So far I have not seen very many pundits who think that Russ Feingold's Senate seat is really in play for Republicans. Wisconsin is such a quirky state politically (quirky Robert M. LaFollete, not quirky Jesse Ventura) that it is tough to imagine that Feingold's seat could be in jeopardy, but I think it just might be. Michels has made some strong ads and held his own in debates thus far. One of his most interesting tactics has been to go after Feingold on the McCain-Feingold Act. This is a tough point to hit Feingold on because most people think that money needs to be reduced in politics, but Michels does it very effectively. In an ad that I saw for the first time on Friday night, Michels accuses Feingold of wasting his time on this failed piece of legislation and not spending his time on important issues like reducing the cost of health care. Hitting your opponent twice with what should be his own pet projects, priceless.
Michels is also differentiating himself by highlighting his military service, and using that to say he knows better what America needs to protect itself than Feingold, who votes against nearly everything used to defend the country. This has put Feingold on the defensive. Feingold is known for his funny, common man ads that he runs in his Senate races. This year, Feingold comes off a little bit like a prick, and very much on the defensive. One ad, which he uses to portray himself as the guy who asks tough questions, has him asking obnoxious questions of common people. In another ad, he tries to use a foosball table to defend himself against charges that he wasted his time on his campaign finance bill, and the ad falls flat.
Michels is beginning to get Feingold on his heals. The ads and the debates are getting tough and heated. If Bush can carry Wisconsin by enough margin, Michels just may be able to ride his coat tails into the Senate.
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