Ron Paul's campaign is looking to elbow its way back into the GOP presidential race, on Tuesday announcing the release of a new television advertisement to support a planned swing through the congressman's home state of Texas.
The ad contrasts Paul — "A Texan with a real plan to balance the budget" — against his rivals, dismissed as a “big-spending, debt-ceiling-raising, fiscal liberal,” a “moon colony guy” and “a moderate from Massachusetts."
Later in the ad, an Etch a Sketch reads, "Ron Paul isn't playing games" — a not-so-subtle reference to Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's suggestion last month the campaign would reset "like an Etch a Sketch" for the general election after the former governor clinched the nomination. The commercial then outlines the congressman's plan to cut a trillion dollars from the federal budget by eliminating five Cabinet-level agencies.
The ad — titled "Vote Texas" — concludes heralding the congressman as "Big. Bold. Texan."
The ad follows a number of silent weeks on the campaign trail for Paul, punctuated only by large rallies at a few universities. Paul, though, plans three days of town hall meetings, media appearances and fundraisers through the remainder of the week, hoping to make waves in his home state's primary.
“Texas has 152 delegates up for grabs on May 29, keeping the race for the Republican nomination open,” said Paul spokesman Jesse Benton in a statement.
“Ron Paul is competing hard in his home state of Texas, and we expect that Texas conservatives will reject flip-flopping Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney and the debt-ceiling-raising fiscal liberal Rick Santorum. Through ‘Vote Texas’ and the campaign’s other efforts, Texas voters will be reminded that Ron Paul is the only Texan in the race, the only veteran in the race and the only real conservative in the race."
