Tolbert: Pryor, Cotton, Babies, And Ebola

It is hard to even believe the current ad from the Pryor for Senate campaign. In what appears to be a satirical piece belonging on The Colbert Report or Saturday Night Live, Pryor attempts to connect the Ebola outbreak in Africa to a vote Cotton cast against an early draft of the increased funding for the “Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013.”

Cotton voted for the final amended bill that became law. But never mind such facts when you have a chance to link an opponent to something as scary as Ebola.

It almost goes without saying, but this ads goes way too far. You almost expect to see Fonzie jumping a shark at the end of it.  Needless to say, the Cotton campaign wasted no time in poking fun at the ad.

“Senator Pryor’s desperation is comical. In Senator Pryor’s world, he doesn’t have to take responsibility for rubber-stamping the Obama agenda over 90% of the time, but wants Arkansans to believe Tom Cotton is responsible for everything from Ebola to crabgrass and male-pattern baldness,” respond Cotton spokesman David Ray.

The Cotton campaign even sent out a fundraising email saying Pryor is “accusing me of helping spread the Ebola virus.”

The strategy of the Pryor campaign seems bizarre. As I pointed out last week, they have been grasping for lifelines to help keep the campaign afloat. But the Ebola ad goes so far that it cuts into the credibility of previous charges they have made. Following up on an ad earlier this month, Pryor appeared at Arkansas Children’s Hospital on Tuesday where he claimed Cotton also voted against children.

With less than 70 days until the election, you’ve got to wonder how Pryor will outdo himself and at what point his strategy of scaring voters will backfire when they all start laughing at the ridiculousness.