One of the great things about radio, particularly in the political arena, is that it is almost ridiculously easy to produce a high-quality spot. It doesn’t take much time at all to complete a spot with a compelling message. And if you know the right person, the spot can have major star power. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) knows President Barack Obama.
Lincoln has been in a battle for months now. Resident in a swing state where the pendulum seems to be swinging heavily toward the Republican side, she has been considered my most political prognosticators to be among the most vulnerable Democratic senators this cycle. And she has eight candidates on the Republican side locking horns for the honor to run against her in November.
As if that is not enough, she is being forced to defend her right to run in a primary. Dissatisfied with her centrist views and tendency to side with Senate Republicans on some matters, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D) is attacking from the left. He is particularly concerned about Lincoln’s role in eliminating public option provisions in the controversial health care bill passed earlier this year.
However, the bill did pass eventually with her vote, and she is being rewarded with the support of Obama.
In the ad, Obama says, “Blanche is leading the fight to hold Wall Street accountable and make sure that Arkansas taxpayers are never again asked to bail out Wall Street bankers.”
Halter’s camp is not surprised, noting that a sitting president generally supports incumbents and that Obama indicated as much in this battle a couple of months ago.
