Gubernatorial Candidates Break Mold In Newly Launched Ads

Walker Speaks To Voters From Bottom Of A Hole, While Burke Praises Reagan For Introducing EITC

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Shots from each of the respective ads.

Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Mary Burke both released ads that broke the usual mold on Thurday, with Burke praising Ronald Reagan and Walker literally climbing out of a hole in the ground.

The actual message in Walker’s ad is pretty close to what he’s said this entire campaign: that Mary Burke has supported policies that raised taxes, led to a deficit and cost the state jobs. Instead of telling this to viewers from a typical campaign setting like a factory, a farm or a TV set, Walker is looking up at the camera from the bottom of a hole in the ground.

“It’s a lot easier to dig a hole than to get out of one. The policies my opponent supports — well, they got us in a pretty big hole,” says Walker in the ad.

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Walker eventually climbs a ladder as he tells viewers that his policies got Wisconsin out of the hole.

In contrast, Burke’s commercial has the visuals you’d expect from a campaign ad, with Burke talking to viewers from a sunny sidewalk. What makes her advertisement unique is the message:

“You know who had a really good idea about taxes? Ronald Reagan. Surprised you, didn’t I?” she says.

Burke is talking about Reagan’s support of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which as she told reporters in Milwaukee, Walker reduced in his first budget as governor.

“Ronald Reagan actually expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, and this is in stark contrast to Governor Walker actually cutting it,” she said.

Burke has refused to comment on Walker’s ad, though she did say that Wisconsin lagging other states in job growth is a hole Walker has dug for himself.

Walker’s campaign issued a statement that did not mention his decision to scale back the EITC, but instead highlighted his tax cuts, including for the Wisconsin’s lowest income tax bracket.

You can watch Burke’s advertisement below. Walker’s ad is hosted on YouTube, but cannot be embedded due to the video’s settings. Watch his ad here.