Rick and Kay web advertising...

Marjorie Korn talks about some of the web ads Rick and Kay are running (link). Excerpt follows...

WASHINGTON – A bruising political battle like the one between Gov.Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison usually means a slew of tough television ads. But for now, the candidates are saving their barbs for the Web.

Perry online ads depict Hutchison as a free-wheeling liberal spender in Washington, while Hutchison features Perry aiding the community-activist group ACORN, a favorite GOP target.

The ads appear mostly on conservative Web sites, such as the Drudge Report, and are bent on swaying the party faithful. They are colorful, sardonic and often meant to demean the opponent's fidelity to the GOP. But media experts warn that what may work in the primary could hurt the winner come the general election.

"You have two candidates that are very well known, so it's not about name recognition; it's about reframing the candidates and raising doubts if you can really trust the candidate who you might support," said Amy Jasperson, a political communications professor at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio.

A campy Perry ad depicts an unflattering Hutchison portrait atop one old-fashioned locomotive crashing into another, beneath the quote "like watching a train wreck." It has similar artwork to an ad under the headline "Delivering record bailouts, pork & debt ... since 1993."

One of Hutchison's ads meant to make voters doubtful of Perry's sensibilities calls him out for signing ACORN-backed legislation in 2005. It's a stark black-and-white box with the final thought: "Click here to help elect a governor who won't stand with ACORN."

Hutchison also features colorful ads with cartoons and maps about issues such as the Trans-Texas Corridor and property rights.

Typically, voter turnout is low in primary elections, even with high-profile players. Those who do vote are interested and engaged in politics.

The Rubicon has been crossed. These two won't ever have a Hillary/Obama forgive and forget session after this campaign is over...