Ron Johnson and Russ Feingold: 'Battle of Plaid Shirts'

The New York Times is giving more ink to the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin, dubbing it a "battle of plaid shirts."

Cute.

What are Ron Johnson and Russ Feingold supposed to wear? Hawaiian shirts? Designer suits? Velour jogging suits and gold jewelry?

The candidates are appealing to Wisconsin voters. They don't want to look like elitists. They want to relate to us and appear approachable.

Johnson, for all his wealth, seems much more comfortable in the plaid shirt whereas Feingold looks like he trotted out his old costume from past campaigns, the same old gimmick.

There is no doubt about this: Johnson is more representative of the people of Wisconsin. Feingold is an entrenched, inside the beltway politician, out of touch with his constituents.

Wearing a plaid shirt obviously doesn't mean Feingold understands us or is willing to make the effort. He has the record to prove that.

Johnson listens. Feingold doesn't.



Feingold mocks his constituents and ignores their concerns. Johnson, on the other hand, understands our calls for change and the importance of getting the country back on track.

One more love letter to Russ from the New York Times:

Ron Johnson, a Republican, stood in a suit and tie before a crush of supporters in a ballroom on Friday night and reminded them why a plastics manufacturer whom most voters had never heard of a year ago — or, as he described himself, “just a guy from Oshkosh” — had decided to mount a challenge for the United States Senate.

The health care overhaul, Mr. Johnson told the crowd, had been the final straw. “The reason we’re doing this, the reason we’re here, is we think we’re losing America,” Mr. Johnson said. “We refuse to let America go without a knockdown, drag-out fight.” With that, a chant filled the hall: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”

In final campaign commercials this weekend, Mr. Johnson and Senator Russ Feingold, a Democrat who has been on the ballot for state or federal offices in Wisconsin for 28 years, each wore a plaid shirt (yellow for Mr. Johnson, maroon for Mr. Feingold) as he spoke into the camera. Beyond that, the two have almost nothing in common — in their political outlook or closing pitches.

Polls suggest that Mr. Feingold is trailing (a New York Times analysis rates the race as leaning Republican), and his last efforts were, on the one hand, to question what Mr. Johnson’s broad talk might look like as legislation and, on the other, to distance himself from any imagined lineup of Washington regulars ready to do whatever Democratic leaders desire — which is the exact image of independence he has tried to build over a long career.

“I understand who I work for,” Mr. Feingold says in his last ad. “Not a political party. Not the special interests. I work for you.”

As part of a frenetic swing around the state, Mr. Feingold breezed into a storefront office on Main Street here on Friday to thank and hug and brag on volunteers who were dialing their way down lists of likely voters as skies grew dark and a box of doughnut holes was emptied.

“Keep up the fight,” one volunteer said into the ear of Mr. Feingold, who discounted claims that Democratic voters may be less than enthusiastic this election cycle. He boasted about his organization’s get-out-the-vote efforts and said Republicans had no such thing. “This is the best I’ve ever felt at the end of a campaign,” Mr. Feingold said.

President Obama won Wisconsin by 14 points, but by this weekend Republican leaders were speaking, dreamily, of seizing the governor’s mansion, majorities in the State Assembly and Senate, and Mr. Feingold’s Senate seat. The possibilities, laid out by others before Mr. Johnson took the ballroom stage, thrilled an already ebullient crowd.

What a tearjerker!

"Keep up the fight," Russ!

We know the New York Times has been Feingold's head cheerleader since it became clear that he was in serious jeopardy of losing the election.

This article is a campaign ad for "good guy" Feingold.

“I understand who I work for,” Mr. Feingold says in his last ad. “Not a political party. Not the special interests. I work for you.”

Shamefully, the Times doesn't quote Johnson's terrific final ad.

Here it is:



Transcript

RON JOHNSON: I love Wisconsin, and I love America. And so does Russ Feingold.

But there is a big difference: Sen. Feingold believes Washington can borrow, tax, and spend our way to prosperity. I believe that's absolutely wrong and hurts our economy.

We need to bring common sense to Washington, put our nation's financial house in order to secure our future and create jobs.

I'm Ron Johnson. I thank you for your consideration, ask for your support, and I approve this message.

That is great.

Johnson is no way demonizes Feingold, quite the contrary. He just clearly spells out their opposing political philosophies.

He lays out the choice for voters - either more big government - borrowing, taxing, and spending; or fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, and less government interference to restore the economy.

I think it's one of the best closing ads I've seen, American politics the way it should be - respectful.