the abysmal Obama record of skyrocketing deficit and plummeting wages, but wants you to take away that Romney-Ryan will be offering solutions that are “bold, specific, and achievable.”
Taking words from both Romney and Ryan’s speech in Norfolk, the ad shows the depth of commitment – the sense of duty – that both Romney and Ryan have to the American people and the American dream, as well as their desire to see our country once again prosperous and growing.
The ad is very deliberate in having Ryan be the attack dog – going after Obama and ‘leaders’ in Washington that “drag their feet” and fail to make the tough decisions necessary to govern, whereas Romney is clearly the positive, uplifting visionary.
