Television ads condemning Republican Congressional candidates, linking them to the party’s presumptive nominee Donald Trump, will begin airing nationwide this week. More specifically, the ads will be aired in Illinois’ 10th congressional District.
This is a cable buy with an online component. According to Comcast, the buy is $153,680, and will run July 11-17. They’ve purchased spots on: AMC, BRVO, CNN, CSNC, ENT, FOOD, HALL, HGTV, LIF, MNBC, TBSC, TLC, TNT, USA. More info is below.
“Everyone realizes that the DCCC can’t actually attack Bob Dold on his record of effective, independent leadership that’s been endorsed across the political spectrum and in every corner of the 10th district, so they’re now falsely hoping voters aren’t smart enough to see through this laughably dishonest ad as they desperately try to prop-up their embarrassingly incompetent and hyper-partisan candidate Brad Schneider,” Dold campaign spokesperson Danielle Hagan said.
In May, Dold told Big John Howell that he wouldn’t support the divisive Trump.
How would it feel to find out your child was the school bully? Would you feel much better to learn they were only the bully’s sidekick? Well we’ve got bad news for you. Because as Donald Trump runs a campaign pitting Americans against each other. And pushing ideas that threaten our country’s security Republicans in Congress are just standing by him. But shouldn’t they really be standing up to the bully?
I want to say something to my Congressman. I’ve been a Republican all my life. I get Party loyalty. But there’s loyalty to your country. And the things Donald Trump says. About immigrants and women… Veterans… I mean, how can we put up with that? How can Republican members of Congress support that? If he’s our standard bearer, what the heck happened to our standards?
* Background from the DCCC…
SCOPE: This is a national cable television and digital ad campaign, with an additional emphasis in 10 targeted House districts
COST: Seven figures
DURATION: This will run starting Monday, through the Republican National Convention
TARGETED DEMOGRAPHICS:
* Advertisements will target independent women, 25+ years in age
PROGRAMING DETAILS:
* National Cable buy focused on CNN, MSNBC and sister networks. This will be highly targeted to key demographics and will appear in homes across the country, anywhere that the specified news programs are shown.
* Additional local Cable spot buys in specific districts on lifestyle and entertainment networks, such as HGTV, Hallmark, Food Network, TNT, USA and Bravo. This will be customized and targeted based on sophisticated targeting of persuadable voters. These specific districts will see additional spots of the ad throughout their cable network.
Logic Behind Local Cable Spot Buys:
The goal is to set the stage early and define the connection between the House Republicans and Donald Trump, leading up to Convention and before House races have engaged.
Particularly focused in districts where:
* There are well-funded Republican incumbents […]
Messaging behind ads:
* Over the last year and a half, House Republicans have repeatedly failed to stand up to Donald Trump at times that it mattered most.
* Now, he is the Republican Party’s standard bearer and every House Republican owns that, whether they support him, endorse him, or continue to hide from him when he visits their districts.
Additional Information on Timing:
* This is a nationalized election environment where voters are focused on one person, and one person only– Donald Trump. Certainly all presidential races have a top-down impact on House races, but rarely is it so lopsided to the advantage of one party.
* Donald Trump is House Republicans’ biggest negative, and through this national cable buy, with an additional emphasis and impressions in key districts, we are taking advantage of that, leaning in and not allowing House Republicans to draw any daylight between them and Trump.
* We are also ensuring that these Republican incumbents are unable to try and define themselves first.
The first seems pretty good - especially because it’s not a typical political ad. Also seems like the bullying theme will resonate with moderate/republican women who are the R’s weak link this year.
The second is much worse. Obvious actors pretending to be real people, the script is mediocre and the DCCC wringing their hands over the standards of the Republican party? Puh-leaze.
As an independent who leans Republican (I supported Kasich in the primary), I found both videos to be effective. Personally, I liked the second better, but I am not by any stretch, an expert on media.
I think R incumbents like Dold are going to have to walk a fine line. Press releases saying they do not support Trump won’t reach many people. Media buys in which they publicly seperate themselves from Trump my backfire.
D. The national DCCC has never understood the voters of IL 10 and I suspect they never will. This is why their generic and dishonest attack ads used in this district are usually so off-message and off-putting. Both ads are an insult to the intelligence of the very women the Dems say they are trying to target and especially to the older voters who’ve been around and know the two congressional candidates. Both Dold and Schneider have already been “defined” as individuals on their own merits because they’ve both already been in Congress. It is super stupid to try to make this particular race about the 2016 presidential candidates. Trump has nothing to do with the representation of this district and neither does Hillary who has her own congressional coat tail problems in the 10th. Ugh. Just Ugh. It’s going to be a looooong summer.
Standards is outstanding. Those questions need to be asked. Those sentiments, being asked by real people, are highlighted in that piece. Country before party, of course. But with a party that elected that racist as their nominee, maybe it’s time to switch parties, and stand with sane Americans.
- John Rawls - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 2:48 pm:
Seems like a complete waste of $
- A guy - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
Pretty unremarkable and duplicitous. Problem is the Traditional GOP crowd already did this. And it backfired badly.
The fight is for independents now, and that group seems to be positive in the polling for Trump. This could add momentum to that.
Timing plays a big role in any campaign. This one could suffer from “wrong message, wrong time”.
On the positive side, the production values are good. I suspect it won’t be very effective and might have the opposite effect.
- Century Club - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 2:53 pm:
The first seems pretty good - especially because it’s not a typical political ad. Also seems like the bullying theme will resonate with moderate/republican women who are the R’s weak link this year.
The second is much worse. Obvious actors pretending to be real people, the script is mediocre and the DCCC wringing their hands over the standards of the Republican party? Puh-leaze.
- Liberty - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:04 pm:
LIberals writing commercials for liberals…
- G'Kar - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
As an independent who leans Republican (I supported Kasich in the primary), I found both videos to be effective. Personally, I liked the second better, but I am not by any stretch, an expert on media.
I think R incumbents like Dold are going to have to walk a fine line. Press releases saying they do not support Trump won’t reach many people. Media buys in which they publicly seperate themselves from Trump my backfire.
Just my two cents worth.
- Ghost - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
he called a political add hyperpartisan…. um hello? who runs nonpartisan political adds on behalf of a candidate?
- Ghost - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:20 pm:
Its kind of crazy, I mean what kind of political strategy would focus on a single person and then try to link everyone else to that person?
/coughgopmadiganobsession
- Responsa - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:22 pm:
D. The national DCCC has never understood the voters of IL 10 and I suspect they never will. This is why their generic and dishonest attack ads used in this district are usually so off-message and off-putting. Both ads are an insult to the intelligence of the very women the Dems say they are trying to target and especially to the older voters who’ve been around and know the two congressional candidates. Both Dold and Schneider have already been “defined” as individuals on their own merits because they’ve both already been in Congress. It is super stupid to try to make this particular race about the 2016 presidential candidates. Trump has nothing to do with the representation of this district and neither does Hillary who has her own congressional coat tail problems in the 10th. Ugh. Just Ugh. It’s going to be a looooong summer.
- PublicServant - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 4:27 pm:
Standards is outstanding. Those questions need to be asked. Those sentiments, being asked by real people, are highlighted in that piece. Country before party, of course. But with a party that elected that racist as their nominee, maybe it’s time to switch parties, and stand with sane Americans.