West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin’s senatorial campaign released a new ad in which the Democrat is calling his Republican opponent John Raese’s policy ideas “crazy.”
The new ad, entitled “Good Message,” splices together previous statements made by Raese that Manchin has been trying to capitalize on in the tightly contested race.
“I’ve already been defeated three times. That’s a pretty good message from West Virginia, I think,” says Raese at the beginning of the ad. The new spot also features Manchin’s favorite comment made by his opponent: “I’m in the business of not providing jobs. I’m in the business of making money.”
The ad highlights Raese’s opposition to the minimum wage, his desire to abolish the Department of Education, and his insistence that “we need 1000 laser systems put in the sky.” In an accompanying email from the campaign, Manchin’s spokesperson Lara Ramsburg scoffs: “No, seriously, 1,000 lasers in the sky at a supposed cost of $20 billion.”
“John Raese’s ideas are crazy,” says a voice over.
Manchin, the popular governor of West Virginia, is fighting a tough battle against Raese. He has worked hard to distance himself from President Obama in the past weeks, and his opponent has worked hard to peg him as a “rubber stamp” for the President’s highly unpopular policies. The race is tight; one poll released last week shows Manchin leading by six points. Another, released the same day, has Raese ahead by two.