Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
Democrat Amanda Curtis’ first television ad (below), a 30-second spot named One of Us, is up and running, on both television and the internet. She comes across as one of the most likable people you’ll ever meet. That’s the good news. The bad news? It’s a soft ad that’s pure identity politics. She’s just another working Jill, she says, which is true. Therefore:
Working Montanans deserve one of us in the U.S. Senate.
To do what, exactly? That part of the message is missing.
Curtis is trying to say that working Montanans deserve a Senator who will work for them, for their interests. But that Senator does not need to be a working stiff. A wealthy member of the gentry in the mold of Franklin D. Roosevelt would also work for the interests of the 99 percent. Belonging to a social class does not guarantee that a Senator will work for the best interest of that social class.
The soft approach doesn’t surprise me. Few Democrats expect Curtis to defeat Steve Daines, who has a head start, millions more in campaign cash, and a likable personality that serves as a reality distortion zone on issues. Curtis is being positioned for a statewide run in 2016, probably for state superintendent of schools, and this ad is the first step in introducing her to the public. No one will admit that, of course, but that’s what's happening. Moreover, she’s using staff from Jon Tester’s operation, and that soft, “ Aw, shucks, I’m just a country boy,” approach is what he employed in 2012.
Still, her being able to have a from now to Election Day presence on television is a remarkable feat, a testament to her ability to raise money and inspire Democrats. I think she might now be running neck-and-neck with Daines had she been the Democratic nominee from the gitgo.