Democrat Tammy Duckworth went on the attack against Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh on Friday, airing a TV ad calling attention to what she said were his extreme views on abortion.
The half-minute commercial, which appears to target female voters who might be more likely to support abortion rights, features a repeated video clip of Walsh saying, “I am pro-life without exception.”
A Walsh campaign spokesman did not directly respond to a question asking Walsh’s stance on abortion, but the congressman previously has indicated that he opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.
Duckworth supports abortion rights. In an email Friday, Duckworth said she does not “support any restrictions on a woman’s right to choose or her access to safe, affordable reproductive health services.”
Duckworth’s Crew should have been defining Walsh weeks ago, and further, after the debates and hearing Walsh, and Walsh’s interviews, I fear for Duckworth that this might be White Noise at this point in the game.
Oswego, as usual nails it. This is a doesn’t smell right ad for 2 reasons.
1. the dccc claimed last week she had nothing to worry about and pulled out, but now she’s going negative. This is an ad you run when you’re very worried.
2. they waited way too long to go negative on him, thinking for some reason unbenownst to people to follow this that “people would just figure it out on their own”.
- Robert the Bruce - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:27 am:
While I agree with Oswego Willy that the Duckworth campaign has screwed up by waiting until now to define Walsh (instead, they were relying on running the same biographical ad they’d run in the primary), I rate the ad itself an A. It was focused and helps the narrative that Walsh is too extreme for the district.
Duckworth repeated the same mistake Bean made in not going negative early. Why didn’t they learn from history that overconfidence allows Walsh a chance to win?
This ad is good, but I hope it’s not too little, too late.
The spot is great, a no-brainer. You could make an award-winning reel of negative spots based on Walsh’s public statements, tantrums and personal life.
They should have started running Sept. 14, not Oct. 14.
That’s one unimpressive campaign being run by Duckworth.
As others have said, this is way too late.
And her own view? No restrictions? That sure sounds like she supports elective third trimester abortions, which some find as problematic as Walsh’s position.
Where are the grown-ups on the Duckworth campaign?
Great ad, but as everyone on the planet is going to say..
“Should have defined Walsh earlier”
I almost think they had an assumption about what folks knew about Walsh that thought everyone knew about his as if the were CapFax readers and/or political junkies…
Duckworth the person, it is a cakewalk. Duckworth the managed candidate made it a race. With the press on Walsh and casting her as a moderate, did her campaign expect a downhill coast to victory?
Say, “Not all of us are going to agree when this becomes a baby, but all of us are going to agree there is a baby before the baby is born.
“Tammy Duckworth believes that mothers should be able to abort their babies up until the day they are born.
“Now, that’s extreme.”
Run text along the bottom quoting what Duckworth’s told the Tribune: “Duckworth said she does not ’support any restrictions on a woman’s right to chose or her access to safe, affordable reproductive health services.”
Now, it would take a bold Pro-Life candidate to follow this advice and there have been none sighted in Illinois.
Something like this run against Pat Quinn during the last days of the campaign would have elected Bill Brady, I believe.
Dave McSweeney went in this direction in a mailing that got delivered on Saturday that can be seen here:
Yea, the real question is why anyone wouldn’t go to great lengths to avoid a rerun of 2010 with Walsh. Being a few points down and derided as a sure loss is Walsh’s sweet spot.
With cronically high unemployment, I think people are more likely to vote based on their pocket books. I wouldn’t be advising Duckworth, Bueabien, and others to hang their hats on social issues when voters are mad about property taxes, pensions, and debt.
Spent a lot of time reading real clear politics and reviewing polling numbers and articles on national and other state polling. There seems to be a consensus in these articles that are trying to analyze these polls that independent females and single females are more focused on jobs and economic issues than issues like abortion right now, as an explanation for the dramatic numbers shifting from Obama to Romney.
If that’s the case, its too little, too late, in focusing on the wrong thing?
Good ad. Clear distinctions simply and forcefully stated.
@Allen: Good political point. I agree with you that economic issues will still dominate.
Having paid very close attention to Joe’s various misunderstandings of the global and national economy, the financial crash, the state fiscal crisis, small business realities, etc. I now even more strongly support Duckworth.
- Charlie Foxtrot - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:59 am:
The ad is hard hitting, but I think will be not be very persuasive at this point. The timing, poor state of the economy, and as Skeeter pointed out, Tammy’s position of absolutely no restrictions means this is not a 100% winning issue for her.
One other thought–I thought Tammy went negative a while back with her generic “too extreme” ad.
