Congressional candidate Mia Love burst onto the national scene with her energetic speech at the Republican National Convention, pulling in more than a quarter-million dollars in donations in the three days following her address. The National Republican Congressional Committee -- the GOP campaign arm responsible for electing House Republicans -- is making a serious play in her race. I'm told they've reserved $1 million in advertising time in the Salt Lake City market through election day, and this week they're going on air with a new ad holding Love's opponent accountable for aiding and abetting the Obama/Pelosi spending binge:
In addition to the NRCC's fresh hit on Matheson (the lone Democrat in Utah's delegation) Love is also airing a positive ad closely tying her candidacy to Mitt Romney's. Considering the Utah landslide he'll enjoy in November, this is a no-brainer:
Love will be prominently featured in a new NRCC messaging push that seeks to define the broad terms of the fall election. The tag line of this effort is, "this is our America." It will both describe Republicans' positive vision for the country and criticize Democrats' Washington-focused, government-centric mindset. The digital campaign will serve to boost Republican House candidates while reinforcing the Romney campaign's "believe in America" theme. NRCC Digital Director Gerrit Lansing tells Townhall his committee plans to roll out "our America" throughout September and October. Republicans appear well-positioned to hold the House of Representatives this year, as Democrats can't even seem to agree on how many seats they'll need to win to regain a majority. (The technical number is 25, but Republican officials believe the practical threshold is closer to 35, due to redistricting and vulnerable Democratic seats). "We're confident [about holding the House], but we're not taking anything for granted," NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay says of the current landscape. He says describes the "our America" campaign as an extended final argument to voters. "This is something we see as sort of closing the game," he says. The group will unveil a series of videos showcasing high-profile Republican members and recruits, including Mia Love. "She's a candidate we believe in a lot," Lindsay says. Here's the online trailer for "this is our America:"
In addition to the striking Americana images, I appreciated the line refuting the sentiment that the national status quo is "the best we can expect." This is no straw man; it's a core element of the Obama re-election strategy, articulated by Bill Clinton at the DNC -- in essence, no one could have fixed this mess, so don't judge Obama's poor job performance too harshly. That's nonsense. Roaring economic recoveries have happened before, and they can happen again if Americans choose the right leadership.
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