Louisville, KY -
By Elizabeth Donatelli - bio | email
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - With just four weeks to go until Decision 2010, the election will send a clear message to Washington. The voters either want more of the same or new leaders. Republicans are banking that voters want change, which is why their opponents aren't only the Democrats in their ads.
Republicans aren't focusing on the issues as much as they're comparing their opponents to liberal politicians in Washington.
"When Obama and Pelosi cut hundreds of billions from medicare Conway still said yes," said the narrator in an ad for Republican US Senate candidate Rand Paul.
Republicans across Kentuckiana are focusing on linking their opponents to President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It's a strategy used by politicians in past elections.
"Back after the Civil War republicans were trying to tie democratic presidential candidates to the atrocities of the Civil War," said Joe Wert, political science professor at Indiana University Southeast.
"Baron Hiill - we gave him a second chance," began an anti-Hill ad. "What did he do? Voted with Nancy Pelosi 87 percent of the time."
Baron Hill is the democrat running for re-election in Indiana's 9th district.
"The policies of John Yarmuth and Nancy Pelosi are failing," the narrator said in an ad for Republican Todd Lally running for Kentucky's third district.
Both southern Indiana and Louisville have Democratic representatives. Wert said comparing opponents to liberal Democrats will probably be more effective in Indiana's ninth district, which is more conservative.
"Where you're not seeing that strategy is in the third congressional district in Kentucky, in Louisville, where the incumbent Democrat John Yarmuth is particularly popular," said Wert.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul's also pointed out similarities between his opponent - Democrat Jack Conway - to Obama on a debate that aired nationally on Fox News.
"Jack supports - President Obama supports - the new banking regulation," said Paul.
Wert says one race has had good ads and that's the Louisville mayor's race. He said both sides have been positive, which will be effective if both remain positive.
Copyright 2010 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WAVE, a Raycom Media Station. 