Christine O'Donnell's 'scary' new campaign ad

The Republican Senate candidate from Delaware paints her rival as a tax-hungry villain in her latest spot. Will it work?

Chris Coons becomes the villainous, tax-crazed Senate candidate in Christine O'Donnell's new campaign ad.
(Image credit: YouTube)

The video: In her new campaign ad, much-parodied GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell casts her opponent, Democrat Chris Coons, as a fictional movie villain called "The Taxman." Over images of dark clouds and a foreboding soundtrack, the narrator, who "sounds like every dramatic/thriller movie announcer you've heard," intones that, with people losing their jobs and homes, Coons is the "one man who stood against the tide and raised taxes." The ad is the handiwork of Fred Davis, who created California Republican Carly Fiorina's famous "demon sheep" spot.

The reaction: The O'Donnell-Davis partnership "seemed likely to be provocative," says Max Wong at The Huffington Post, but with this ad "O'Donnell appears to have abandoned caution entirely." This video is simply "scary," says Max Read at Gawker, especially when the announcer says Coons is "taxing everything out here." That's a reference to viral-video sensation Antoine Dodson's rant against a man who attacked his sister. Isn't it a bit out of line to "link your opponent to a rapist"? Liberals are just mad that O'Donnell is fighting back, says blogger Lady Liberty at Gateway Pundit. This ad proves that despite the "media onslaught" against her, O'Donnell is determined to "make this race about the issues." Watch the new O'Donnell spot:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us