MI-Sen: GOP Consultant On Super PAC's Anti-Gary Peters (D) Ad, "It reminds me of a drug ad"

If there's one state where Republicans and right wing Super PACs have royally screwed up in terms of negative ads against Democrats.  We all remember this ad from the 2012 Election season:

Well the Super PACs look like they're on track of screwing this up again:

http://www.mlive.com/...

The first statewide television ad in Michigan's 2014 U.S. Senate race is set to go live.

Paul Mitchell, a retired businessman who currently lives in the Saginaw area, announced Wednesday that his newly-formed federal Super PAC will roll out a three-week cable campaign criticizing the track record of U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, a Democrat who is running to replace retiring Sen. Carl Levin.

The ad, which will first air Thursday on CNN and FOX News, is a parody on the state's popular "Pure Michigan" tourism campaign, highlighting Peters' support of the Affordable Care Act and ending with a familiar tagline: "Pure Washington."

"We need someone from Michigan who is going to represent Michigan, and not someone whose primary motivation appears to be to make others in the Democratic Party happy and make interest groups happy so that the Congressman can become the next U.S. Senator," Mitchell said today after showing the ads to reporters in Lansing.

The ad will first air just one day before the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, and the timing is no accident. While the spot focuses on a Democrat, Mitchell said he hopes it will motivate Republicans to get excited about the race.

However, he stopped short of endorsing Terri Lynn Land, the former Secretary of State who is the only announced Republican in the race. There may still be others "out there in the wilderness" considering a run, Mitchell said.

"Hopefully this ad evokes a conversation," he explained. "Some people say it's time to get off our hands and get engaged, either directly through a campaign -- announce they're going to run or not going to run -- and get a message out. We have a choice, and that choice is coming up on us pretty quickly." - MLive, 9/18/13

Well Mitchell's ad has certainly evoked a conversation but it's not really about the race.  It's about the ad:

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/...

One Republican political consultant in Michigan thinks the spot looks and sounds too good, in a backfiring way.

"The ad reminds me of drug ads where they tell you about all horrible possible side effects, but which are completely lost on people because they're paying attention to the warm and fuzzy visuals," Mike Murray of Okemos posts on Facebook. (He's not affiliated with any Senate candidate.)

"I see what they're trying to do . . . but the video and audio don't align. I think for the casual, disinterested viewer, they could register this ad as a PRO-Peters ad." - Deadline Detroit, 9/18/13

Going to have to agree with Murray on this.  The ad's visuals and music don't really make it come off as an attack ad.  Sure, the narrator trashes and distorts Peters record but as a filmmaker myself, I can tell you the visuals and music distract from the message.  Most attack ads use scary images and ominous music.  This ad is just pure stupid.  Of course Peters campaign isn''t taking anything for granted:

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/...

In response to the ad, Peters’ campaign manager Julie Petrick said he is running as an “independent voice” and is building a large grass-roots operation.

“The decision as to who will be our next U.S. senator belongs to the people of Michigan and cannot be bought by dark money or special interest super PACs,” she said in a statement.

Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money but must operate independently of campaigns. They must disclose their donors.

Mitchell and the ad’s creator, Jeff Timmer of The Sterling Corp., did not say how much was spent to run the ad airing for three and a half weeks. A disclosure to the Federal Election Commission is expected within days. It is less expensive to run ads on cable. - Lansing State Journal, 9/18/13

Not only is this a bad start for Republicans but the fact that they aren't excited to get behind former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R. MI) isn't a great sign.  But that won't discourage the false and misleading ads to come pouring in from outside groups.  If you would like donate or get involved with Peters campaign, you can do so here:
http://petersformichigan.com/