Air War: Feeney’s mea culpa ad scores, honestly

Rep. Tom Feeney’s ad apologizing for his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff scored highly among not only Republicans, but Democrats and independents as well, according to a survey of political insiders by Wilson Research Strategies.

The ad, titled “Honest,” features Feeney (R-Fla.) in a kitchen offering up his mea culpa for accepting a 2003 golf trip to Scotland organized by Abramoff.

Respondents ranked the ad on a scale from zero to 10 using various criteria, including message strength, appeal and credibility. Republicans assigned an overall credibility rating of 7.8, Democrats a 5.6, and independents a 6.4, for a cumulative score of 6.4.

Feeney is facing his first significant challenge, from former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D).

Also rated in the survey was Brave New PAC and Democracy for America’s controversial new ad, “Medical Records,” which criticizes GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for refusing to release his medical records.

The ad, which zeros in on McCain’s past bouts with skin cancer, includes close-ups of bandages on his face and commentaries from doctors about the chances of survival for those who suffer from melanoma.

“Medical Records” was pulled from the airwaves by MSNBC after receiving much criticism. It broaches a controversial topic this campaign season — one that many have said could be a real concern if the 72-year-old McCain wins the presidency.

Opponents of the GOP ticket have said that vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who has been criticized for her inexperience, is not a wise decision considering McCain’s age and medical history.

Of five television ads surveyed, 34 percent of respondents found Feeney’s “Honest” to be the “most effective.” Nearly half — 44 percent — of independents said the ad was “most effective,” compared with 33 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Republicans.

“The clear overall winner is Tom Feeney’s ‘Honest,’ ” said Tyler Harber, political director for Wilson Research Strategies. “The ad’s direct appeal to voters’ sense of responsibility engendered powerful empathy from all parties, especially independents.”

Only 16 percent found the Brave New PAC ad to be the most effective. While it received just 2.8 for overall appeal, those surveyed did find it memorable, with a ranking of 5.5.

The Brave New PAC ad was panned by Republicans and independents and didn’t do remarkably well with Democrats either, who gave it an overall rating of only 5.2.

Other ads surveyed include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) ad slamming Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) for recently calling the U.S. economy “fundamentally strong” and McCain’s “Chicago Machine,” which claims Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is part of the corrupt Chicago political machine.

The DCCC ad, which received less than the average overall Air War score of 5.2, “was less than appealing,” Harber said, also noting that “Chicago Machine,” which fared poorly overall, was found by nearly half of Republicans surveyed to be the most effective of the five ads.

An ad from Republican congressional candidate Tim Bee tying Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) received just a 3.6 overall, including lukewarm ratings from Republicans.