Democracy For America (DFA) Attack Ad Against Governor Jim Douglas

*Updated* (with the usual edits; plus an update)

Just recently Gaye Symington and her campaign proudly announced that Democracy for America (DFA) had endorsed her candidacy for Governor of Vermont, here; Thursday, October 2, 2008).

At the time it struck me that none of this would really be news or a surprise to anyone, except if DFA were to endorse either one of the other gubernatorial candidates or no one at all. However these days it seems certain candidates do not have much of a choice save to take what one can manage to get here and there as far as endorsements goes.

One of the major benefits of having the DFA endorse her of course is the type of surrogate support that a political action community like it can provide (here), for example when they do attack ads against an opponent, like this one released by them today (here; via DFA):

Governor Jim Douglas: Failure of Leadership

Governor Jim Douglas do-nothing track record leaves Vermonters asking a very dangerous question. Why isnt Jim Douglas keeping you and your family from becoming the victims of the next nuclear accident?

[via YouTube, here; posted by democracyforamerica (October 05, 2008); length: 31 seconds]

This means Gaye Symington and her campaign is able to deny any responsibility or accountability, even if it is being aggressively done by a PAC er, political action community that has directly endorsed her campaign and that she is gratefully accepting any and all support and assistance they are able to lend the campaign on her behalf.

At least the campaign of Governor Jim Douglas is taking responsibility, as well as bankrolling the financing, for doing his own nasty attack ads against Symington, which is a little more honest - so to speak anyway, although he can certainly afford to do so.

The big problem with nasty attack ads like these is that they do not really work or play well in Vermont and, as a result, can easily backfire.

Something informs me that with just over four weeks to go until the general election, the gubernatorial race will heat up even more so between these two and only get much nastier.

The risk here is that the voting public in the state will be so grossed out by the spectacle that they decide to either stop paying attention or go with another choice of candidate instead.

Only time will tell what the mood of the voters will tolerate and that poll happens on Tuesday, November 4th, when each of their ballots are cast and then counted.

*Update*: Read Burlington Free Press political news reporter Terri Hallenbeck's blog post on the subject, here (via vt.Buzz - a political blog; Burlington Free Press; Monday, October 6, 2008).


*Note*: made several, mostly minor, edits for the purposes of clarification and readability; also posted an update; added link to DFA ad; last updated on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 4:16 PM (ET).

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