Elizabeth Warren's campaign released a new television commercial on Wednesday, just as some of her supporters have expressed unhappiness with her ad campaign.
The new ad partially addresses concerns that top Massachusetts Democrats, including former Gov. Michael Dukakis, have raised. The Boston Globe reported Wednesday that her campaign is under pressure to change the ads to soften her image and focus more on Senator Scott P. Brown, her Republican opponent.
The concerns are that her ads have been too generic and not grounded enough in Massachusetts, and that the issues she raises in them, like the gross domestic product of China, have not been relevant to voters' lives. There have also bee n worries that Ms. Warren comes across as a scold when she speaks directly into the camera, while Mr. Brown's ads show him driving around in his truck, appearing folksy and down-to-earth.
Ms. Warren has been critical of Mr. Brown for what she views as his tendency to avoid the issues.
But in this newest ad, she is shown in a decidedly softer light. She does not speak into the camera and she does not discuss issues. Instead, ordinary people testify on her behalf that she is fighting for those who find “the system rigged against them.†As they speak, soft music rises and the screen fills with images of a smiling Ms. Warren greeting voters, hugging them, listening to them and holding their hands.
The ad could have been shot anywhere, until you hear the distinct Boston accents of the people speaking on her behalf.
“Elizabeth Warren is on the people's side,†says one woman.
“I think she's someone who will actually stick up for the middle cl ass,†says a man.
The ad does not mention Mr. Brown. So far, both candidates have kept their ads positive and upbeat, and in that sense, this one is no different.
Follow Katharine Q. Seelye on Twitter at @kseelye.
