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Ads for Rick Santorum in Michigan showcase his family and name checks conservative celebrities.
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The Santorum campaign on Tuesday began running two television commercials statewide in Michigan, the next state up in the primary season.
The video footage in both commercials is the same and has been recycled from an earlier commercial the campaign used in South Carolina.
One shows several positive quotations about Mr. Santorum from political celebrities like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, and the other presents Mr. Santorum as a ?full-spectrum conservative.?
The scroll of printed quotations may give the viewer the impression that the celebrities have endorsed Mr. Santorum, but they have not, even if they have said nice things about him. For example, Ms. Palin is quoted as saying that Mr. Santorum has been ?consistent protecting the sanctity of life,? but she has made it clear many times that she favors Newt Gingrich.
?Santorum is the next George Washington,? Mr. Beck, the radio personality, said last year. But when he said it, he also said that he did not endorse candidates. ?I don?t trust any of them,? he said. But, he added, if he had to trust one, he perceived Mr. Santorum as the next Washington.
Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, is linked to the quotation: ?I adore Rick Santorum?s conviction.? Mr. Huckabee has made it clear that he will not endorse anyone and has been annoyed when other candidates have used his name and image to suggest his support.
The ?full-spectrum conservative? commercial, which is only slightly altered from one that ran in South Carolina, seeks to appeal explicitly to so-called values voters, Tea Party enthusiasts, blue-collar workers and those who follow foreign policy, all in 30 seconds.
The fast-paced spot makes extensive use of Mr. Santorum?s family, showcasing most if not all of his seven children, including his disabled daughter Bella, who is 3.
Bella has drawn world-wide attention as Mr. Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, has told the story of how she received a diagnosis of a fatal illness at birth and how she has outlived the prognosticators. She appears three times in the commercial, glimpsed twice as she is held by Mr. Santorum and by his wife, Karen, and then at the end, as the video editors finally halt their quick cuts and let the viewer linger on Mr. Santorum hugging Bella as she sits on his knee and smiles.
The ad is accompanied by inspirational orchestral strings that provide a positive atmosphere for Mr. Santorum?s commercial debut in Michigan.
But the ad is generic, not specific to South Carolina, Michigan or anywhere else. This makes it easy to slot in anywhere as the primaries continue and is cheaper than making new commercials for each state.
The ad does not mention any of Mr. Santorum?s Republican rivals, though the emphasis on his credentials as a conservative could be seen as a contrast with Mr. Romney, who, despite his protests, is viewed by critics as a moderate.
This commercial opens with a black-and-white still photograph of a pensive President Obama, setting up the idea of Mr. Santorum as the Republican nominee.
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