Where Is J.D. Vance? (Because He’s Not In His TV Ad Paid For By D.C. Republicans)
August 3, 2022
Mitch McConnell’s Allies To Spend Nearly $5 Million To Bail Out Vance’s Broke Campaign
Columbus, OH – The J.D. Vance’s campaign’s first general election ad debuts on TV today – paid for by Mitch McConnell and national Republicans – and there’s someone conspicuously missing from the ad: J.D. Vance himself. The only time Vance is allowed to speak is for the legally-required disclaimer at the end of the ad.
J.D. Vance is so unlikable, his campaign team knows they need to hide him away from Ohioans. An internal poll from the Tim Ryan campaign showed his popularity underwater by double digits, with 38 percent viewing him favorably to 49 percent unfavorably. Ohioans’ dislike of Vance is strong, with 39 percent of Ohioans viewing Vance very unfavorably. And the most recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll from May showed more Ohioans viewing Vance unfavorably while independents back Tim.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball’s Kyle Kondik noted that the ad featuring Vance’s wife Usha “appears to be an effort to improve Vance’s image with women, which supposedly is in need of boosting.” For months, Ohioans have been reading about Vance’s anti-woman agenda, including how he believes survivors of rape and incest should be forced to give birth to their rapist’s baby, compared abortion to slavery, and most recently doubled down on saying that women should stay in “violent” marriages for the sake of the children.
As Jared Leopold, the former Communications Director for the Democratic Governors Association, noted on Twitter, “Spouse to camera ‘emphasizing local roots’ = the spot you run when your campaign is taking on water.” And national Republicans agree – which is why Mitch McConnell’s allies are also placing an additional nearly $4 million buy starting next week.
“While J.D. Vance faces backlash for saying he ‘completely stands by’ his comments that women in ‘violent’ marriages should stay in dangerous situations, Mitch McConnell and his out-of-state corporate cronies are dumping millions of dollars to bail out their favorite fraud. Ohioans know the real J.D. Vance is an out-of-touch opportunist who will do or say anything to advance himself and no amount of money from Mitch McConnell will convince them otherwise,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.
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