The new campaign ad for Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, a Republican, opens with drone imagery of a serene small-town setting where an America flag is hoisted high in the center of a lush boulevard, and a car drives along a tree-lined street.
“Nebraska is a great place to raise families,” Ms. Fischer says in a voice-over, “and I’ve worked hard to keep it that way.”
The images on the screen, however, are identical to stock images filmed in Vermont and elsewhere in the Northeast. One is labeled, “Patriotic American Flag flies over town square in Anytown USA.”
The imagery was first pointed out in a social media post by a researcher from American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC.
“You simply can’t make this up anymore,” reads the post.
The ad war is heating up in Nebraska’s Senate race, where Ms. Fischer is facing an unexpected challenge from an independent candidate, Dan Osborn, a union leader and mechanic. Recent polls show Mr. Osborn to be within striking distance of Ms. Fischer. One of Mr. Osborn’s recent ads features him taking a blow torch to a television displaying a Fischer campaign ad that he labels full of lies.
Mr. Osborn’s campaign seized on the Fischer ad gaffe, pointing out that the senator used stock footage in earlier ads from Ukraine, Romania and beyond in scenes that evoke Nebraska.
“Maybe if Deb spent less time at fancy D.C. fund-raisers schmoozing her big corporate donors, she’d actually be able to recognize the state she’s running for Senate in,” Mr. Osborn said in a statement to The New York Times, adding, “Since Deb so badly wants a New England vacation, Nebraskans will happily fire her on Nov. 5.”
On Thursday, a spokesman for Ms. Fischer, Derek Oden, blamed a “screw-up by a vendor” and said a new version of the ad had been shipped to TV stations.
The final days of the campaign for each candidate will be busy. On Saturday, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a fellow Republican, will stump for Ms. Fischer at a rally in Papillion, Neb. Mr. Osborn will appear at rallies in Lincoln and Omaha and will be at a tailgate party before a Cornhuskers football game, where a banner in support of him will fly over the stadium.
Mr. Osborn is not to be confused with former Huskers coaching legend Tom Osborne, who has announced his support for Ms. Fischer.
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Uses Images From the Northeast appeared first on New York Times.
