TV Ads Link Lewis, Paulsen To Trump Campaign
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- National Democrats unveiled a major television ad campaign Wednesday against two Minnesota Republican Congressional candidates.
The ads, produced by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, link 2nd District Republican candidate Jason Lewis and 3rd District Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen to Donald Trump, and Trump's comments about women.
The hard-hitting negative ads are aimed directly at women, like this one in a hardware store, comparing Donald Trump and Erik Paulsen:
Salesman: Here are two different models.
Man: Well, this Trump one degrades women.
Woman: And the Erik Paulsen one opposes equal pay.
Woman: That's pretty similar.
Salesman: That's true they both want to de-fund Planned Parenthood, but …
Woman: But what?
Salesman: This one wants to punish women who get abortions, while this one would criminalize abortions.
Man: Isn't that the same thing?
Salesman: OK, fine! They're similar.
Woman: There is no difference.
Salesman: Still buying?
Woman: Not what they're selling.
Man: Let's go, honey.
And the second ad compares Donald Trump's remarks to ones made by Jason Lewis:
Narrator: Meet Jason Lewis.
Lewis: I would gladly support Mr. Trump.
Trump: Build that wall! Build that wall!
Lewis: With a wall, or whatever it takes.
Trump: I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters.
Lewis: Of course I have the right to shoot an unarmed man.
Trump To Woman: That would be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees.
Lewis: The vast majority of young, single women -- they are non-thinking.
Lewis: I'll do something that no one else is willing to do here. Trump is right. Trump is right.
On-Screen Words: Jason Lewis: Trump values. Not Minnesota values.
It is a deliberate tactic by national Democrats to motivate women in two suburban swing districts.
"Trump is unpopular among women," said Professor Kathryn Pearson, who teaches political science at the University of Minnesota.
Pearson says the ads target independent, college-educated women who could determine the winners.
"The women's vote will be critical," she said. "And if the Democratic candidates do particularly well with women voters, that could make the difference in the election."
Paulsen opposes abortion, but the Paulsen campaign provided a tweet from April to show he publicly disagrees with Trump about punishing women who have one.
Jack Dwyer, a spokesman for the Jason Lewis campaign, said in a written statement:
"It was only a matter of time before the national liberal machine backing Angie put this playbook into action as yet another distraction from the policy positions. One look at Angie's endorsement page shows the far left organizations she would have to answer to before taking a vote for CD2 residents. They don't seem to want to talk about that."
Lewis is running against Democrat Angie Craig in the open-seat 2nd District race, while Paulsen is facing Democrat Terri Bonoff in the 3rd District.
