Republicans have spent an estimated $183 million on television ads focused on transgender-related attacks against Democrats in the final phase of this year’s midterm elections, betting that struggling GOP candidates can leverage the divisive cultural issue to overcome voters’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s leadership and the state of the economy.
The massive investment through Oct. 25 produced about 217,000 TV spots nationwide and exceeds the amount Republicans spent on similar ads in 2024, a presidential election year, at the same point before Election Day, according to tallies provided to The Associated Press by data firm AdImpact.
The spending campaign matched messaging from other Republicans on the campaign trail, led by Trump, who has played down surging gasoline prices and other rising costs, but highlighted what he described as an urgent threat to America’s children from Democratic policies.
It’s stupid as fuck, but this strategy has worked for them plenty in the past. It’s obvious that the political will of the USA is more focused on culture wars, and less on fixing societal problems.
It didn’t “work in the past”, that was republicans vs neoliberals.
Races where “just fix what we actually care about” wasn’t on the ballot.
If there’s an option to actually fix the shit that matters, that’s going to be the winner over any position about who can play what non-professional sport for zero money.
Hell, the only reason anyone cares about it is, is fear mongering over college scholarships, we get free higher education and that knocks the legs out from the entire argument.
It’s just neoliberals and Republicans don’t want us to talk about that.
Progressives love talking about actual solutions though, which is why this bullshit doesn’t work against them.
I see some good signs (primarily DSA) of actual solutions based governance. I’m cautiously optimistic that the existing national dynamic will shift away from reality TV rage bait bullshit. If the fear mongering stops working overall, then there’s a chance for real meaningful change.
What?
It didn’t work in 2016, and it didn’t work in 2024…
So in early 2025, the DNC pivoted away from neoliberalism…
The things you’re talking about hoping may happen, happened almost two years ago…
The idea that reactionary fearmongering rage bait identity politics weren’t used or didn’t have their intended effect in 2016 or 2024 is laughable.
You said that, I assumed about neoliberals…
I pointed out it didn’t work and neoliberals lost 2016 and 2024…
And you seem to have taken it as no one was trying it…
Which, yeah buddy. If anyone said what you thought it might be “laughable” but that’s only because you’re not understanding what anyone else is saying.
On the other hand, I got a pretty good reason now on why you’re 20 months late to the party. People probably have tried to you by now, hell I might have.
But I just don’t think you’re gonna understand it if you honestly don’t by now
Sounds like you made an incorrect assumption and now you’re trying to flip it around to make a point that seems nebulous and standoffish. I’ll just point you back to my original comment.
And I’ll do what I always do when facts and logic don’t work.
Best of luck buddy, you’ll need it to survive with this level of critical thinking and reliance on first assumptions
It stand by my statement. The idea that socialist candidates are immune from fearmongering hate based attacks is far from the new proven dynamic, and the USA still has a long way to go to put the politics of fear and hate in the past. Your rude, dismissive and pompous additude is proof positive. I think you should give more fucks.