Tisei Launches 'Dems For Tisei' Ad

Republican candidate Richard Tisei is so likeable, even Democrats want him in Congress. At least, that's what the new message of his campaign is.

The Tisei campaign has launched a new video ad, "Democrats For Tisei," showing Democrats from the 6th District praising Tisei and supporting his run for Congress.

If the theme seems familiar, it may be because Sen. Scott Brown has been running "Democrats for Brown" ads for the past several weeks, each with a similar script about "Washington gridlock" and partisan fighting, showing Democrats like former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn voicing support Brown. Democrats featured in Tisei's ad, while not as prominent (they include two selectmen from his Tisei's home town of Wakefield and two Demoratic district residents and realtors), express the same message of bipartisanship.

The ads most likely aren't actually targeted at Democrats. In this election cycle -- especially with big names like Warren and Brown and the fate of the Senate majority at stake -- people seem pretty solid along partisan lines. But the tactic of showing bipartisan appeal could sway independents who are frustrated with that Washington gridlock and unsure who to vote for at this point.

UPDATE: The "Democrats For Tisei" video is causing some controversy, as the Boston Globe is reporting, because Tisei used a current employee and a former employee in the video. Both women are featured as Democrats supporting Tisei. However, the video does not include a disclaimer that they have worked for him, but the press release sent out by the campaign about the video ad did include a footnote with their employment at Northrup Associates in Lynnfield, which Tisei co-owns.

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