Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell doesn’t yet have a serious opponent as he runs for re-election, but his campaign on Thursday released a dramatic campaign video produced by a well-known political filmmaker.
The ad, called the “The American Ideal,” was made by the acclaimed filmmaker Lucas Baiano, known for his signature Hollywood-style campaign videos for former presidential candidates like Tim Pawlenty, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. It includes remarks made by McConnell at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07SxpNsYZSs“Our view is that this is a presidential-level campaign,” a source close to the campaign told The Daily Caller, “so McConnell is using a presidential quality video to define his views and the best of the Republican Party.”
Those who have seen Baiano’s videos before will recognize similar elements in the McConnell video. In 2011, the Huffington Post described Baiano’s style as using, “stirring music that builds and builds; sound effects more often heard in feature film previews; perhaps most distinctively, a cinematographic style that mixes off-center head shots with herky-jerky behind the scenes moments, spliced with the clever use of iconographic historical footage, all edited so that the images come flying at you at a breakneck speed, providing an energy that combines with a more rhythmic overall pacing.”
“In short, it could be a political ad, but it could also be a trailer for something like ‘Independence Day.’”
McConnell’s video comes after a host of Democrats – including actress Ashley Judd – have opted not to campaign against the Senate minority leader. Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has told reporters she is considering a run.
“Senator McConnell is leading our Conservative Comeback. He knows that if we stick to our principles and lead with a clear, strong voice, the country fill follow,” campaign manager Jesse Benton said. “As Mitch says, we own the conservative principles that made America great. We can reclaim those ideals and get our country back on track.”
UPDATE: In an email to TheDC, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Justin Barasky responded to the video by saying, “Not even Steven Spielberg could direct a film that could make Mitch McConnell look good.”
“No senator in the country is more unpopular with his or her constituents than Mitch McConnell, so it’s unlikely that the team who couldn’t propel Tim Pawlenty ahead of Herman Cain or Michelle Bachman is going to do the trick,” Barasky said.