The TicketRick Perry targets Iowa votes with TV ad talking up his ‘values’
Rick Perry is doubling down on his efforts to appeal to social conservatives in Iowa in hopes of making a comeback in the Republican presidential race.
The Texas governor unveiled his third television ad of his 2012 campaign, this one aimed at playing up his "values." The 30-second spot, set to begin airing Wednesday in Iowa, focuses on Perry's personal story.
"As the son of tenant farmers from the West Texas town of Paint Creek, I learned the values of hard work, faith and family. I took those values with me when I served our country as a pilot in the Air Force," Perry tells the camera. "I returned home to farm and ranch with my father and married my high school sweetheart."
Perry's words are cast against images of him in the Air Force and footage of him on a farm and playing piano with his young children.
"The values I learned served me well as governor of Texas, and will continue to guide me as president," he declares.
You can watch the spot below, courtesy the Perry campaign:
Perry's ad comes as the Texas governor tries yet again to regain momentum in the Republican primary. In the nearly three months since he joined the campaign, he's seen his lead against Mitt Romney evaporate amid bad reviews of his debate performances and conservative criticism of his moderate views on immigration.
Perry's campaign views Iowa as a state crucial to his comeback, but voters there have been openly skeptical about the governor's 2012 bid. But Perry's biggest problem may not be just policy or his debate performances. A NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday found Perry's likability numbers have dropped substantially since he entered the race in August.
Just 33 percent of likely Republican primary voters view Perry favorably while 23 percent who view him unfavorably. Perry is viewed more negatively than Mitt Romney—whose favorable rating is at 46 percent among Republicans—and Herman Cain, who is viewed favorably by 52 percent of likely GOP voters. Perhaps most striking is that the poll was conducted after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against Cain.
More popular Yahoo! News stories:
Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
