In this second television commercial from Minnesotans United for All Families, John from Richfield shares that his marriage is the most important thing in his life, and then asks the question:

Who am I to deny that to anybody, gay or straight?

In the last 15 seconds of the commercial, the “rights” argument is made:

I’m not going to limit a basic freedom just because I’m uncomfortable, and I’m not going to put it in our state Constitution. Our Constitution should protect our freedoms, not take them away.

As Vote No appears on the screen, John says:

I’m voting no.

Clearly, the emphasis on the Constitution in this ad is designed to get Minnesotans to think about whether or not we really want to make this permanent change. However, with Voter ID slated to pass with large margins, I don’t know that the Constitution message is one we want to hit hard (obviously, people are just find amending the Constitution).

Strategically, the Vote NO side has focused on making personal connections and telling stories. This is a result of analysis from previous campaigns that highlight the fact that the “rights” message doesn’t resonate strongly with voters (check out this great article from the Minnesota Post). With that said, there must be a belief that some voters in Minnesota may be swayed by the Constitution and rights message for this commercial to be aired.

What do you think? Does it resonate with you?