Ad-War Turns Mad-War, as Super PAC’s Fund Belligerent, No-Holds-Barred Ads

Impelled by the pressure of 11 States voting on Super Tuesday, all three Republican hopeful of a nomination, have unleashed a barrage of ads, targeting each other, hoping that come Tuesday, the results will leave no doubt as to who is the numero-uno as the Republican’s choice to take on Obama.

Mitt Romney, smug and confident, his recent string of victories emboldening him, wants to deliver the knockout punch. Rick Santorum, who has emerged as a serious threat to Romney and seems to be the only one, who can prise open the vice like grip that Romney seems to have on the nomination, is hoping for a resurgence, through ensuring defeat for Romney.

Newt Gingrich, who is a distant third, is hoping to recover lost ground, in search of that elusive victory, the last of which came in South Carolina in January. He is banking on his ‘cheap-gas promise’ and a victory in Georgia, his hometown, to be his comeback vehicle.

The combatants are however, having the same weapons in their arsenal – negative, aggressive, belligerent, no-holds-barred advertising campaigns.

Restore Our Future, the bottom-less money bin super PAC, is backing Romney with $6.7 million in spending, primarily, in four states Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Winning Our Future, which is the Gingrich PAC, has spent $1.1 million in the State of Georgia. They have another $ 2million, to be spent on other states.

Rick Santorum, who so far has been running his campaign on a shoe-string budget, has spent some $1.3 million on the Super Tuesday contests.

Watching the slugfest from the sidelines, Priorities USA Action, the Super PAC that is supporting President Obama, spent a measly $77,000 on TV ads in Ohio. It is estimated, that overall super PAC’s have spent almost $12 million on the Super Tuesday campaigns.

Most of the money has gone into negative advertising.

Santorum is alleging that Romney’s policies and mindset are no different from the person, President Obama, they are trying to defeat, this winter. “How can Mitt Romney beat Barack Obama, when on the vital decisions they’re not much different?” the ad asks. “Like Obama, Romney drastically increased spending, increased state taxes and fees. Even worse, ‘Romneycare’ is the blueprint for ‘Obamacare.’ Who can win? Rick Santorum, the principled leader who’s fought against big government.”

Romney’s ad zeroes in on Rick Santorum. If Gingrich loses in Georgia it could spell curtains to his campaign. Santorum spelt a more serious threat to Romney, and hence the belligerent attacks on Santorum. The ads say, “Santorum says he’s the principled conservative, but that’s not how he voted. Here are Santorum’s own words on voting to fund Planned Parenthood: ‘While I have a personal moral objection to it, even though I don’t support it … I voted for bills that included it.’ Twenty years in Washington changed Santorum’s principles.”

The Gingrich ad says, “We’re looking at 5- or 6-dollar-gas,” “Romney’s not the type to pump his own gas. (This statement shows Romney boarding a private jet). Newt’s got a plan for American-made energy. More American jobs. Get the government out of the way. Newt’s for paychecks, not food stamps. Newt’s my man, no doubt about it.”

Newt Gingrich referred to Mitt Romney, “as out of touch with reality” and took swipes at calling him Santorum labelling him ‘unaccomplished.’ The ad shows working class men who express distrust of Romney. “I looked at Mitt Romney’s record and I can’t figure out what he stands for,” says a woman. “It changes.”  “I really don’t know if I can trust him,” adds a man.

There is a degeneration of values in American Advertising, especially during elections. Who’ll have the last laugh? The script makes for compelling viewing.