Vince Gray wants you to know about Vince Gray.
The D.C. Council chairman today launches the first radio spot of his bid for mayor, and the phrase “Vince Gray” is uttered nine times during its 60 seconds. Mentions of Adrian Fenty: 0. (Click here to listen to the ad.)
The ad, in fact, is almost entirely positive. Save for a claim that only Gray “has a plan to bring D.C.’s communities -- East and West of the River -- together,” and that “some say our streets are safer” but Gray “knows we can do better,” the ad suggests nothing critical about the current mayor.
Instead, a pleasant female voice outlines Gray’s agenda, with a tinkling musical background that sounds like a nursery music box: “Vince Gray” wants more job training and vocational education programs, and more police in D.C. neighborhoods.
But if Gray hopes to overcome criticisms that his campaign is too vague, this ad won’t do it. The spot says Gray “knows we need to reform our schools,” but says nothing about what he means by that -- which only highlights his indecisiveness over the future of schools chief Michelle Rhee if he is elected.
Oddly, the ad does not say much about what Gray has accomplished on the Council, either -- just a quick mention of his work “to expand pre-K programs to create 2,000 new classroom slots for 3 to 4 year olds.”
This first radio effort by the Gray campaign may say the candidate’s name a bunch of times, but it doesn’t say much else.
