We’ve already covered the somewhat tepid response to American Crossroads from the port side of the ship in the form of American Bridge for you here. This week, in a normally sleepy season when we don’t typically see too many moves on the political chessboard, the DCCC made their first serious incursion into the media battlefield. Perhaps they suspected that the conservative giant had gone into hibernation for the winter, but apparently the bear was only napping. The ad buy from the Democrats drew a prompt response from the big guns.
The conservative group Crossroads GPS is going up with radio ads in 19 districts to defend Republicans against a new attack from Democrats.
Crossroads is going up in the exact same 19 districts where the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee went up with media campaigns earlier this week.
Crossroads GPS, a 501(c)(4) affiliated with American Crossroads, says its ad buy is much bigger than the modest one launched by the DCCC and estimates the total cost of airtime at $90,000.
The mix of districts being contested probably won’t come as any sort of surprise. You’ll see more than a few familiar names here, several of which are in the Northeast where Republicans managed some big wins in November:
Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (N.Y.) Rep. Lou Barletta (Pa.) Rep. Charlie Bass (N.H.) Rep. Steve Chabot (Ohio) Rep. Chip Cravaack (Minn.) Rep. Bob Dold (Ill.) Rep. Sean Duffy (Wis.) Rep. Blake Farenhold (Texas) Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.) Rep. Nan Hayworth (N.Y.) Rep. Joe Heck (Nev.) Rep. Robert Hurt (Va.) Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.) Rep. Pat Meehan (Pa.) Rep. Dave Reichert (Wash.) Rep. David Rivera (Fla.) Rep. Jon Runyan (N.J.) Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) Rep. Allen West (Fla.)
There’s actually nothing terribly unusual going on here aside from how early in the cycle we’re seeing serious money being trotted out. And if you have the cash to spend, it’s probably a smart move. In the past, the parties have typically allowed voters to pretty much forget about politics in the off years, keeping their powder dry for a huge push in the final few months leading up to the election. The strategy we’re seeing here seems designed to get people used to thinking in a certain way early on, ingraining a message which would then be harder to shake come crunch time.
The interesting takeaway here is the strange breakdown between message and actions. On the one hand, we have complaints about conservatives flushing cash into the pristine waters of the American body politic. But we’re barely into February – still more than a year and a half from the next big general election – and those doing the most complaining are coming out with body blows. Small wonder if their opponents choose to counter-punch.
Politics is a bit of a rough and tumble world, which I can attest to from first hand experience. And communications is the name of the game. In the end, it isn’t the money you spend but the message you bring and how well it resonates with the voters who decide your fate.
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