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While Mitt Romney has not yet unleashed the full Death Star treatment on Rick Santorum that he lavished on Newt Gingrich in Iowa and Florida, that’s not to say his team hasn’t started up the engines of destruction. Here’s a Restore Our Future hit ad on Rick that’s running in Michigan, Arizona and Ohio:
As you can see, most of the ad is the usual “big spender” stuff that’s laying around in the Congressional Record about anyone who has served in Congress (with the exception of Ron Paul, who has never minded being on the losing end of 434-1 votes).
But then there’s the bit about Rick having “joined Hillary Clinton to let convicted felons vote,” complete with an image of the Red Queen cheek-by-jowl with Santorum while an orange-jumpsuited figure strolls past prison bars in the background.
This subject came up during one of the candidate debates in SC, when Santorum attacked Romney for an earlier Restore Our Future ad that suggested Barack Obama would be able to beat Rick in part because the Pennsylvanian had supported letting felons vote. In that case, Santorum was trying to spring a trap on Mitt over Massachusetts legislation enacted while Romney was governor that restored ex-felon voting rights.
In terms of the underlying issue, yes, in 2002 Santorum voted for an unsuccessful amendment that would have required states to restore voting rights for ex-cons who had completed their sentences and were no longer on parole, as 37 states do already.
The ad, of course, seems to suggest Santorum wanted to let felons vote right from their prison cells. And the reference to Clinton—one of 31 senators voting for the amendment, including Ohio Republican Mike DeWine, who until last week was backing Romney—is entirely gratuitous. Back in the day, conservative attack ads tried to lump their targets in with either Ted Kennedy or Barney Frank. But now Kennedy’s deceased and Frank is retiring from Congress, so I guess Hillary is the next best thing.
Aside from the general idiocy of the ad, it is a reminder of why current or former Members of Congress have a tough time getting elected president. All those votes can generate an extraordinary number of smears, not to mention ideological guilt by association.
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jheartney on February 21, 2012 11:18 AM:
I understand seeing this in a GOP primary, where the targets have opposable thumbs on their feet, but I wonder how effective these sorts of charges are in a general election. After the 12,457th iteration of this tactic, does it actually move votes? Or is it just welfare for local TV stations from the Koch brothers?
Danp on February 21, 2012 11:23 AM:
Does the ad point out that Santorum voted for federal assistance to the Utah Olympics?
Perspecticus on February 21, 2012 11:34 AM:
"All those votes can generate an extraordinary number of smears, not to mention ideological guilt by association."
Boy, if votes on legislation is what can break a presidential candidacy, we are virtually assured that the next GOP president is a freshman House member today. No votes? No problem.
Lucia on February 21, 2012 12:20 PM:
Secretary Clinton (sorry, but I hate referring to her just by her first name) encapsulates all the traits extreme social conservatives hate: she's a woman with liberal views who made it on her own both before and after her husband's time in the sun. And by association with her husband, she makes wingnuts rave and froth at the mouth.
liam foote on February 21, 2012 12:55 PM:
Actually, Sec. Clinton's approval ratings among conservatives are surprisingly high. Associating Mr. Santorum with her could very well backfire on Romney.
Trollop on February 21, 2012 1:03 PM:
Wait, Hillary Clinton isn't a convicted felon?
Kathryn on February 21, 2012 2:23 PM:
Romney may narrow the gap by attacking Santorum on spending and senatorial votes, but that strikes me as weak tea overall. Santorum has tapped into the nut job true base and when you add their votes to Gingrich's, they are the majority. Pope Rick is riding high with that crowd. Long term strategy for the uber religious approach is poor however. What a mess, that board game where the spirits take over the players and spell out words would be as likely as anything else to figure out how this ends for the GOP. Michael Steele and his rejiggering of the delegates assigned for the various states and caucuses adds to the disarray, it would appear, ha. Not to mention, Paul spokespeople have been in Rachel Maddow several times crowing about their method of hanging out longer than anyone else after caucus results are over and somehow capturing them simply by being the last folks standing.....don't really understand how it works, spells out fun and games for Tampa.