Republican Angle delivers deal-closer TV ad

In an election year where many political commercials resembled movie trailers in production value and targeted impact, the U.S. Senate candidates in Nevada are delivering some of their final messages via television ads.

Republican Sharron Angle released what she called her "closing ad" last Thursday. It carried the GOP message of the fall: Efforts by President Barack Obama and Sen. Harry Reid to deliver change instead have produced misery, and "now it's our turn."

As of Friday, Reid had not indicated a commercial message as his deal-closer. During the week, he released several television ads. The themes echoed his campaign-long mantra that Angle's positions are "extreme."

In the most recent ad that was released on Friday, the incumbent stepped up the criticism a notch and made it more personal: In contrast to his standing as a "fighter" for Nevada, she is a "pathological" liar about Reid and where she wants to take the country.

Of course, written descriptions can't do justice to the tableau of sounds, colors, images and editing techniques that are crucial to determine the effectiveness of the ad.

Rich Hanley, graduate journalism director at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., said most candidates want to convey a message that will stick with voters as they enter the booth: "If you vote my opponent, your lives will change negatively."

-- Steve Tetreault

Political Eye asked Hanley to critique several of the late ads.

On Angle's "Our Turn" ad: Hanley said the commercial, which is dark and foreboding and presents messages of economic despair against a background of cracked glass, "has a certain horror film trailer aesthetic to it in the way the images were quick cut and the sense of menace that accompanies each piece of information."

"It certainly grabs your attention as a good movie trailer would, but with a caveat that it's way over the top. It would be more laughed at, or shrugged off, than actually be effective. It looked like it tried too hard to paint menace."

On Reid's "Sharron Angle's Nevada" ad: "Angle's commercial was about menace, and this one is about fear," Hanley said.

At various points and to an eerie tinkling piano soundtrack, it depicts an empty playground swing, a casket being carried to a grave, and CityCenter going dark, all the supposed consequences of Angle's positions.

"It shows a casket and essentially says if Angle is elected you are going to die of cancer," Hanley said. "In the advertising world, sex and death sells and this one goes straight to death."

Hanley said the Reid spot was more effective.

"It really hits what he is trying to hit," he said.

On Reid's "Running" ad: Hanley said this commercial sets out to contrast Reid and Angle in direct and personal terms. Through various techniques, its message is that Reid is a good guy and Angle is unhinged.

In bold block lettering it associates her with the word "pathological" -- twice.

The ad "looks cluttered in places," Hanley said. "As it makes its case against her, it loses its visual coherence."

The images that reference Angle are crackly and tinted blue, and the spot recruits video of commentator Jon Ralston saying Angle "twisted the truth" and has done so "this entire campaign."

By contrast, Reid is bathed in sunlight as the narrator says he "worked his way up and never forgot who he is fighting for." He is shown with happy people, and it ends with Reid, his arm around his wife, Landra, walking among Joshua trees.

"This could be his closing commercial," Hanley said.

-- Steve Tetreault

The votes haven't even been counted and the reputedly moderate Brian Sandoval is already distancing himself from Tea Party Republicans, at least as far as his election night party is concerned.

While far-right U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle, anti-tax pledge signer and 3rd District Congressional candidate Joe Heck and other Republicans are gathering Tuesday at The Venetian, Sandoval has plans to spend the evening 20 miles away at Red Rock Resort.

The fact the Republican nominee for governor isn't planning to spend election night with fellow Republicans has prompted political observers to suggest it's evidence of a coming rift between the establishment faction of the party that's tight with Sandoval and the Tea Party faction fueling the energy behind Angle's challenge to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"He ran a very separate campaign. He is staying out of what could be a coming ugly fight," Eric Herzik, a professor of political science at University of Nevada, Reno, said of Sandoval.

During the primary, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons won support from Tea Party activists, but Sandoval nevertheless cruised to the nomination.

While Angle celebrated her primary victory in Las Vegas on June 8, Sandoval partied in Reno with a group that included Republicans for Reid Greg Ferraro, a Sandoval adviser, and Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, who made critical remarks about Angle during the event that made their way into a Reid commercial.

Also present was Sandoval mentor state Sen. Bill Raggio, who barely defeated Angle in a bitter primary race in 2008 and endorsed Reid in the U.S. Senate race. Another Sandoval mentor who clashed with far-right Republicans and spoke to the crowd at Sandoval's primary party was the late Gov. Kenny Guinn.

"That is symbolically very interesting," University of Nevada, Las Vegas political science professor David Damore said of Sandoval's decision to host his own election night event.

Damore said given Sandoval's old guard connections it's no surprise he wouldn't be close to Angle.

And if both Harry Reid and Sandoval were to win, it's likely the new governor would need all the help he could get from Washington, D.C., given Nevada's state budget woes.

