Ron Johnson, "57"
Businessman Ron Johnson unseated three-term Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold in one of the most hotly contested Senate races of the midterms. He did so in no small part by successfully casting himself as an outsider, with positive spots like this one. Using a simple whiteboard and direct-to-camera approach reminiscent of a UPS commercial, Johnson bemoaned how the 100-member Senate body had 57 lawyers (including Feingold), but just one accountant and zero manufacturers, his own professions of choice. The very image of efficiency and pragmatism, Johnson told budget-minded voters what they wanted to hear while drawing a sharp distinction between himself and his opponent without getting nasty. The ad proved pitch-perfect in a year largely defined by the electorate's anti-incumbent sentiment and economic angst.