Udall’s ad gaining lots of attention

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall’s new ad featuring a wounded Iraq war veteran is gaining national attention.

“Wow,” is the only word accompanying the ad in a posting displayed prominently on the Daily Kos home page. “GAME OVER!!” states one comment on the posting. “I am (virtually) speechless. That was simple, and extraordinarily powerful. Very well done, indeed. This one is a real tear-jerker,” states another.

The ad is also featured prominently on the Huffington Post home page.

Democrats and Republicans have been contacting me about this ad since Udall’s campaign unveiled it yesterday. Politicos on both sides have said this ad may be the final nail in the coffin of the campaign of Udall’s opponent, Republican Steve Pearce, who is dramatically trailing in the polls.

Why? The ad is one of the most effective political spots I’ve ever seen. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also tasteful and simple. It’s not overly partisan. It leaves out the fact that Erik Schei and his family members are strong Republicans. It simply lets Schei speak for himself in a very personal and emotional way.

Pearce is a huge proponent of the Iraq war. The problem for Pearce is that so many people will be moved by this ad that whenever he tries to bring up war-related issues in the future, many will recall their emotional reactions to this ad and think of how this soldier believes Udall helped him. With this ad, Udall may have just won the debate on one of the issues about which Pearce is most passionate.

Is the game over for Pearce? Most I’ve spoken with think nothing short of a miracle can save his campaign — and this ad was close to being a miracle for the other team.

I already posted the ad on this site, but in case you missed it, here it is again: