North Carolina Senate Candidate Wesley Meredith Doesn’t Want You to Vote for a Woman

North Carolina Senate candidate Wesley Meredith has released what has to be one of the most bizarrely sexist ads of this campaign season.  Courtesy of Care2 blogger Laura Smith-Gary (link), here’s the transcript of the spot above:

[click of sound starting] Voiceover: “…for state senate and I paid for this ad.”

Video: Shot of the back of a brunette woman’s head and faint image of her reflection in a mirror.

Voiceover (in a woman’s voice): “Incumbent Senator Margaret Dickson.”

Video: Woman applying mascara.

Voiceover: “Who does she really care about? Is it you, or is it just a charade?”

Video: Close-up of woman opening a gold-colored tube of bright-red lipstick, then applying the lipstick and blotting her lips on a tissue. The camera then moves to a close-up of the woman adjusting a “Margaret Dickson NC Senate” button on the lapel of her dark suit worn over a red shirt. In the final shot, small text on screen reads “JRCE: HB2, 2/10/03”

Voiceover: “Not once, not twice, but three times, busted using public office to help companies she owned.”

Video: The screen splits into three columns, each with a different picture. In the farthest right, there’s a close-up of the woman adjusting a diamond ring on her left-hand ring finger. Text at the bottom of the picture, apparently citing a source, reads “NC Utilities Comm. Docket no. p-100.” The second is a close-up of her clasping an apparently gold and diamond bracelet around her wrist. Text at the bottom reads “12/20/2009 Charlotte Observer.” The third shot seems to be cut off at the right edge — what we see is the back part of an ear against dark hair and part of a hand making a “putting in an earring” motion. Text at the bottom reads “WTVD-TV 12/03/09.” The pictures are revealed from left to right as the voiceover names her alleged crimes.

Voiceover: “Special deals. Insider trading. No bid state contracts. All for her own gain.”

Video: Close-up of women’s hands removing a thick wad of cash from her purse and placing it on a table. The outside bill in the role is a $100 bill.

Voiceover: “What does Margaret Dickson really care about?”

The implication is that Ms. Dickson cares about lipstick and jewelry, not that manly ole’ arena known as public affairs.  This brings sexist campaigning to a low, low point.

-Bridget Crawford