It's hammer time

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ibawfcsMg&feature=player_embedded] This is a hammer spot, cause it's about as subtle as a hammer.

Straightforward, not overdone, but it'll take some repetition for it to sink in, and eventually it make with enough money behind it. It's what I've called before attrition warfare, just line the armies up and go at it. Pretty typical for political attack ads. Also pretty cheap to produce.

Still I don't think it has the impact per airing that this ad (which I reviewed previously) has:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWrgmT_Vl7Q&feature=player_embedded]

What if they had just listed the amounts without voice over, then cut the quote of him saying he couldn't recall, then the votes. I think they were trying to tease out the beginning of the spot, to get the viewer curious, but I just don't think it works.

A hammer's not subtle, but often times in politics it's not death by 1000 cuts, it's death by 1000 hammer blows. I just wonder if there's not a better way.