In a humorous online campaign ad, Democrat candidate for auditor Doug Hoffer takes a swing at Republican Brian Dubie for making him a "wedge" issue in the race for governor.

"When a golfer is in the tall grass he needs a wedge to get out of trouble," says Hoffer as the ad opens with a golfer swinging wildly at a ball in the tall grass. "Some politicians try to use a wedge when things aren't going well. Hi, I'm Doug Hoffer. I'm running for state auditor and I'm an avid golfer. Over the last few days Brian Dubie has tried to make me a wedge issue in the campaign for governor."

The policy analyst, a newcomer to politics, noted that Dubie had invoked his name twice in recent debates. Dubie has been trying to get Democrat Peter Shumlin to either agree, or disagree, with some of Hoffer's statements criticizing Dubie's fuzzy tax math.

Dubie mentioned Hoffer's name, and Hoffer's claims, in the first two debates — on WVMT-AM and Vermont Public Radio. Dubie misquoted Hoffer's comments from this Times Argus article.

Hoffer ends the 30-second ad with this line: "But you don't need a wedge if you just stick to the facts and play the fair way." Or, maybe he meant fairway.

Clever ad. It never mentions incumbent Republican Tom Salmon, who recently had a bit of online fun himself, posting a video of him singing "Rain on the Scarecrow" at the Tunbridge Fair.

Here's the campaign video: