The 2022 Ad Wars

[brooklynite]

UVA Center for Politics

1. Abortion dominates Democratic advertising

NBC News recently reported numbers from the ad tracking firm AdImpact. It found that in the first half of September, abortion was the leading topic among all political ads: That firm found that 90 of 448 ads (20%) mentioned abortion, and that “Democrats overwhelmingly ran more ads about abortion than Republicans.” We didn’t keep our own overall tallies, but that was clearly still true in the second half of the month in the ads we viewed.

2. Checks and balances

A prominent feature of Republican messaging is simply arguing that Democrats are much too in lockstep with their unpopular national leaders. The most common formulation we noticed was Republicans using President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as a way of tying Democrats to their national party brand. That included the frequent notation that a certain Democrat had voted 100% of the time (or somewhere in the 90s) with either Pelosi, Biden, or both.

3. Tough-on-crime messaging predominates

Crime has become a major focus for Republicans, and Democrats are trying to inoculate themselves on Republican crime messaging by championing their own support for law enforcement, often by featuring people who work in law enforcement. A good example is this ad, from state Assemblyman Adam Gray (D) running in the open CA-13; Gray features Republican county sheriffs who describe how Gray helped them fight crime.

4. Guest stars

National political figures sometimes appear in ads as a way to nationalize races. We already mentioned Biden and Pelosi. Some other Democrats appeared from time to time in Republican attack ads – progressive lightning rod Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14) was used in some ads, sometimes noted just by her 3 initials: AOC.

[ColinC]

1. The first one is encouraging

In my opinion Democrats should only be talking about abortion right now.

[brooklynite]

2. According to DNC internal polling...

Reproductive rights has moved from #8 to #2 in importance, BUT cost of living is still #1.

[ColinC]

4. It might not be the number one issue for the majority of voters

But it is probably the number one issue for some of the more motivated voters, judging from the last four special elections.

[Baggies]

3. I would have preferred the ads be more kitchen table issues.

I’m seeing way too many that are either single issue ads or ads attacking Trump (who’s not even running). I see very few Democratic ads talking about inflation, gas prices, the border, and the economy in general. The avoidance of ads highlighting those issues is palatable.

Also, I don’t know who’s advising them, but some running are dressed like they’re throwbacks from a different age. One in particular where I live is an individual in his mid 60’s running for statewide office who still dresses like it’s the 80’s with this stupid looking gold chain necklace. It’s just embarrassing.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. What is more kitchen table than women and girls losing a right they've had for 50 years?

Women and girls are suffering NOW, not in some nebulous, hypothetical future.

Slave states have enacted draconian laws since Dobbs. These are Republican legislatures and many are gerrymandered so badly they will remain in place after the election. It is essential that we maintain the House and gain in the Senate in order to codify Roe at the national level.

Democrats don't need to be talking about Republican talking points. Democrats need to be talking about Roe, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chips act.

[Elessar Zappa]

6. Women's fundamental rights are more important.

I’m glad Dems are focusing on abortion.