Dems air negative ad on Johanns...already!

Mike Johanns has been in the U.S. Senate race in Nebraska less than twenty-four hours and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already put up a negative ad against Johanns on YouTube.

Oh, and by the way, the Dems don’t even have a candidate in the race yet (as Bob Kerrey wanders the streets of SoHo, pondering, pondering…).

First, a hat tip to the libs over at the New Nebraska Network for this. It kills us that just a few weeks ago they were bitching and moaning over the fact that the NRSC had bought a domain name that implies it could be a negative Bob Kerrey site. But now when their Washington boys starting hammering Nebraska’s own, they “give the DSCC credit for being so on top of things.” (And they say there’s no humor on that site!)

Anyway, here’s the thing about the DSCC ad:

1. They’re attacking a candidate…when they don’t even HAVE one! This is like Rice-a-Roni airing a negative ad against Dell Computers.

2. Uh, Democrat Washington ad writer-guy, the Huskers don’t play Oklahoma this year. But way to pander to the Nebraska football fans, because clearly that’s the ONLY way they could understand your ideas. (That’s sarcasm, in case it didn’t come through clearly)..

3. They spend a bunch of time and money to come up with an ad that says the exact same thing – pretty much the only thing – that’s been said about Johanns already. You know that we here at Leavenworth Street appreciate good politicking on both sides of the aisle. What we disdain is unoriginality..

4. Could the DSCC make it any more obvious that they’re afraid of the Johanns Juggernaut©? It’s blindingly obvious they want Bruning to win because they believe it’s their only shot of winning the general (assuming they have a candidate). Have they written Jon a check yet? (And don’t think this is lost on the average GOP voter. They’re interested in backing the winner in the general.)

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A few other thoughts from the Johanns announcement today:

• Johanns must have used the word “conservative” about eighteen times. We think we may have spotted a theme.

• As awful as the video on Johanns’ web site is/was (the video, the audio, the text…please Thor, take that down -- here's what a web vid should look like), in his announcement – particularly when talking about the Ag Bill stuff – Johanns was animated. It would seem the thing to do is get him off the written page. Give him some talking points and let him run. Just a thought.

• Johanns said both in Omaha and in Lincoln (and probably in Beatrice too) that people told him not to talk about the “shortcomings of his opponents”. This would seem to indicate a plan to be 100% positive. Can this be accomplished in a modern campaign? Well, only if he has the lead. But if he’s successful, people will love him for it.

• From today’s announcement, here’s a thumbnail sketch of the battle lines of the GOP primary: