Republican candidate Ben Lange launched his first television commercial of the 2012 campaign today. Like incumbent Democrat Bruce Braley’s opening ad in the first Congressional district, the 30-second spot emphasizes values the candidate learned growing up in a small Iowa town.

According to the Lange campaign, “Quasky Values” is running in the Cedar Rapids market and on cable throughout the district.

Annotated transcript:

Lange speaks to camera: I grew up right here, Quasqueton Iowa. [words on screen BEN LANGE CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS]

Lange’s voice continues: Here in Quasky, my parents taught me to live within my means, to have courage, and to do what’s right. [footage of Lange walking down street with parents, father puts hand on Lange’s shoulder; then footage of Lange dressed casually, talking with two men on a farm; at bottom of screen the viewer can see LangeForCongress.com ]

Lange speaks to camera again: I took these values with me as I went to college, [words on screen BEN LANGE CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS LangeForCongress.com ]

got married, opened my own business, and started a family. [footage shows Lange with his wife, speaking with two unidentified people, then walking outdoors with his wife, carrying his youngest daughter while he and his wife hold the hands of their other two daughters; words on screen LangeForCongress.com ]

Politicians in Washington don’t share our values. [footage of Lange pushing his smiling daughter on a tree swing; campaign website still visible at bottom of screen]

Lange speaking to camera: Reckless spending, record debt. They’re bankrupting our kids, and it’s not right [campaign website still visible at bottom of screen]

and we need to do something about it. I’m Ben Lange, and I approved this message because Washington sure could use some courage from Quasky. [As Lange speaks to camera, the Lange for Congress logo appears on the right side of the screen, with paid for message at the bottom.]

I bet that’s the first political ad ever to use “Quasky” in the script. Otherwise, this commercial echoes a tried-and-true theme: Washington politicians are out of touch with real Americans and their small-town values. It may not be fancy or creative, but this ad gets the job done, making viewers familiar with the candidate’s name, face, and campaign website.

This commercial also has more substance than Lange’s opening ad from his 2010 race against Braley.

Throughout this year’s campaign, Lange has been talking about the federal deficit and debt. In a radio commercial aired before the Republican primary, Lange promised to “restore the generational compact” and called the national debt the “greatest social injustice of my lifetime, perpetrated not by one class of citizens against another, nor one race against another, but by one generation against the next.”

Braley’s first television commercial of the year started running in Cedar Rapids about ten days ago. Linn County is new to Braley’s district and has the largest population by far among the 20 counties in IA-01.

Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.