WATCH Shocking New Ad: "En-Lightning - McSally Goes After "Former Democrat Kelli Ward", Hugs Trump Harder"

Was unpacking the other night when I heard the stereotypical negative ad-announcer's voice in the next room. Because I am that much of a political junkie, I raced to the TV to find out which new Super PAC was lambasting "former Democrat Kelli Ward" - words that lit up the screen.

Although my hair was standing up (on the back of my neck) and it felt like the lightning struck our house, it took 13 more seconds for the thunderclap: "I'm Martha McSally and I approve this message." (Two miles away?)

Wow! This just became a mano-a-mano primary race battle (with Joe Arpaio looking on). No more just "I'm Martha McSally and I'm attacking likely Democratic nominee Kyrsten Sinema." No more letting McSally-supporting side groups take on Ward.

The McSally campaign is not posting the ad on their YouTube channel* and is not answering Arizona's Politics requests for comment. In addition to broadcast television, they are running shorter versions of the ad on Facebook, and have started up a website touting "Two-Faced Kelli".

It is not yet clear how much the campaign is spending on this ad.**
All of which begs questions such as: have they seen some numbers that have not yet become apparent to the rest of us? And, are they now playing on Ward's turf, since Ward has centered her campaign around her support for President Trump and questioning McSally's support?

Besides using the "former Democrat" epithet, the ad boldly states that "Kelli Ward supports amnesty." And, as has become commonplace in this three-way primary battle, the ad implies that Trump wants her to win the nomination.

(Humorously and unfortunately, as can be seen in this screenshot, it notes that the Republic is going to call her "the most reliable vote for Trump agenda"; the citation is October 1, 2018 instead of 2017. That article compared a portion of McSally's votes to those of other Arizona Representatives.)


The ad was over, and the haboob rolled over the neighborhood.

*Thanks to Brahm Resnik for hunting down this version for us.

**The campaign does not have to provide the same 24-hour reporting that independent expenditure efforts do, the campaign failed to respond to our inquiry and the FCC's website is having issues.

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