Monday, March 20, 2006

Campaign Ad Season Already?

Buried in the Boston Herald's story about yesterday's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast is this nugget of information:

Independent candidate Christy Mihos was vacationing with his family yesterday, and did not attend. But spokesman David White said he will begin airing radio ads today "in the same vein" as the roast.
Now, I know Mihos needs to get his poll numbers and name recognition up, but it's March. The election is eight months away. Do people really want to be subjected to eight months worth of campaign ads? Most people think that campaigns are too long as it is.

Am I wrong? Maybe this is a smart move by Mihos to get his side of the story out as early as possible. Personally, though, I think that running an attack ad -- and what else would be "in the same vein" as the roast? -- this early could do as much to turn people off as help his cause. Let me know if you hear the ad and what you think.

Update: Jon Keller has a link to the ad's audio on his blog (which is great by the way -- the blog, not the audio). The Mihos campaign also put out a press release today with the full text of the commercial:
Comedian Steve Sweeney: Welcome fellow politicos and assorted power brokers to the annual St. Patrick's day breakfast, or, as we're calling it this year, "Greek on a Skewer!"

Here's a short top o' the mornin' to you, and I do mean short: Christy Mihos! Somebody says gyros to him, he thinks they said hero, the next thing you know he's decided to run for Governor!

Christy thinks the Big Dig should work just because it came in about $10 billion over budget. Hey, funny, you'd think a convenience store clerk would know a little somethin' about markup!

Version 1: And what's this Proposition 1 thing he keeps talking about? Prop 1 -- Isn't that the name of your boat, Senator?

Version 2: Hey, speakin' of the Big Dig: Just wakin' up from a ten-year nap to sue the Big Dig, Rip Van Reilly! Good morning, Tommy!

Female Announcer: When the good-old-boy politicians get together, it's the people of Massachusetts who end up paying for their jokes. There's a way you can have the last laugh: Declare your independence. Vote Christy Mihos for Governor.
According to Adam in the comments, it aired after Keller's report on WBZ about the roast. To me, it still smacks of "I didn't want to come to your party anyway," but maybe after watching that whole thing yesterday my tolerance for this sort of thing is completely diminished.