West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has released a strong new ad that uses his wealthy GOP opponent John Raese's own words to show how out-of-touch Raese's faux-populist message is from the concerns of average West Virginia voters.
The ad entitled "Priorities" documents Raese's positions opposing the federal minimum wage and features Raese onscreen saying "I earned my money the old fashioned way, I inherited it." It also describes how Raese tripled health premiums on retirees. Raese also comments, "I'm in the business of not providing jobs, I'm in the business of making money."
The ad marks a shift in the Manchin campaign strategy to make a stronger comparison between Raese's positions with those of the popular Democratic governor. The campaign has posted a lengthy comparison between the two candidates asking "Who is on your side?", which highlights Raese's support for privatizing Social Security, abolishing the minimum wage, and poor safety record at his companies. In a side-by-side comparison, the Manchin campaign touts Governor Manchin's record of increasing the minimum wage, cutting the state food tax, and enacting historic mine safety legislation.