The election is more than a year away, but we already have an early contender for the worst campaign advertisement of the 2018 cycle.
Democrat Dan Helmer, an Army veteran and Rhodes scholar, is running in his party’s race to challenge Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., for her district in suburban Northern Virginia outside Washington D.C. On Monday, his campaign took a swing at Comstock that more closely resembles an ill-conceived high school video project than an advertisement for a serious political candidate.
It’s not just cringe worthy, it’s cringe-inducing.
The Top Gun-themed ad starts with Helmer dismounting a motorcycle in aviator shades and a bomber jacket. Bold. He enters a restaurant to find Comstock is patronizing the very same establishment, seated at the bar with a lime-garnished cocktail.
Wielding a karaoke microphone, Helmer approaches Comstock like Tom Cruise approaches Kelly McGillis in “Top Gun,” serenading her with a parody version of “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” changed to “You’ve Lost that Centrist Feeling.”
I so wish I were kidding.
“You never hold town halls anymore with constituents/ Planned Parenthood and Obamacare- you voted against,” are the inspired lyrics Helmer sings to Comstock, belting, “You’ve lost that centrist feeling/ because you’ve been right-wing appealing.”
After enduring her wannabe opponent’s off-key crooning, Comstock gets up and leaves the bar, escaping from the musical torture like any human would, and demonstrating clearly to constituents who between the two candidates is more capable of exercising sound judgement.
As far as attack ads go, Helmer’s actually makes Comstock look pretty relatable.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
