Whatever your politics, it's hard not to like a congressional candidate who opens her campaign ad with the line, "I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm."
Joni Ernst is a conservative Republican hoping to replace Iowa's retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin. She's in a crowded field of GOP contenders for the spot, so it's no surprise that she'd go for an attention-grabbing ad. If nothing else, her go-straight-for-the-goolies approach shows she's not afraid to be called a ball buster.
It's hard to say what we were expecting from reality TV star Clay Aiken's first campaign ad in his congressional campaign, but this certainly isn't it.
Instead of leveraging his fame or playing to the media circus around his decision to run for a House seat from North Carolina, he has created a political ad that's thoughtful, sincere and just an all-around example of great storytelling.
Filmed in one seamless five-minute shot, Aiken's ad was filmed in the home where he and his mother sought refuge from his abusive father. Aiken patiently unravels the story of his life and political awakening, gradually transitioning into his criticisms of his district's current legislator, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers.
Ellmers is a Republican and Aiken a Democrat, a fact he quickly shrugs off as if it's a mere technicality unrelated to the matters at hand. But of course it will matter. This ad is sure to have its critics, since we live in a political era that seems incapable of respecting any message that comes from a messenger on the other side of the aisle.
But politicians from both parties would be wise to watch Aiken's video and learn from his ability to come across as humble, informed and sincere. He may not have the "aw, shucks" everyman persona of Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but he's about as close as you're going to find in 2014.
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