Incumbent first-term North Carolina State Senator, Republican Chad Barefoot, is in the middle one of the most expensive North Carolina state legislative races this year for his seat. Barefoot has enough campaign cash to produce this slick ad, pillorying his Democratic opponent, Sarah Crawford for being married to a lobbyist.
The ad is a takeoff on the political TV drama "House of Cards" and makes it "House of Crawford."
"Dan Crawford" gets all the lines, holding a drink as cigar smoke swirls around the room. Laughing at his good fortune, he gleefully and sinisterly explains, "I'm a lobbyist. People pay me to influence legislators. Would it help me if my wife were in the State Senate? What do you think? ... Truckloads of money from special interests. Who's Sarah Crawford going to work for? You tell me."
"Sarah Crawford: A Serious Conflict of Interest" reads text on the screen, with an upside-down North Carolina state flag designed to emulate the upside-down American flag in the "House of Cards" logo.
It's definitely a splashy spot. It feels more like a TV show preview than a political ad, with production values that far surpass what the usual down-ballot can afford. It has the potential to grab enough attention to make all those complicating facts irrelevant.
The ad is a takeoff on the political TV drama "House of Cards" and makes it "House of Crawford."
"House of Cards" Becomes "House of Crawford"
The darkly lit spot plays like a scene from the popular TV show, with actors portraying herself and her husband Dan Crawford, though oddly there’s no fine print saying the ad is a dramatization."Dan Crawford" gets all the lines, holding a drink as cigar smoke swirls around the room. Laughing at his good fortune, he gleefully and sinisterly explains, "I'm a lobbyist. People pay me to influence legislators. Would it help me if my wife were in the State Senate? What do you think? ... Truckloads of money from special interests. Who's Sarah Crawford going to work for? You tell me."
"Sarah Crawford: A Serious Conflict of Interest" reads text on the screen, with an upside-down North Carolina state flag designed to emulate the upside-down American flag in the "House of Cards" logo.
A Surprise Twist: Sarah Crawford Is Married To ... An Environmental Lobbyist
There are two things the ad doesn't mention: Dan Crawford is a lobbyist for a non-profit environmental organization, and since his organization can't financially profit from state legislation, she wouldn't be at risk of violating ethics law. The ultimate kicker: Chad Barefoot is also tied to a political lobbyist, his mother-in-law, who lobbies against same-sex marriage.It's definitely a splashy spot. It feels more like a TV show preview than a political ad, with production values that far surpass what the usual down-ballot can afford. It has the potential to grab enough attention to make all those complicating facts irrelevant.