As a late-breaking entry to this race, abortion makes a lot of sense actually.
This is an issue that has some potential to move even some recent soft deciders for Walsh; I have no idea if it’s enough but if you’re going to define late, might as well be on abortion issues. Just ask Pat Quinn.
Early on Duckworth defined Walsh as an extremist and crazy Tea Party candidate. Hard to charge her for not failing to define Walsh negatively from the get go. It’s just a definition that didn’t stick.
Rich, I think the answer to your question just above is that Tammy didn’t have to. Joe did a great job of that all by himself at meeting after meeting and with the press.
Hey Cal, not everyone agrees a baby is a baby before it is born. And I don’t think Tammy Duckworth supports late term abortion on demand. In fact, very few people do. Late term abortions are (and should be) reserved for people who need them because there is something very, very wrong with the fetus and/or the mother’s life is in danger.
I have a friend who had one. She and her husband had already painted the nursery when she found out she wasn’t going to have a baby after all. It was devastating for this couple. Good thing it was legal though.
You may be right about her actual views, but her campaign said no restrictions.
As I noted above, it was a terrible move from a terrible campaign. Why not just say “We support a woman’s right to choose” and leave it vague? Instead, they went the extra step and said no restrictions.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:16 am:
Might be too late.
Duckworth’s Crew should have been defining Walsh weeks ago, and further, after the debates and hearing Walsh, and Walsh’s interviews, I fear for Duckworth that this might be White Noise at this point in the game.
Gotta try something, Duckworth Crew.
- mokenavince - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:16 am:
I saw it thought it was truthful.He said it and many other things I would not agree with.Notice
they indict a lot of Tea Party doctine.
- Shore - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:24 am:
Oswego, as usual nails it. This is a doesn’t smell right ad for 2 reasons.
1. the dccc claimed last week she had nothing to worry about and pulled out, but now she’s going negative. This is an ad you run when you’re very worried.
2. they waited way too long to go negative on him, thinking for some reason unbenownst to people to follow this that “people would just figure it out on their own”.
- Robert the Bruce - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:27 am:
While I agree with Oswego Willy that the Duckworth campaign has screwed up by waiting until now to define Walsh (instead, they were relying on running the same biographical ad they’d run in the primary), I rate the ad itself an A. It was focused and helps the narrative that Walsh is too extreme for the district.
- Lil Enchilada - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:45 am:
I don’t live in this district but I wish I did so I could vote against this guy.
- reformer - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:46 am:
Duckworth repeated the same mistake Bean made in not going negative early. Why didn’t they learn from history that overconfidence allows Walsh a chance to win?
This ad is good, but I hope it’s not too little, too late.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 9:58 am:
The spot is great, a no-brainer. You could make an award-winning reel of negative spots based on Walsh’s public statements, tantrums and personal life.
They should have started running Sept. 14, not Oct. 14.
- Skeeter - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:11 am:
That’s one unimpressive campaign being run by Duckworth.
As others have said, this is way too late.
And her own view? No restrictions? That sure sounds like she supports elective third trimester abortions, which some find as problematic as Walsh’s position.
Where are the grown-ups on the Duckworth campaign?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:12 am:
- wordslinger -, again, capsulized my thoughts far better than I did.
BTW, thanks - shore -.
- OneMan - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:25 am:
Great ad, but as everyone on the planet is going to say..
“Should have defined Walsh earlier”
I almost think they had an assumption about what folks knew about Walsh that thought everyone knew about his as if the were CapFax readers and/or political junkies…
- Sideliner - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:26 am:
Duckworth the person, it is a cakewalk. Duckworth the managed candidate made it a race. With the press on Walsh and casting her as a moderate, did her campaign expect a downhill coast to victory?
If she loses, her staff has a lot to answer for.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:28 am:
Can we fence that district in and not let anyone out until they come to their senses? Who could vote for Joe Walsh? Even if you agreed with him.
- Cal Skinner - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:33 am:
Picture a bold Pro-Lifer’s response.
Run a video of a baby developing.
Say, “Not all of us are going to agree when this becomes a baby, but all of us are going to agree there is a baby before the baby is born.
“Tammy Duckworth believes that mothers should be able to abort their babies up until the day they are born.
“Now, that’s extreme.”
Run text along the bottom quoting what Duckworth’s told the Tribune: “Duckworth said she does not ’support any restrictions on a woman’s right to chose or her access to safe, affordable reproductive health services.”
