Link: https://apnews.com/article/transgender-ads-midterms-republicans-cultural-economic-issues-5c43cf231930a02c1f51b7ddcd8d9448

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.

I’d just like to know where the schools that are performing surgery are at, since the wait lists for adults are long. Also is it the cafeteria workers or the bus drivers that do it? Everyone else seems busy all day long.

Yes, who plays what sports is definitely more important than wide-ranging economic policies that affect hundreds of millions of people

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.

GOP as usual spending extravagant sums to desperately maintain the power to willfully ravage the populace & the planet with their devious schemes to blame The Other for the consequences of their own morally bankrupt 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.

According to .ml and db0 accounts...

Yeah

But you'd have to be completely ignorant of the American political system to ever listen to them.

It's wild how many of them I've seen out of nowhere claim if a Dem isn't unquestionably supportive of every trans person (including Caitlyn Jenner) then they're worse than the Republicans openly trying to institute literal christofascism, which is obviously going to be worse for LGBTQ specifically and everyone generally, even people who aren't American.

It's literally all they have to go off of to depress Dem turnout

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.

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 country is pretty much on fire, people are hurting all over, and you idiots want me to worry about gender and sports?"

See? He was mean to me! Now I have to vote for the Gang Of Pedos!"

"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.

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.

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...

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 party of hurt feefees.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If the fear mongering stops working overall, then there’s a chance for real meaningful change.

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.

I dunno if you wanna use James "Dems should roll over and play dead" Carville as a source of good advice.

It's the same schools that make kids use litter boxes. Just go ask Joe Rogan, his totally real teacher friends talk to him about this stuff all the time.

Yep. Here's hoping that this is the point where it finally stops working.

Ya, he sucks as a person, but he was right on that point. People vote based on how they perceive the economy to be.

Broken clock that's wrong 22 hours of the day. Really wish that guy would just shut up and go enjoy retirement.

What are your thoughts on current democrat candidates actively running anti trans ads?

James Carville keeps being proven right:

Hes currently saying the dems need to lose so 🤷. Weird guiding star using a senile old man who is expressing being anti progress

It didn't "work in the past", that was republicans vs neoliberals

This is literally still fucking happening you just love to deny reality

Progressives love talking about actual solutions though, which is why this bullshit doesn't work against them.

It's not, only against the neoliberals who still respond to these ads by throwing minorities under the bus

What it comes down to in my opinion, is the creeps so concerned with what's in strangers' and KIDS' Pants.

Gross

Ya, the rest of his advice is basically crap. But, the economy thing remains on point. I attributed the quote as that seems the proper thing to do, not as an endorsement of the guy.