Matt Schultz: A down ballot ad (and more) worth watching

THE CANDIDATE

The down ballot races are usually not very interesting to most voters. After all, most people, and quite reasonably so, have only the vaguest of thoughts as to how their lives are affected by their votes in the Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor and Attorney General races. The down ballot state wides even more rarely generate much advertising on television. Not surprisingly, the advertisements that do run are typically bio/likability pieces designed for little more than name identification.

Matt Schultz is a young Republican seeking our party's nomination for Secretary of State. Matt is running issue ads in a primary. Although the video link is not yet available (technical problems only) even the audio is impressive and quite well worth the thirty seconds it will take you to listen.

Matt's TV spot raises a very important issue-voter fraud. The only reason to oppose photo ID for voting is to perpetuate fraud. No other good faith explanation is possible. Although we are lucky to have the rarest of animals, an honest and competent Democrat, serving as Iowa's SoS, Mike Mauro's Democrat colleagues are your more garden variety and ethically challenged L/S/Ds.

Matt is actually running on an important issue and making an argument for his position, all in a thirty second spot ad. Matt's brief spot educates the public about more than the look of the candidate's face and likability of his family.   That is how we persuade the public to agree with our agenda and thereby gain a mandate for the agenda and not just the person.

A Republican running on a real issue; now maybe that's a transformative disease that will become contagious. Either way, this young Matt Schultz is a guy to watch, and long after he wins next Tuesday.