The ad wizard behind Mayor de Blasio’s famed campaign commercial featuring his son Dante and his now famed afro – which is credited for helping catapult de Blasio from third place to first in last summer’s primary election – is now on the defense for using racial tensions to bolster his candidate in the Pennsylvania’s governor primary campaign.
The ads were created by John Del Cecato, whose firm AKPD is working for Pennsylvania Democrat Rob McCord.
McCord is trailing frontrunner Tom Wolf in the primaries. The 30-second spot released on Friday suggests Wolf is a racist by using a far-flung connection to a candidate Wolf worked for back in 2001.
Specifically, it questions why Wolf, a businessman, was willing to be the chairman of the 2001 mayoral reelection campaign a man who was indicted that year – but later acquitted – on murder charges in the death of a black woman during the race riots of 1969 when he was a cop.
“For York, Pennsylvania it was an ugly episode. For Tom Wolf, there’s just no good answer,” the announcer says over piano music.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell said the spot was “one of the worst I have ever seen,” adding that it was a style of politics “that makes me ashamed to have been part of this business for most of my adult life.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey told the Philadelphia Inquirer it was offensive and slanderous.
But McCord and his ad man aren’t backing down.
In a news conference McCord, whose wife is Black, said he will continue using the ad which he termed a “a teachable moment” about society’s need to discuss racism.
“I will be proud that I pushed this conversation (about racism) forward,” McCord said.
On Twitter Del Cecato defended himself, saying the facts are on his side.
He later added: “Question for @WolfForPA. Did you know Charlie Robertson was an admitted racist when you agreed to lead his campaign?”
The ads came out after a after local poll placed McCord 25 percentage points behind Wolf. The primary is May 20.
Del Cecato was also responsible for filming the video of de Blasio’s daughter, Chiara, discussing her struggles with depression and drug and alcohol use that was released in December.