Loudon, Thomas On TV

Rep. Jack Jackson was up first. Now, Republican rivals Sen. John Loudon and Platte County auditor Sandra Thomas are on television.

The aim? To capture your primary vote for state auditor one week from today.

Loudon's ad features pretty pictures of his wife and kids and touts his conservative credentials.
"He's an award winning conservative leader who defends our God-given values," the voiceover in Loudon's ad reads. "Family man . . . Church volunteer . . . Community leader . . . Proudly pro-life and passionately anti-tax."

The ad also credits Loudon for controlling spending and cutting taxes. It's a pretty ad and it will probably play well in the Ozarks.

As an aide for another candidate puts it, "He's very popular with younger people, especially younger women. He's a good looking guy. Can't do anything about that."

Sandra Thomas told me she shot her commercial yesterday in Springfield. The Thomas ad begins with her walking out of a black dark hole that is a studio. You begin wondering . . . hmmm, what's the point? But then you see the flood light, which switches on to focus on the three issues Thomas promises to root out as auditor . . . WASTE, FRAUD and ABUSE.

"I know where to shine the brightest possible light to protect Missouri taxpayers," Thomas says into the camera.

The point is to show that Thomas is the only certified public accountant in the race who has ever conducted a financial and performance audit. Then, former state auditor Margaret Kelly appears. She has endorsed Thomas in the race because of her experience. In the ad, Kelly makes the point one more time . . .

"Sandra Thomas is a professional CPA, strong enough to stand up to the politicians, with the audit experience to know where to find waste, fraud and abuse," Kelly says.

As far as play, Loudon's ad ran twice during our 5 p.m. newscast; Thomas' ad just ran once.
Both candidates ads ran one more time during the 6 p.m. newscast.