Staff Reports
Donald Trump and his allies have decided to take the gloves off and unleash a spending spree that would make even a billionaire philanthropist sit up and take notice. Just days into the campaign season, the former president’s team is tossing around ads like they’re confetti at a New Year’s party, outspending Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign by a jaw-dropping 25 to 1 ratio. A recent report reveals that Trump and his Republican pals have shelled out over $68 million on advertising compared to a measly $2.6 million from the Democrats. It seems like the GOP is ready to crush the competition before the Harris campaign even gets off the ground.
With the big bucks flowing and less than a week in, the Harris campaign has found itself in icy waters. The data from AdImpact, highlighted by the Associated Press, offers a glimpse into a favored strategy of Republicans: getting out in front of the narrative on Harris, who, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly the household name that some Democrats would hope. The campaign is probably already brainstorming ways to rebrand her – perhaps with a catchy slogan like “Harris: Not Your Average Radical.”
Washington Examiner: Trump’s spending spree doesn’t have Harris and Democrats panicked yet https://t.co/E1I7obDLzP
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) July 25, 2024
In the midst of this ad bombardment, a voice of concern echoes from Sarah Longwell of Republican Voters Against Trump, who cautions that this initial wave could be a game changer. She astutely notes that public opinion is as malleable as clay before it hardens into concrete. Harris has a narrow window to define who she is before Trump swoops in and lays down a different narrative. Given his knack for branding, it’s not hard to see how she could end up being painted as a fringe character in a late-night horror flick.
Meanwhile, the Harris camp is brimming with optimism, or at least trying to sell that narrative. One exasperated official lamented that it had only been three days into the race, almost as if the rules of political advertising don’t apply in the cutthroat world of modern campaigns. They claimed they were hustling to position ads while simultaneously enjoying an impressive amount of “earned media,” as if that would magically turn the tide.
Tucked away in the Democratic strategy playbook is the belief that all that free media attention — often laden with complimentary spins — will fill in the gaping hole left by the lack of ad funding. Some believe spending money on ads while basking in positive coverage is akin to throwing cash into a bonfire. With the likes of Hillary Clinton’s campaign insiders echoing this sentiment, one can only wonder how much longer they can rely on the kindness of the media to stay afloat in this shark tank of a campaign landscape.
At the end of the day, the Harris campaign faces a mountain of challenges. With Trump’s war chest overflowing and an imminent narrative shift, the next few weeks will test their resolve more than a drop in stock prices at a Wall Street brokerage. If they don’t act fast, the adage about first impressions lingering longer than a bad smell may end up being their new anthem.
