Almanac: At the Capitol

One of the Independence Party candidates for U.S. Senate, Jack Uldrich, tried to prove he's going to have a different approach to his campaign. He rolled out a YouTube-inspired web commercial. Uldrich is a smart and thoughtful guy, but this ad may be too smart and too complicated for the web. One young person who saw the ad told me it's too long and confusing.

Jack says he's going to go "viral" and use technology in a different way and if this doesn't work he'll be back with another ad and another ad. He is serious and persistent. When we pointed out that Coleman and Franken are using the web, Facebook and other new technology tools, Uldrich said "the difference is I'm going to address the issues." The former IP chair conceded that Dean Barkley will have better name ID and probably raise more money.

Barkley plans to have commercials actually on television and famous adman Bill Hillsman is already working on ideas. In our interview for Almanac this week Barkley told me next week he will milk more free media hitting greater Minnesota media outlets. And speaking of the IP, the U's Smart Politics has an interesting post on the health of the Independence Party.