Hillary Cilnton’s campaign is going after Bernie Sanders for running a negative campaign ad against them in Iowa and New Hampshire, but they aren’t committing to refrain from running negative ads themselves.
“We were very surprised today to see that Bernie Sanders launched a negative television advertisement against Hillary,” Hillary for America campaign manager Robby Mook said on a Thursday afternoon call with reporters.
“Of course we’ve reached the point in the campaign where people are interested in the differences be the candidates. But Bernie’s ad this people was not that,” Mook added.
When Sanders’ launched his campaign in May 2015 he pledged never to run a negative ad or attack an opponent on the stump, but the Clinton campaign argued that in recent weeks Sanders has gone negative. The ad in question, entitled “Two visions,” details the differences between both his and Clinton’s plans to reign in Wall Street. At no point in the ad does Sanders’ mention Clinton by name and at no point does he attack her character.
On Tuesday, Clinton released an ad entitled “I’m with him” in which she similarly contrasted her policies’ with Sanders, this time on gun control. Just like Sanders’ “Two visions” ad Clinton did not call out her opponent by name but did suggested who her ad was targeted at, stating “Its time to pick a side. Either we stand with the gun lobby or we stand up with the President and stand up to them”
The Clinton campaign insisted that despite the similarities of the two ads, the Sanders’ ad was an “attack ad” and the Clinton campaign one was not.
“We have to wait and see what Senator Sanders does,” Clinton chief strategist Joel Benson told reporters when asked if Clinton would run negative ads.
This is the third press conference call the Clinton campaign has held to discuss the Sanders campaign this week alone, a record for the Clinton campaign. The Vermont senator has taken the lead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
