Dem
51
GOP
49
Now that the general election is locked and loaded, the PAC Republican Voters Against Trump is ready to get to work. And so, the group announced yesterday that it's going to spend $50 million running anti-Trump ads in swing states.
We are generally skeptical that, in 2024, advertising will have all that much impact. However, there are three things that cause us to take note of this particular story. First, $50 million is quite a bit of money. Second, if the Trump campaign is short on money (see above), then anti-Trump ads may suck up most of the oxygen due to lack of pushback from pro-Trump ads. Third, and most important, the plan for the $50 million campaign is to film former Trump voters explaining why they just can't do it again. That's a pretty effective approach, since the people the ads are trying to reach are less likely to feel attacked and to get defensive. It's the difference between "You're foolish to vote for Trump because..." and "I get why you voted for Trump, because I did it too, but here's the problem with doing it again..." So, this campaign might actually make a small dent. And in an election that figures to be close, even small dents could matter. (Z)