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Rate the new Bustos ad

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* Sarah Ferris and Ally Mutnick at Politico…

House Democrats started off the 2020 cycle looking to protect roughly four dozen vulnerable members, including 30 whose districts voted for President Donald Trump four years ago.

Now as they enter the final month, Democrats are scaling back defensive spending and funneling their remaining millions to knock out vulnerable Republicans and expand their 34-seat majority, according to a POLITICO review of recent advertising data. […]

In a sign of their growing optimism, Democrats canceled millions of October TV reservations for lawmakers like Reps. Jared Golden in Maine or Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania — in two districts that Trump had won by about 10 points in 2016. And party officials also nixed ad time in a pair of purple Michigan districts belonging to freshman Reps. Haley Stevens and Elissa Slotkin, which Trump also won in the last presidential election.

Now Democrats are pouring that cash into capturing red seats — in Michigan, Colorado, Montana and Alaska — that the party hadn’t been eyeing until late in the election cycle as Trump sagged in the polls and GOP campaigns entered crisis mode. […]

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said in a brief interview, stressing that party officials began early with recruitment and on-the-ground staff in battleground districts. “We’re raising money like it’s falling from the sky.”

But Bustos is airing her own ads now.

* Here is her new one…

* Script…

Here’s to the doers, the ones who feed the world and make America work, even in tough times.

I’m Cheri Bustos and I’m doing everything I can to get us moving again. Better trade deals, so our farmers sell American products. New infrastructure projects. and demanding they use products made in America, not China.

I’m Cheri Bustos,and I approve this message because we’re doers here and it’s time to get to work.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 9:03 am

Comments

Cool tune and production value with the fast zoom out. My guess is that running ads for her is less about strict political need vis-a-vis other districts and more as a deserved perk for putting in all the work this cycle chairing the DCCC.

Comment by Dan Johnson Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 9:11 am
I think they are taking a page from the trump playbook here..?

Comment by Oscar Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 9:22 am
For her District, its a good ad. She is showing a willingness to work with MAGA and will need Trump Supporters votes.

Comment by SOIL M Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 9:25 am
Interesting ad seeing her taking credit for pushing the trade deals that some powers in her party fought and voted against. I don’t know if this works overall in her district but it is an interesting approach to tap onto the popularity of USMCA in farm country.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 10:01 am
Decent ad. I’ll give her credit for being accessible (pre-coronvirus) in her district.

As far as being a “doer” I’d like to know what she was “doing” in a photo op with Whiteside county Sheriff John Booker lurking in the background behind her and Sen. Dick Durbin. They should both pick their company more carefully.

Comment by Buford Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 10:42 am
Neat to see the chair of the DCCC running hard to win the GOP primary. I hope AOC and the Squad don’t find out that she’s embraced and endorsed Kevin McCarthy’s Renew, Restore, Rebuild Plan for America.

Comment by Res Ipsa Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 10:55 am
C. Better trade deals? Like NAFTA and TPP.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 11:00 am
I work with Cheri frequently and have always found her responsive to anything we need in Whiteside County. When I saw this ad last night, I actually felt it was pushed or not becoming of her. In person she is really so much more than she portrays in the commercial. Additionally, the wording is very “folksy” and it doesn’t reflect who she is or how she personally speaks. Not a fan of this commercial.

Comment by Westender Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 11:06 am
Not China? totally unrealistic.

Comment by flea Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 11:18 am
–Additionally, the wording is very “folksy”–

The background music as well. When in Rome…

Comment by Independent Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 11:54 am
I am in the District saw it. There is an over focus on farm country. Half the registered voters are in Peoria Rockford Quads and Galesburg. And she is in the 70th most rural district and has only 15000 farmers out of nearly half a million registered voters.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 11:56 am
Wait, the DCCC is pulling out of sure things and going on offense but Bustos just expanded her buy to $250K a week to run ads against a nobody with no money? If I was Londrigan I’d be seething to see that kind of cash going up in smoke.

Comment by Hold Over Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 12:38 pm
===Wait, the DCCC is pulling out of sure things and going on offense but Bustos just expanded her buy to $250K a week to run ads against a nobody with no money===

What’s the difference between 54% of the vote and 60% of the vote?

Winning = no difference.

Avoiding serious 2022 challenger = big difference.

Not to mention the side benefit that a Biden-Bustos voter might stay home because she’s got this, but maybe some of the other races or constitutional ballot measures could be impacted by their decision to stay home, and if Congresswoman Bustos cares about the long run political climate of her district and home state, I think reaching those voters could be important too.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:41 pm
===What’s the difference between 54% of the vote and 60% of the vote?===

While losing a potential pick-up vs Davis? Or somewhere else? You don’t understand her job as Pelosi’s top henchwoman. Better bet is she got some scary poll numbers and she finally stopped believing her own press.

Comment by Hold Over Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:54 pm
===Better bet is she got some scary poll numbers and she finally stopped believing her own press. ===

This was probably in their campaign plan from Day 1.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 2:58 pm
=== This was probably in their campaign plan from Day 1.===

Right, planned to burn $1M in campaign cash for no good reason. Brilliant plan. Strategy like that doesn’t make you a public official, much less the chair of the DCCC. She’s spending for a reason, and the only logical reason is that something has her spooked. Or, she’s totally selling out candidates like Londrigan or other Dems that are a possible pick-up for no good reason. Her job is to win seats, not fight for her own. What’s she seen that we haven’t yet?

Comment by Hold Over Tuesday, Sep 29, 20 @ 3:20 pm