Sharron Angle’s “Willie Horton” ad

 
Greg Sargent on the Washington Post’s “The Plum Line” writes that

“Sharron Angle’s extremism has turned her race against [Senator] Harry Reid [D-NV] from an easy romp for Republicans to a winnable race for Democrats. Her campaign’s latest ad, attacking Reid for his support of the DREAM Act . . . is as despicable as it is desperate. In its naked appeal to racial animus against Latinos, it rivals the infamous 1988 “Willie Horton” ad deployed against Michael Dukakis. The ad features a trio of “illegal immigrants” looking for a way to cross a chain link fence, as the word “illegal” flashes across the screen in bright red letters. After making previously debunked claims accusing Reid of pushing for “tax breaks” for “illegals,” it goes after Reid’s support of the DREAM Act, which would offer a path to citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States before the age of 16 and who go to college or serve in the military. The ad says Reid wants to give “preferred college tuition rates to none other than illegal aliens,” presumably referring to the fact that it would allow undocumented residents in a given state to qualify for in-state tuition.”

KJ