Norm Coleman suspends negative ads

With Minnesota polling in flux and even Democrats wondering whether they want Al Franken to win, Norm Coleman has decided to change his strategy.  In a statement today, Coleman has decided that the economic crisis demands positive, hopeful messages from politicians.  He will instruct his campaign to stop all negative ads against Franken and trust Minnesotans to make the wise choice:

The first is an announcement that as of today I am suspending all negative campaign ads and am calling on those who support me to do the same.

Legally I can’t control ads from independent groups.  I wish I could, if I could they would all be positive.  All I can control is those ads where I say “I’m Norm Coleman and I approve this message.”

I’m doing this for two reasons

First of all, this is a terrible time for so many people with the financial crisis – with real concerns and fear about people’s jobs – about their life savings – and their children’s future and education — when we are all bombarded with negative messages of real consequence.

At times like this, politics should not add to negativity – it should lift people up with hope and a confident vision for the future.

And second, I decided that I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as bad as the other two guys. I want folks to vote for me, not against the other guys.

I will continue to campaign in a way that shows the contrast between myself and the others in experience, judgment and temperament. But I will stress my positive record, of which I am very proud, as the main reason folks should support me.

Coleman noted that some negative YouTube ads may still be in the pipeline, as well as fundraising letters that simply can’t get stopped now.  However, the television ads will get pulled immediately, and Coleman will rely on his record and his policy stances for the final three weeks of the campaign.

Will Franken follow suit?  I doubt it, which could cut both ways.  He can continue to erode Coleman’s positives, but risks running up his own negatives.  If Coleman’s statement gets play in Minnesota, any continuing attacks from Franken could be seen as dirty pool as well.  It’s a risky strategy, and we’ll just have to wait to see whether it pays off for Coleman.