Ayotte Hits Binnie
For the first time, ex-AG Kelly Ayotte (R) is mentioning GOP opponent businessman Bill Binnie (R) in a TV ad. The ad pushes back against a round of negative TV and radio ads from the businessman and paints him as a liberal. "Trailing in the polls, liberal millionaire Bill Binnie attacks Kelly Ayotte," says the narrator in the ad.
The basic line of attack in the Ayotte ad (Binnie is a liberal) is the same as what is seen in an attack spot from an outside group that has targeted Binnie. Binnie has been playing defense against the perception that he is liberal, recently launching an ad of his own in which he insists that immigrants learn English.
Ayotte's move is intriguing, as she is leading in the polls and Binnie is already under fire on multiple fronts. This week, a scathing front-page editorial from the New Hampshire Union-Leader's publisher -- in response to an ad Binnie took out in the newspaper -- was published. But Binnie's wealth means he can keep cranking out new negative ads in the final weeks leading up to the primary, so direct push-back from the Ayotte campaign makes a certain degree of sense.
The ad war stands in contrast to public appearances by the candidates at debates this week: Both Binnie and Ayotte have been very cordial in the public meetings. Meanwhile, NH GOP chair John Sununu has been pushing for GOP candidates to be more positive in the campaign -- a proposition that looks increasingly unlikely at this point.
Ayotte's ad, "Taxing":
The Binnie campaign responded to the ad, saying saying Ayotte is "desperate." "The negative personal attacks are a disappointment but at least she isn't hiding behind other groups; we can see her in the bright light of day," said Binnie campaign manager Bryan Lanza. "She must be getting desperate."
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This nuclear war between Ayotte and Binnie is killing the republican party while Hodes is sitting there smiling. Since neither of these two are smart enough to stay away from dirty politics and keep the party united, NH votes MUST seek and alternative. The best choice is Jim Bender. Every NH voters owes it to themselves and the state to check him out.