Even if Angle were to win, as a newcomer she wouldn't be in a good position to deliver much help to the next governor.

"At the end of the day, Reid is going to do more for him than Angle would," Damore said.

To make unraveling the entangled relationships more complicated, if Sandoval wins he will have defeated Democratic nominee Rory Reid, son of Harry Reid, who Sandoval may be working with depending on the outcome of the U.S. Senate election.

-- Benjamin Spillman

Contact Steve Tetreault at 202-783-1760 or stetreault@stephensmedia.com. Contact Benjamin Spillman at 702-477-3861 or bspillman@reviewjournal.com.

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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. vote4bush/angle Nov. 2, 2010 | 11:49 p.m. Report Abuse

   hmmm...produced 'misery' ...anyone watch the sanity rally? lot's of people with smiles ...all i can say is if the repugnants can turn this country around and provide jobs for 4 million people in 2 years ..all the power to them.

2. Wallbanger Nov. 2, 2010 | 9:07 p.m. Report Abuse

   Oath BREAKING has consequences!!
   
   Our military, law enforcement, and ELECTED OFFICIALS need to HONOR THEIR OATH TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION!!!
   
   oathkeepers.org

3. popo.g Nov. 2, 2010 | 5:22 p.m. Report Abuse

   My closing comment for this election year. THe democrats only aired negative ads against their opponents. ONe has to wonder why the democrats didn't air positive ads of their successes. Health Care Reform, Finance Reform, TARP, bailout, stimulus, job bills, foreclosure aid and unemployment extension, because none of those programs work, it just brought more unemployment and foreclosures. The democrats did not air ads on how to pay for the $5 trillion they have spent in the last two year, because Obama, Reid and Pelosi know they will have to raise taxes during a recession. The democrats lied about their opponents, about, rape victim having babies, background checks and getting rid of social security, medicare and the VA. All false, abortion is legal, background checks are be done, and social security and the VA are non-touch items. Obama call republicans enemies of the country, to an hispanic group and said that if you vote for democrats they will watch your back. One can only assume that the democrats will pass legislation giving illegal immigrants free passage. The only think the democrats have been honest about is raising taxes and giving illegals free passage. I hope every voter took charge of what is right and voted for the right candidate. The democrats have proven that they cannot be trusted and are against what America stands for.

4. David Nov. 2, 2010 | 4:57 p.m. Report Abuse

   ...deliver change instead have produced misery, and "now it's our turn."
   
   Wow, never a truer statement ever uttered. Yep, now it is the repugs turn to produce some misery. Lol.

5. farfel Nov. 2, 2010 | 11:54 a.m. Report Abuse

   yeah Markey, you're a republican alright---in your dreams----everything you have said smacks of being on Reid's staff of pro bloggers.

6. Markey Nov. 2, 2010 | 10:59 a.m. Report Abuse

   I´m Republican and i voted for Reid.
   Because Ensign is bad enough, but having him AND Angle as our State Senators is unacceptable.

7. max.smith Nov. 2, 2010 | 7:03 a.m. Report Abuse

   Moderates will vote out Reid. Moderates want jobs, not welfare. Reid ramming through a really bad, unread health bill is keeping employers from hiring people. Harry didn't care. He just kept kissing Obama's a--. Socialism will not work in Nevada. Entrepreneurs will take their jobs elsewhere.

8. No More Pizza Nov. 2, 2010 | 4:31 a.m. Report Abuse

   GaryBG wrote on November 01, 2010 11:36 PM:
   would you like to see it one more time lol...renostarman seems your all up in yourself like all we want to see is what you think.Your a moron of the first degree just like Reid is lol.I now hope Reid wins so your life will suck even more
   
   It appears Gary doesn't know the difference between your and you're Another educated democrat.

9. Timothy.Pennell Nov. 2, 2010 | 4:28 a.m. Report Abuse

   Are you people RETARDED? Unemployment is, what? 15%? 16%? And a Commercial is gonna sway your vote? You Union morons. How's the JOB situation? What's Harry Reid doing about ANY of this? Record Unemployment. Record Foreclosures. Record Bankruptcies. 42 MILLION AMERICANS on FOOD STAMPS. And even though the Media REFUSES TO SHOW IT...Record Homelessness. and SOUP LINES stretching around the Block.
   But Harry Reid has the better Commercial.
   I guess it's different for stupid people. And that's why they become Democrats. And that's why we're in the mess that we're in. Because our Muslim Boy King had the better Commercials.

10. pyeatte Nov. 2, 2010 | 1:12 a.m. Report Abuse

    "Even if Angle were to win, as a newcomer she wouldn't be in a good position to deliver much help to the next governor?" Your kidding, right?
    
    Somehow I think she can do better than 15% unemployment... Unless you think Reid has done a "good" job on ruining Nevada...

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