An erectile dysfunction ad isn't the kind of thing most politicians would typically gravitate toward.
OK, there was former Sen. Bob Dole pitching Viagra years ago. But he was already out of office when he became a spokesman for the virility drug.
Now comes long-shot candidate J.D. Winteregg, a Tea Party-oriented primary challenger to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who's running a Web ad inspired by those unavoidable erectile dysfunction ads that have created awkward moments for millions of parents watching TV with their children.
A high school and college French teacher, Winteregg doesn't have much to lose with such an unconventional approach. He's raised very little money and has very low name recognition.
Winteregg's ad spoofs Cialis spots specifically. It also plays off the mischievous mispronunciation of Boehner's name — well known to anyone who's read the comments sections of blog posts about the speaker. And it creates a faux malady whose cure is Winteregg.
"Your electile dysfunction? It could be a question of blood flow. Sometimes when a politician has been in D.C. too long, it goes to his head," a narrator says over an image of Boehner playfully poking President Obama's arm during happier days.
As of this writing, a YouTube video of Winteregg's ad had surpassed more than 10,000 views — a big deal for a campaign that had raised less than $3,000 through the end of December. The ad is likely to help him on that front, or at least attract a little more attention to his campaign.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
