https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLucxBYuEjc
Political attack ads have already started to air in Maine’s 1st Congressional District race, targeting incumbent Democrat Chellie Pingree for traveling to Cuba. The ads come from the camp of Republican Ande Smith, who hasn’t even won the GOP nomination yet.
Smith’s ad, airing on two Portland TV stations and on cable, is mostly animated, similar in style to the popular animated TV show South Park.
Pingree is shown in bed, under the covers, as an aide tries to get her to respond. Pingree tells the aide to “do what leadership tells you” on big votes, adding “you can even push the button for me if you want.”
But when the aide reminds Pingree that her plane to Cuba leaves in an hour, the cartoon Pingree jumps from bed and rushes out the door, wondering if she will get to meet Fidel Castro.
Smith says Pingree is out of touch with the district and this ad, and others that will air soon, will continue to make that point.
“We thought that it was appropriate and timely to put an ad up to make sure that the people of the state of Maine were aware of what she is doing and that we’re willing to call her out,” he says.
University of Maine at Farmington political science professor Jim Melcher says he is not surprised that Smith is starting to run ads, because he is not very well known. But Melcher says it’s unusual that this first ad is an attack on Pingree, rather than message designed to introduce Smith to voters in the district.
“It’s certainly a different gambit to make your first ad be something that is more critical, saying that the incumbent is out of touch,” he says.
Smith says that he is already focused on the fall, because he believes he will easily beat GOP challenger Mark Holbrook in the June 14 primary.
“We feel that this race is one where our resources need to be spent on Chellie Pingree and this is a great opportunity to highlight why she is out of touch,” he says.
Holbrook did not respond to requests for comment.
Pingree, meanwhile, is in Cuba, and her campaign spokesman Willy Ritch says she is doing her job by helping to foster trade.
“Pingree is meeting with the U.S. ambassador this afternoon and then later with some senior Cuban negotiators as well,” he says. “She feels like this is an important part of her job and she is not going to let partisan Republican politics distract her from it.”
Ritch points out that Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine visited Cuba last summer, citing a similar mission. As for the new ads, Ritch says he doubts that many voters in the 1st District will be swayed by a cartoon.
