The race in Minnesota's Third Congressional District took an interesting turn yesterday when Brian Barnes released his first batch of ads.
It is rare to see political advertising that strays far from what we have come to expect year in and year out, but the Barnes ads do just that.
Barnes and his wife both come from the consumer marketing world, and convinced the campaign staff to take a brand-management approach to their advertising.
"I want to convince the voters of this district that it is time for them to change their brand," Barnes said. "Rep. Paulsen has been telling everyone in the district that he is a moderate, but then when he gets to Washington, he votes more conservatively than even Rep. Bachmann. Its a classic case of bait and switch, and our ads were created to bring attention to this fact."
In a district where the Congressional seat has been held by republicans since 1961, there has always been an understanding that the district was inhabited by moderate republicans. In recent years, the district has supported both President Obama and Sen Amy Klobuchar.
But Paulsen has been anything but moderate during his two terms. While many in the district assume he is voting for their interests, he is doing anything but. His greatest skill as a politician appears to be his ability to keep his head down and keep anyone from paying attention to the fact that he is even there.
Since the media isn't paying any attention to the race, the only real hope the campaign has is that enough people will see the ads, and take a look at Rep. Paulsen for themselves.
To see the ads, check out: http://www.paulsenisbachmann.com/