For Republican challenger, Ron Schmidt, a September fundraising trip to Washington D.C. was extremely profitable. It infused the campaign with the cash needed to wage a ad war against incumbent Sen. Tom Daschle. And in a state the size of South Dakota, advertising, in large part, controls what voters think of the candidates.
Who is controlling Daschle? ThatÂ's what Schmidt wants voters to think about. In ads "Clinton" and "Taxes," the senior Senator and President are portrayed as a the marionette and his puppet master. "Clinton" focuses on the investigations that have dogged the President during his six-years in office, most notably, the Lewinsky scandal. During the 30-second spot, viewers see a Daschle who doesnÂ't think for himself and has forgotten his constituents. This idea plays right into the theme of the Schmidt campaign B Tom Daschle has been in Washington too long, has ever worked a day in the private sector, and needs to make room for someone more in touch with voters.
Daschle counters with own ads. One of them features the Senator driving his own car, speaking directly to the camera. To SchmidtÂ's charge, he says, "My guess is thereÂ's only one candidate running this year who has been to all 66 counties every year for the past 12 years. .. I donÂ't think you can stay in better touch than that."
In surveys throughout the counties, Schmidt is far behind. Daschle was re-elected in 1992 by a 2-1 margin and expectations are 1998 will be a repeat performance for him.
Democratic challenger Bernie Hunhoff succeeded in putting Republican Governor Bill Janklow on the defensive this campaign. Nevertheless, Janklow is holding his own and is strongly favored to win a fourth term.
Hunhoff, the State Senate Minority Leader, has waged an aggressive campaign. Early on he focused on issues such as higher wages, lower taxes, and ending corporate hog farms. But in August he went on the offensive in a half-hour paid advertisement in which he raised questions about Janklow's personal finances and use of tax dollars to buy into the state pension plan. In September he accused Janklow of misusing state phones and employees to negotiate personal investment in Texas.
Janklow was forced onto the defensive. He said that he did nothing wrong and ran a television ad in which he held up personal checks to show that he reimbursed the state. He returned fire by accusing Hunhoff of illegally profiting from selling ad space in the magazine he owns to state agencies. Janklow also has tried to emphasize his accomplishments, such as property tax cuts, and a his plan for a state-of-the-art communications system for South Dakota.
Some observers believe that Hunhoff's attacks backfired. No public polling data is available, but internal polls show that he has made little headway. Janklow is the prohibitive favorite and looking to improve on the 14-point margin he won with in 1994.
