Democrats have criticized Scott Walker's TV ad "Fighter." The Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor accuses Democratic rival Tom Barrett of "throwing punches at me." Then he puts on a pair of boxing gloves and vows to "go the distance as your next governor."
The problem with this physical-attack imagery is that Barrett himself suffered a well-publicized physical attack last year at the Wisconsin State Fair. As he tried to help a woman protect her grandchild, an assailant bashed his mouth, face and hand with a metal object. Barrett required multiple surgeries, and his hand may never heal.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party called the ad "tasteless," and it's hard to argue with that assessment. If you were running against a man who'd just been severely beaten, would you go on the air suggesting that you wanted to take a whack at him too?
If "tasteless" applies, so does "idiotic." Walker simply looks like a fool as he smacks his big red boxing gloves together and puts his hands on his hips like a would-be tough guy. Even worse, he pushes his chin forward, offering a perfect target for a knockout blow. No boxer ever "went the distance" with a chump move like that.
Isthmus TV critic Dean Robbins will assess candidate commercials throughout the 2010 fall elections. Read more reviews of political campaign spots.