I’ve watched a lot of football this season. And during a few of these games, an ad for Pete Ricketts pops up.

I found it odd that an incumbent senator from the state’s majority party would be running ads a year before the election.

What is Ricketts polling telling him? Does Dan Osborn have him worried?

The first ad I saw was your basic generic political ad showing the senator with an American flag, talking about what a good guy he is. But the ad I saw last weekend was different. The new Pete Ricketts ad was an attack on Dan Osborn. And you know what Dan Osborn’s biggest fault is, according to Senator Ricketts?

Evidently, Osborn’s biggest fault is that the challenger says he’s an independent, but in reality, he’s a Democrat.

Yes, beware of Dan Osborn. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing if you will.

I saw that ad, and I chuckled. His campaign must have seen numbers that show a lot of strength for Dan Osborn. Why else would Ricketts be spending money on an attack ad this far out from the election?

Osborn has pledged that he won’t caucus with either party but will vote for what’s best for Nebraska. Now it remains to be seen if he’ll live up to that pledge, or with the way Washington works, if he’ll be able to honor it even if he wants to. My guess is that if he gets into office, he’ll be pressured to caucus with the Democrats if he wants to get on any good committees or have any power.

Yes, Ricketts claims Osborn is a Democrat. You know what else, Dan Osborn is Senator Ricketts? He’s a Nebraska citizen who obviously has you worried about keeping your job.

During the last election, Dan Osborn gave Deb Fischer a run for her money. He garnered a lot of national media attention and forced the Republicans to put money into a campaign they thought was a lock.

Deb Fischer didn’t take Dan Osborn seriously until later in the campaign. Pete Ricketts isn’t making that same mistake.

Dan Osborn now has name recognition and a political machine behind him that allows him to hit the ground running. Yes, this election will be different. There’s no President Trump on the ticket this time to motivate the MAGA crowd to get off their couch and vote. Deb Fischer had street cred in the rural part of the state; Pete Ricketts doesn’t.

Pete Ricketts doesn’t have the same luxuries Deb Fischer had.

Calling Dan Osborn a Democrat may not have the negative impact it might have had in previous elections. In case Senator Ricketts hasn’t noticed, the Democrats have been doing pretty well in these off-year special elections.

President Trump has tarnished the Republican brand. The stink of his negative approval rating is getting on other Republican candidates. While Trump has done very well for himself during his reign, he has not done much to benefit others on the down ballot. I wonder if promoting yourself as a Republican helps or hurts Rickets when it comes to getting the independent and casual Republican vote.

Trump’s tariffs and attacks on immigrants have hurt the rural community. Osborn’s working man history plays well in the third district, and calling him a Democrat sure isn’t going to hurt him in Omaha and Lincoln.

If we’re seeing the ads where Ricketts is trying to brand the Independent candidate as a Democrat, can the anti-trans, boys in girls’ bathrooms ads be far behind?

While Pete Ricketts is running TV ads, Dan Osborn has been holding town halls across the state. These town halls are well attended, especially this far out from the election.

It’s no wonder the incumbent senator is concerned.

The hard-hitting action during the football games will seem calm compared to the Senate race we’re about to see. These TV ads are foreshadowing. I predict the Ricketts campaign and their surrogates will run a bunch of attack ads against Dan Osborn filled with fear and half-truths. It could get really nasty.

Things will really pick up after the first of the year. It won’t surprise me to see Ricketts ads during the playoffs and bowl games. He’s got a lot of money burning a hole in his pocket.

On paper, Ricketts should win reelection, but gamblers have lost a lot of money betting on football games that looked good on paper.

Dan Osborn obviously has Pete Ricketts concerned. I think for good reason.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.