Peter Schorsch
“His was an unlikely success story.”
Those are the first words you hear in a new sixty-second television commercial blanketing Southwest Florida airwaves this week. The inspirational ad, unveiled today by Congressman Vern Buchanan’s re-election campaign for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, tells the story of Buchanan’s rags-to-riches success story and his present-day fight to keep the American Dream alive.
The ad features footage from Washington D.C., Florida and Inkster, Michigan where Buchanan and his five siblings were raised in a 900-square-foot home. It tells the story of how Buchanan’s father drove a school bus and worked in the factory to support his family.
The second half of the ad focuses on Buchanan’s military service in the Air National Guard and how he and his wife “started a business with a few bucks and a steadfast belief in the American Dream.” The spot concludes with visuals of Buchanan “working to keep the American Dream alive for our children and grandchildren — and everyone willing to fight for it.”
“A lot of politicians can talk about the American Dream, but few can say they’ve actually lived it,” said Max Goodman, Buchanan’s cutting-edge consultant who produced the ad. “Vern’s success story was never guaranteed, and it was that blue-collar upbringing that would ultimately shape the leader he is today.”
Buchanan is not expected to receive much of a threat at the ballot box this November as his Democrat opponent Jan Schneider has raised little money and gained next to no traction.
The Florida Congressman does, however, have his sights on the Ways and Means Chair should Republicans take back the House this election cycle. Despite being the second-largest congressional delegation in the country, Florida does not have representation at the helm of any committee in Washington.
As Florida Politics reported last week, Buchanan has been traveling the country with House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart raising money for congressional candidates. Diaz-Balart, the dean of Florida’s congressional delegation, is one of Buchanan’s most outspoken advocates for the Ways and Means Chair saying, “In Congress, nobody has the experience Vern has, not theoretically but from doing it all bottom to top.”
You can view the ad here:
