Huge ad spending pours into defining Harris in the 'blue wall' battlegrounds
Source: NBC News
Sept. 26, 2024, 5:00 AM EDT
Money talks. And right now, the presidential campaigns’ dollars are talking about the “blue wall” — and about defining Kamala Harris.
More than half of every dollar spent on ads in the presidential race from Sept. 1 to 20 were spent in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — with Pennsylvania alone drawing 1 of every 4 dollars spent, according to AdImpact. Add Georgia, and it’s more than 60% of the total.
The spending illustrates how Democrats and Republicans are in broad agreement about the states in play and how one side or the other will win the election. And what those ad dollars are actually buying tells a key story about the campaign. Harris’ campaign is running an equal mix of positive and negative ads on broadcast TV, according to the tracking firm AdImpact, while former President Donald Trump’s campaign is running almost exclusively negative and contrast ads — a demonstration of how focused voters and both campaigns are on defining Harris as she runs against a three-time candidate who has inspired entrenched views among American voters.
“It’s simple: Everyone has made up their mind about Donald Trump. Trump’s numbers are the stickiest things in politics; they don’t move,” said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist and presidential campaign veteran. “What’s moveable is Harris — we’ve seen a lot of movement in her numbers since she entered the race,” Conant continued, noting the dramatic increase in Harris’ favorability numbers since she took over as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/huge-ad-spending-pours-defining-harris-blue-wall-battlegrounds-rcna172538
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