Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell saw his popularity plunge after a drawn out legislative session roped him into controversial social debates on abortion, gun control and gay rights.
To shore up his once burgeoning image in the state and raise his political capital at a time when Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is searching for a vice presidential candidate, McDonnell launched an unusual, non-election campaign commercial promoting his accomplishments and airing statewide.
His political action committee, Opportunity Virginia, announced the 30-second ad buy Tuesday, just days after a new economic report showed the state’s unemployment rate fell again to 5.6 percent.
“Virginia is growing strong again,” McDonnell said in a statement. “Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering.”
McDonnell is on the short list of candidates many speculate presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is considering as a running mate. Speaking on WTOP’s Ask the Governor program Tuesday morning, McDonnell said he’s not asking for the job but “if the nominee says, ‘You can help my party and the country,’ of course I’d consider it.”
The ad features testimonials from the Virginia business community as McDonnell tries to move away from the divisive debates over social issues back to the “Bob’s for Jobs” mantra that helped him win the governorship in 2009. It is expected to run for several weeks in multiple television markets.
A Quinnipiac University Poll from late March saw the governor’s approval rating fall to 53 percent, his lowest mark since the first Virginia survery in June 2011. The number of voters who disapprove of McDonnell’s job also increased from 24 percent in February to 32 percent.
You can watch the ad below:
