Collins calls for ad calling Jackson a âcreepâ to be pulled
A campaign ad that calls a candidate a âcreepâ and warns voters heâll betray them because he betrayed his own family is the kind of thing that makes people tune out politics altogether. Itâs personal, itâs folksy, and itâs nasty in a way that feels designed for radio rather than for any real discussion of policy.
Collinsâs decision to say the ad should be pulled is interesting because she could have simply ignored it. By speaking up, she signals that she doesnât want to be associated with that style of attack. That could be genuine discomfort, or it could be a calculation that Maine voters, especially moderates, will respect her for taking the high road. Both can be true.
I donât know the backstory behind the lyric, and thatâs part of the problem. Ads like this rely on voters filling in the blanks with suspicion. Iâd want to know who produced the ad and whether Collins has any real ability to stop it. If she doesnât, her statement is mostly symbolic, but symbols matter in a close race. The bigger question is whether this kind of ad actually changes anyoneâs mind or just hardens the feelings people already have.