Now, it would take a bold Pro-Life candidate to follow this advice and there have been none sighted in Illinois.
Something like this run against Pat Quinn during the last days of the campaign would have elected Bill Brady, I believe.
Dave McSweeney went in this direction in a mailing that got delivered on Saturday that can be seen here:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2012/10/14/mcsweeney-responds-to-beaubien-pounding-on-abortion-issue/
Also related to abortion, a Catholic Church in Crystal Lake went all in on Obama last weekend:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2012/10/15/crystal-lakes-st-thomas-parishioners-get-handout-like-none-they-have-ever-seen/
- Confused - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:39 am:
Yea, the real question is why anyone wouldn’t go to great lengths to avoid a rerun of 2010 with Walsh. Being a few points down and derided as a sure loss is Walsh’s sweet spot.
- Allen Skillicorn - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:42 am:
With cronically high unemployment, I think people are more likely to vote based on their pocket books. I wouldn’t be advising Duckworth, Bueabien, and others to hang their hats on social issues when voters are mad about property taxes, pensions, and debt.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:48 am:
Spent a lot of time reading real clear politics and reviewing polling numbers and articles on national and other state polling. There seems to be a consensus in these articles that are trying to analyze these polls that independent females and single females are more focused on jobs and economic issues than issues like abortion right now, as an explanation for the dramatic numbers shifting from Obama to Romney.
If that’s the case, its too little, too late, in focusing on the wrong thing?
- walkinfool - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:53 am:
Good ad. Clear distinctions simply and forcefully stated.
@Allen: Good political point. I agree with you that economic issues will still dominate.
Having paid very close attention to Joe’s various misunderstandings of the global and national economy, the financial crash, the state fiscal crisis, small business realities, etc. I now even more strongly support Duckworth.
- Charlie Foxtrot - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 10:59 am:
The ad is hard hitting, but I think will be not be very persuasive at this point. The timing, poor state of the economy, and as Skeeter pointed out, Tammy’s position of absolutely no restrictions means this is not a 100% winning issue for her.
One other thought–I thought Tammy went negative a while back with her generic “too extreme” ad.
- ZC - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 11:42 am:
As a late-breaking entry to this race, abortion makes a lot of sense actually.
This is an issue that has some potential to move even some recent soft deciders for Walsh; I have no idea if it’s enough but if you’re going to define late, might as well be on abortion issues. Just ask Pat Quinn.
- Cal Skinner - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 12:11 pm:
And ask Bill Brady, who acted like a pinata when attacked on abortion.
- Wumpus - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 12:35 pm:
No worries, they wil get the campaign right in 2014 against Dold (with a d)
- Bill Baar - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 1:01 pm:
Early on Duckworth defined Walsh as an extremist and crazy Tea Party candidate. Hard to charge her for not failing to define Walsh negatively from the get go. It’s just a definition that didn’t stick.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 1:02 pm:
===Early on Duckworth defined Walsh as an extremist and crazy Tea Party candidate.===
Where and how?
- Ellen Beth Gill - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 2:01 pm:
Rich, I think the answer to your question just above is that Tammy didn’t have to. Joe did a great job of that all by himself at meeting after meeting and with the press.
- Charlie Foxtrot - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 2:03 pm:
Rich, you billed this as “This is the first negative ad by Tammy Duckworth”:
https://capitolfax.com/2012/10/04/duckworth-goes-up-with-contrast-ad/
It wasn’t early, but it was 11 days ago.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 2:06 pm:
That was a contrast ad. This one is all out negative.
lol
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 3:07 pm:
Hey Cal, not everyone agrees a baby is a baby before it is born. And I don’t think Tammy Duckworth supports late term abortion on demand. In fact, very few people do. Late term abortions are (and should be) reserved for people who need them because there is something very, very wrong with the fetus and/or the mother’s life is in danger.
I have a friend who had one. She and her husband had already painted the nursery when she found out she wasn’t going to have a baby after all. It was devastating for this couple. Good thing it was legal though.
- Skeeter - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 3:16 pm:
Cheryl, her statement said no restrictions.
You may be right about her actual views, but her campaign said no restrictions.
As I noted above, it was a terrible move from a terrible campaign. Why not just say “We support a woman’s right to choose” and leave it vague? Instead, they went the extra step and said no restrictions.
- OneMan - Monday, Oct 15, 12 @ 4:42 pm:
Ellen…
You are giving voters too much credit, if TV ads and mailers didn’t define candidates there would not be millions upon millions spent on them.