The idea behind the ads, Republicans strategists say, is to put a human face on the Medicare issue and assuage skeptical voters who might think the GOP wants to do away with entitlement programs. To Democrats, the fact that their opponents are bringing their parents into the debate is a sure sign Republicans are in damage-control mode.
The TV ads show how both parties are trying to message around the entitlement issue ahead of the election. Democrats argue that the Republican plan would destroy the Medicare system as it now exists; Republicans are trying to convince voters that they want to reform the health care program in order to save it. Romney’s selection of Ryan only raised the stakes of the debate, which was already expected to play an outsize role in House campaigns this fall.
Republicans say to expect plenty more parents showing up in TV commercials between now and Nov. 6, calling it a powerful tool for neutralizing what’s emerged as the central Democratic attack line of the campaign. The three lawmakers who used their parents in ads so far are in some of the nation’s most competitive races and have come under fierce attack in the weeks since Ryan was selected.
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