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.
Every time I get a call or text or see an ad like this for a political campaign, I try to respond in a way that even idiots like these might be able to understand, something like: “The country is pretty much on fire, people are hurting all over, and you idiots want me to worry about gender and sports?”
Putting aside all the important arguments about bodily autonomy and liberty, I think it’s best to meet these people with the argument that what somebody else chooses for themselves has nothing to do with the welfare of the country in any way, shape or form. Even if it were an issue, and it is not, we have far bigger fish to fry what somebody else chooses to do that affects no one else.
They’ve shifted their arguments to being against children recieving gender affirming care. They’re saying that minors can’t decide for themselves, and parents who allow it are harming their children.
Adults can do what they want except use the bathroom or play sports apparently.
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.
Republicans have nothing to run on, so they are trying to manufacture something to run against. Given what the polls look like at the moment, and some of the numbers from early returns, it hasn’t been working. Year after year after year, James Carville keeps being proven right:
It’s the economy, stupid.
What it comes down to in my opinion, is the creeps so concerned with what’s in strangers’ and KIDS’ Pants.
Gross
It will bring out their base. Home schooled gun and bible toting yokels, whose truck is worth more than their singlewide, will always take time out from their busy cow tipping schedule to vote red and own the libs.
The GOP does not have a problem bringing out their base.
This galvenizes their base away from actual issues like the economy to a moral panic issue that’s much easier for them to defend.
Their base can feel morally superior defending “the children” than trying to defend $6 / dozen eggs.
I have read that headline literally every 6 months for damn near 20 years. Just replace transgender ads with whatever the boogeyman of the day is
“The sounds of attack ads on innocent trans kids sure do help to drown out the sounds of my empty stomach and cancer cells teating my body apart as I miss a meal for the second day in a row and can’t afford healthcare!”
Bumfuck MAGAs, probably.
