Strickland's latest radio ad courts pro-choice women

By James B. Gerber, PolitickerCA.com Reporter

Tony Strickland, Republican candidate for the 19th Senate District, is using a new radio ad to court pro-choice women in the final days of the campaign.

The minute-long ad features two women discussing their disapproval of Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson's campaign and their support for Strickland, with a heavy focus on local newspapers. Before they get to Strickland, though, the women spend some time disqualifying his opponent.

"Hannah-Beth Jackson's ads are so nasty," begins one woman.

"Oh, I know!" concurs a second. "But in this economy, when a politician like Hannah-Beth Jackson wants to raise taxes, she has to attack."

The women go on to claim that Jackson is "over-the-top negative," and not on issues, but "personal stuff."

The ad also touches on some harsh editorials from the Santa Barbara News-Press, Jackson's hometown paper.

"They've known Jackson for years," says a woman. "They said 'creating jobs wasn't Jackson's priority.'"

"She's even more liberal than I thought she was," responds the second woman.

The ad then turns towards presenting Strickland as a viable alternative.

"She thinks just because I'm a pro-choice woman that I'll buy her attacks," claims one of the women "Thankfully, we have a choice in Tony Strickland."

After noting the recent endorsement by Gov. Schwarzenegger, one of the women states, "I'm with Arnold."

"I'm with Strickland," responds the other.

UPDATE: Jackson campaign manager Sandra Sanchez argued that women who are strongly pro-choice, the choice is easy.

"Tony Strickland has an abysmal record on choice issues, and Hannah-Beth has a very strong pro-choice voting record," Sanchez said.

Sanchez argued that the ad represented the latest in a kitchen sink strategy from a desperate campaign.

"It seems a bit like a final desperation," Sanchez said. "Even in their mailers lately they just try to mention as many things as possible."

ELSEWHERE on PolitickerCA.com: