Ron launched his second TV ad of the campaign this week. In “Dishwasher,” Ron talks about how he started out as a dishwasher at a Walgreens grill working for minimum wage and then helped build a successful manufacturing company in Oshkosh. Now he is a problem solver working to keep Wisconsin prosperous and America safe.
Local, state, and national media — including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Cap Times, WisPolitics, Real Clear Politics, and Plastics News — covered the ad, noting that the campaign continues to drive Ron’s outsider message. Check out what they’re saying:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “In the upbeat spot, which emphasizes economic and national security, Johnson mentions his first job as a minimum-wage worker at Walgreens and his career as a manufacturer. … Johnson, seen at Pacur, the Oshkosh manufacturing company he helped start, says: ‘Not only did I help install this machine, I also operated it, working 12-hour shifts at night. As the business grew, we added machines and created more jobs. And now I’m working hard to keep Wisconsin prosperous, and America safe.’” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Ron Johnson airs new TV ad)
Plastic News: “Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is back with another new campaign commercial this morning, starring the senator himself — and an extrusion machine.Though entitled “Dishwasher,” as a reference to Johnson’s humble pre-plastics beginnings washing dishes at a Walgreens lunch counter at age 15, most of the ad comes straight from the factory floor of Pacur LLC. ‘Not only did I help install this machine, I also operated it, working 12-hour shifts at night,’ says the senator and former CEO of the Oshkosh, Wis.-based sheet extruder, holding up a photo from the 1970s and pointing at his bearded younger self, leaning against an extruder. (Plastics News: Campaign ad takes Johnson from dish sink to Senate)
The Cap Times: “Ron Johnson says he started ‘from the bottom’ in new campaign ad.Republican Sen. Ron Johnson returns to the floor of his Oshkosh plastics company for his second ad of the 2016 campaign. The ad, part of a $1.3 million buy for the month of June, is set to run statewide on TV and online. It tells a bootstraps-style story of Johnson, who says he ‘start(ed) from the bottom’ washing dishes in 1970 at a Walgreens grill for $1.45 an hour at age 15. (The Cap Times: Ron Johnson says he started ‘from the bottom’ in new campaign ad)
Real Clear Politics: “Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s campaign released a new adWednesday morning highlighting his humble roots and business background. … The ad, which focuses entirely on Johnson and makes no mention of his opponent, starts with a shot of the lawmaker in a factory, talking about his work history. ‘Not many people start at the top; most of us start at the bottom. I sure did,’ he says. ‘At age 15, I started washing dishes at a Walgreens grill for $1.45 an hour, the minimum wage.’” (Real Clear Politics: New Ron Johnson ad highlights business background)
WisPolitics.com: “U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is up with a new TV spot emphasizing his career path, from a dishwasher to one of the founders of the PACUR plastics company. The 30-second ad, which began running today, starts with the Oshkosh Republican talking about his first job washing dishes at a Walgreens grill for $1.45 an hour, the minimum wage at the time. ‘Not many people start at the top,’ Johnson says. ‘Most of us start at the bottom. I sure did.’ The ad then cuts to images of Johnson working at PACUR. He shows a photo of a machine used at the manufacturing company.” (WisPolitics.com: Johnson releases new ad focused on career)