Forty-five minutes ago, I wrote “because the candidates’ unknowns seem to be factoring into the results, there is room for Causey to rapidly make up ground by defining himself and his opponent more clearly and by controlling the narrative.” It’s almost as if Chad Causey was reading my mind.
Causey’s reference to Crawford’s desire to privatize social security stems from statements like this one, found on Crawford’s Facebook page:
8) End Generational Theft. As few believe America’s entitlement programs will be able to pay benefits to future generations, provide younger workers the choice of diverting payroll/Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts.
Because, hey, let’s let what John and Jane Doe “believe” trump cogent economic analysis, and let’s go ahead and embrace a plan that, had it been implemented a few years back, would have wiped out the retirement savings of thousands of Americans when the economy tanked. What can possibly go wrong?!
Overall, I like Causey’s ad quite a bit. The military photo of his grandfather, combined with the on-the-lap photo on the tractor (nice, subtle pro-agriculture message there) were solid, and the message was quick and to-the-point. Were it me, given the success Blanche Lincoln seemed to have with language designed to frighten older voters, I might have said “Rick Crawford thinks that protecting Social Security is nothing more than ‘Generational Theft,'” but that’s really a matter of preference. The message here is the same either way.
The Causey camp released a statement along with the ad today:
JONESBORO – Jonesboro-native and First District Congressional Candidate Chad Causey released his first television spot, focusing on his pledge to protect Social Security and ensure that hard-earned benefits are maintained for Arkansas seniors. The spot comes on the same day that President Bill Clinton campaigns in Arkansas in support of Causey’s candidacy.
“I am honored to have the support of President Clinton and ready to provide strong leadership to the people of the 1st District,” Causey said. “Arkansans from across our District deserve leadership that will get to work for them – fighting to create jobs right here in Arkansas, bring fiscal conservatism to Washington, and protect Social Security and Medicare. I’m ready to bring our Arkansas values to Washington and get the job done for Arkansas families in the 1st District.”