Today Democratic candidate Jim Mowrer launched the second television commercial promoting his campaign in Iowa’s fourth Congressional district. The video and transcript for “Together” are after the jump. Like the first Mowrer ad, this 30-second spot is running district-wide on cable and on broadcast television in Des Moines and Sioux City. As in the first ad, the candidate speaks in his own voice, which sounds more approachable to me than ads using a professional announcer. Although Mowrer doesn’t mention Republican incumbent Steve King directly, the theme of working together in a non-partisan way is a subtle dig at King, well-known for fighting almost any cooperation or compromise with Congressional Democrats.

King’s 2012 challenger, Christie Vilsack, also tried to run as a coalition-builder, in contrast to politicians who “scramble to the TV cameras to stir the pot.” We’ll see whether Mowrer’s campaign can convey that message more effectively than Vilsack did. I will say that this Mowrer spot is ten times better than Vilsack’s second commercial, which featured an odd “seven-layer salad” analogy.  

Second spot for the Jim Mowrer campaign, “Together”:

My transcript:

Mowrer’s voice: When you’re in a war zone, there’s no such thing as a Republican or a Democrat. [Viewer sees photo of Mowrer in military gear during his wartime service in Iraq. A disclaimer appears on screen saying, “Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense”]

Just Americans, whose lives depend on working together. [Viewer sees footage of several men of different ages, wearing caps that identify them as veterans]

And that’s what Congress needs now. [View shifts to a Jim Mowrer for Congress sign.]

Because we’re in a fight for our future, [child holds Jim Mowrer for Congress sign]

and we only win if we do it together: [Mowrer smiling, putting his arm around the shoulder of one of the veterans]

Democrats and Republicans. [smiling woman holds Jim Mowrer for Congress sign]

I’m Jim Mowrer, and I approved this message because the only way to secure our future, is not separate as partisans, but together as Americans. [clips of Mowrer walking and speaking with different people, Jim Mowrer for Congress logo appears on screen near the end]