Independence Party launches new ad, hopes for late success

In the race for governor, Peter Hutchinson has been wanting ? badly ? to make a splash.

The Independence Party candidate hopes his new TV ad will do that. Literally.

?You gotta wake up!? Hutchinson yells at a voter, as he empties a glass of water in the voter?s face.

The ad, which takes place in a diner, began running Tuesday in every media market in Minnesota.

Hutchinson hopes the ad will help him gain attention, and traction, against his Republican and Democratic opponents.

?These guys,? he says, referring to Tim Pawlenty and Mike Hatch, ?they don't want to tell you what they're going to do or how they're going to do it.?

In an interview shot earlier this month, Hutchinson told KARE 11 his biggest challenge is getting voters to know his name.

?We hope (the ads) will make you laugh, we hope it will get your attention, and we hope it'll introduce you to me,? he said of the ad?s strategy.

Hutchinson doesn?t have the same advantage as Jesse Ventura. In 1998, the former pro wrestler was known by virtually everyone in the state when he was elected governor with 37 percent of the vote.

Polls give Hutchinson between 5 and 10 percent.

Political analyst Steve Smith, a professor at Washington University, said, this year, the third party ?is suffering.?

Despite Hutchinson's strong performance in debates, Smith says another Independence Party candidate, Tammy Lee, is the one voters might be more likely to remember.

?For her to come up with 10, 15 or 20 percent of the vote ? which would be far more than we would have expected a few months ago ? will put her on the political map,? Smith said. ?And I think (it will) make her the No. 1 choice for Independence Party for high office.?

Lee is running for Congress in the 5th District, and she appears to be making a late run at Keith Ellison, the heavily favored DFL candidate.

Most experts agree Lee?s run probably is not strong enough to catch up with Ellison, but it may be strong enough to do better than Republican Alan Fine.

In the meantime, Peter Hutchinson is hoping his new ad triggers a hidden tsunami of support.

?All we need to do is get people to wake up,? he says, as he throws another glass of water at another voter in the ad. ?Wake up!?

By Scott Goldberg, KARE 11 News

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