You can learn a lot about campaigns by the ads that they run, and from the latest campaign ads let loose in the Iowa 3rd Congressional District race it seems like incumbent Congressman Leonard Boswell is in trouble.
Watch Boswell’s ad released last week:
Now watch the two ads that State Senator Brad Zaun released yesterday:
In the Boswell ad there was not any context for the accusations made against Zaun. Ironically that ad shows that Boswell is out-of-touch with mainstream Iowans who are struggling financially. Struggling to pay bills doesn’t always mean you lack a sense of personal responsibility – it means you don’t have any money in the checking account! Zaun is a small business owner, he knows what it is like to have to make a payroll. Because of that experience and experiencing financial hardship himself, Zaun connects with voters. It is obvious that Congressman Boswell has been in Washington, DC too long. Since when does experiencing financial hardship disqualify one for public office? Brad Zaun has served with distinction and honor as a city council member, Mayor, and State Senator. He did that in addition to running a business.
More importantly while Zaun’s ads come after Boswell, they focus on his record and issues at hand. Why doesn’t Boswell’s ad do the same? Why does he instead try to smear Zaun’s character? Because he can’t win on the issues, plain and simple. He’s in trouble, so now he’s playing dirty. It makes you wonder if his internal polling shows the same thing that Brad Zaun’s shows – a sinking ship.
