Strouse Lands First Blow in TV Ad War, But Does It Matter?

Kevin Strouse, Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District, launched his first TV commercial in his general election bid to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick on Monday.

The 30 second ad began airing Monday in the Philadelphia media market, Strouse campaign officials said.

Titled, “For us,” the 30-second ad, which is the first to go on the air in the campaign for the seat in the lower house, “introduces Kevin to voters and highlights his desire to finally have Washington work for us by helping small businesses and improving education,” a release from the campaign said.

The theme of the ad also dove tales with the fitzsfibs.com website. The website launched in August points too Fitzparick’s “deceptive votes” and mythology that he is for the middle class, according to the site. The Strouse campaign contends, “he says he is for us, but his votes tell a different story.”

The ad also takes swipes at Fitzptrick indirectly. The Strouse campaign earlier this summer called on the sitting Congressman to commit that  he wouldn’t become lobbyist once he leaves the position. Former Majority Leader in the House Erik Cantor, once a rising star in the Republican party, was trounced in June primary in Virginia. Recently, Cantor resigned his seat to work as a lobbyist, which is exactly what Strouse was citing earlier this summer as a significant reason for a stalled and broken Congress.

Fitzpatrick’s campaign at the time had no official comment on making that pledge, which is an issue the Strouse campaign has continued to try an assault Fitzpatrick with. Yet in Levittown, the point has yet to resonate with voters, observers in the know have a repeatedly said.

It was two weeks after Cantor’s defeat that Strouse started to bring the issue of lobbyists into to the PA-8 race as a major focus. Simultaneous media reports predicted it wouldn’t be long before Cantor headed to Wall Street for a big money position, which he did as of two weeks ago according to media reports. 

Strouse has been on the offensive as days wither away in the race for the seat, Fitzpatrick has yet to publicly acknowledge Strouse or his attempts at attacking his congressional record.

One elected Democratic official, who requested their name not be used due to the position they hold, said “plenty of Democrats know Mike personally. They like him and have voted for him.”

Despite that, Strouse continues to press Fitzpatrick and his campaign on his voting record with the FitzFibs website. The website is updated consistently and has its own social media accounts

The Strouse campaign continues to chug along daily, if not hourly, with the candidate embedding himself within the PA-8 community every chance he gets to engage potential constituents.

But is working?

Prior to the release of the new ad, The Cooke Political Report, as well as other political race watcher sites and news organizations, moved the race to likely Republican and/or Republican favored.

One thing is certain said the elected official, Shaghnessy Naughton taking Kevin down to the wire in the May Democratic Primary was a huge miscalculation on the Strouse campaign’s part and its cost them dearly.

Specific about the ad buy were not released, however, Strouse Campaign Spokesperson Brendan McPhillips said the the ad buy “was substantial and we plan to be on the air through Election Day.”

Attempts to confirm reports of a soon to be released Fitzpatrick ad release were unsuccessful  at press time.

With 48 days left  and three debates till voters go to the polls,  the Strouse campaign has its work cut for them in trying to beat “Mike (Fitzpatrick) from down the block.”