Jay Dardenne has been under constant fire from David Vitter. However, instead of firing back at Vitter, Dardenne went up statewide with a positive ad.

Dardenne not only went up with a positive ad, but he went up with an ad on an issue most wouldn’t associate with a governor’s election. Dardenne’s latest ad is not about roads, crime, or education. The ad is about uncollected child support.

The ad itself is simple and well done. After all, who exactly are the defenders of deadbeat dads? But still this is an odd issue to champion in the governor’s race.

I asked the Dardenne campaign why are they pushing this of all issues. I was sent a quote their media consultant, George Kennedy.

It’s been a silent hidden issue for so long, the number is so large, and it silently impacts family, quality of life,.. 1.4 billion is a MASSIVE number for a state our size. It effects what we spend tax dollars on in terms of any social programs etc. It’s just so obvious that taking care of your kids is the most fundamental thing you do and the most fundamental thing that ensures our well-being. And child support has fallen through the cracks. This unpaid amount has probably cost us a fortune in taxes and hurt a lot of people. Jay Dardenne sees this and other things as a consequence of what he calls “Washington politics” … replacing the day to day focus of working the solutions to problems with making noise, and posturing.  No one thinks about the 1.4 billion gone missing and owed to moms and kids when they are busy with their ambitions.

 

It’s why Dardenne believes we don’t need to have a lot of money to have a lot of success. We have money. We just have to pay attention. So he wanted to make this an issue. Hence, the commercial.

So Team Dardenne is using this issue to show the state that they’re the adults in the room. There is an argument for it when Scott Angelle and David Vitter are pounding each other with negative ad after negative ad.

Will it work? You tell me.