Video: In First Campaign Ad, Republican AG Candidate Asks, "Do You Know Jack?"

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Monday, September 24, 2012

Elections / Video Video: In First Campaign Ad, Republican AG Candidate Asks, "Do You Know Jack?"

Posted By Paul Heintz on Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 3:37 PM

Do you know Jack?

You might soon, if you own a TV.

That's because Jack McMullen, the Republican candidate for attorney general, has launched a television advertising campaign — and he plans to stay on the airwaves through Election Day. McMullen says he's planning to run five different ads, one of which will make light of his famous "teats on a cow" fumble in a 1998 debate.

"We intend to run a vigorous campaign here," McMullen says. "I have to overcome what appears to be the perception I'm not running a serious campaign. I think I am running a serious campaign. I think I'm a credible candidate, if you know my background."

To that end, McMullen on Saturday began airing a 30-second biographical ad on WCAX-TV and WPTZ-TV. The ad begins with a narrator asking, "Do you know Jack?" It then informs the viewer about "The Real Jack" — focusing on his working class roots, military career and Harvard education. It closes by briefly touching on McMullen's signature issue: crime.

"The real Jack knows Vermonters have the right to feel safe in their homes and communities," the narrator says. "That's the real Jack."

McMullen says he'll spend $30,000 to keep "The real Jack" on-air for two-and-a-half weeks. He declined to disclose how much he'll spend on the entirety of his advertising campaign, though he says his arsenal will include spots focused on crime, his "business-like approach to office" and, most mysteriously, his 1998 Republican primary race against farmer Fred Tuttle.

"It will be an interesting twist on the Tuttle story," he hints.

That McMullen appears to be planning a serious ad campaign signals he may be ready to invest significant personal resources into the race — beyond the $10,286 he's either loaned or given his campaign — as he did during his two previous runs for the U.S. Senate. In total, as of Sept. 17, McMullen has raised $34,288 for his AG campaign and spent $26,272.

"I'm prepared to put money in," he says. "What I want to convey is: I'm in this seriously."

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About The Author

Paul Heintz

paul@sevendaysvt.com

@paulheintz

Bio:
Paul Heintz is a staff writer and political editor for Seven Days. He wrote the "Fair Game" political column from May 2012 through December 2016.