Brownlow is from the ultra-right Constituion Party (4.00 / 1)

and Smith is saying he's too liberal? It's pretty funny. I guess Smith is not a moderate after all.

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by: pualo @ Wed Oct 29, 2008 at 19:39:44 PM UTC

Consider the possibility (4.00 / 1)

that Smith is trying to conflate the two -- not just trick left-leaning would-be Merkley voters to maybe vote for Brownlow, but for straight up undecideds to think Merkley holds the positions he ascribes to Brownlow.

Not saying it's overt or even the main point of the ad, but people who are only half paying attention (and let's face it, an awful lot of people only pay that much attention to politics, at most, ever) might walk away saying "That guy who's running against Smith? Crazy Democrat wants to close prisons."

Just a thought.

Tim Wolfe

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by: bruorton @ Wed Oct 29, 2008 at 19:55:24 PM UTC

Brownlow stuff makes sense I think (0.00 / 0)

What Smith's campaign knows:

1. He can't afford to lose votes to a third party candidate perceived as conservative...the Obama wave is such that he needs to hold on to all conservatives and some moderates.

2. Voters, even some conservatives, want change. Brownlow is a way of expressing that without voting for Obama.

3. Therefore, attack Brownlow as too liberal to keep conservative voters from straying.

4. If it's helping Brownlow it would likely be because many voters want Bush tried for war crimes...those voters would otherwise be Merkely voters so it helps Smith to some of those votes to Brownlow.

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by: tremayne @ Wed Oct 29, 2008 at 20:08:19 PM UTC