Democratic PAC invests early in swing states to highlight Biden's record job growth
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A Democratic super PAC is launching a $3.5 million ad buy in several key battleground states designed promote President Joe Biden’s economic accomplishments ahead of the 2022 midterms.
According to Politico, American Bridge 21st Century is placing the TV, digital, and radio spots in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, all of which are host to key Senate battles that could determine who controls the upper chamber. The ad buy builds on a $5 million investment in the same states announced by American Bridge in March.
The ads feature swing voters and attempt to walk the line between highlighting Biden’s historic job creation and sympathizing with the effect of rising prices on consumers.
In one ad, Jodi, an Arizona retiree, says she hasn’t “always voted Democrat” but adds that “Joe Biden reflects my values.” As headlines flash across the screen noting that Arizona has fully recovered all the jobs lost to the pandemic, Jodi says Biden “deserves a lot of credit” for the turnaround in Tucson.
“Costs are still high,” she admits, “but Joe Biden knows that and he’s doing what he can to bring those costs down.”
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After touting Biden’s push to bolster “Buy American” manufacturing, Jodi says the policy would mean “more jobs, and less expensive goods to buy.”
While there’s more work to be done, “Joe Biden gets it,” she concludes.
In another ad, former Pennsylvania Republican Lindsey tells viewers the president is focused on creating “access to better jobs and lowering costs and getting this economy back on track.” An AP headline onscreen reads, “Pennsylvania Payrolls Up, Jobless Rate Down in February.”
Early efforts to set the record straight on Biden’s stewardship of the economy are a crucial piece of boosting Democratic chances this fall. Polling has shown that many (if not most) Americans don’t even realize the U.S. economy added jobs last year rather than lost them. In fact, Biden’s economy created a historic number of jobs last year—more than any other year on record—and it is continuing to thrive in 2022.
Yet a Navigator Research survey released this week found that a 35% plurality of Americans say the U.S. has lost more jobs over the past year than it created. Just 19% said the U.S. has seen job growth, and 33% said the country has seen about the same level of growth.
Not all advertising is created equal—both substance and timing help determine how effective ads can be at achieving their goals.
Early advertising will likely yield more bang for the buck for several reasons. For one, the airwaves aren’t entirely saturated yet. Two, setting a baseline level of understanding about the facts is foundational to allowing Democrats to focus on other messages down the road. Three, Democrats don’t have the Fox News propaganda bullhorn that Republicans enjoy, so early advertising is at least one way to attempt to level the playing field.