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Democrats spend on anti-health-reform advertisements
Opponents of reform have targeted Jack Conway in Kentucky and Charlie Crist in Florida. | AP Photos
CloseBy SARAH KLIFF | 9/16/10 4:31 AM EDT Updated: 9/16/10 9:24 AM EDT
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Democratic candidates are spending three times more advertising against the health reform law than they are in support of it. Since the beginning of Congress’s August recess, Democratic candidates have poured $930,000 into ads deriding the health overhaul but just $300,000 in pro-reform spots, according to Evan Tracey at Kantar Media.
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“Go back to 2006, and even before that, and Democrats used health care as their No. 1 issue,” Tracey said. “They had a villain in the pharmaceutical industry. Now that they passed this law, it’s almost disarmed them rather than given them an opportunity.”
Moreover, Tracey’s data shows that health reform opponents – inside and outside of Congress – are increasingly outspending supporters. Opponents now spend seven times as much on anti-reform spots as supporters spend on pro-reform spots, a marked change from early May, when their dollars only doubled those of reform advocates.
Anti-reform forces, including the Chamber for Commerce, Americans for Prosperity and Crossroads GPS, have spent $14 million on advertisements since early August, Tracey said.
At the same time, pro-reform groups have spent just $1.8 million. The most notable buy comes from the Health Information Campaign, a new-Democrat led group currently running a three-week, national ad campaign in support of the new law.
Even Democratic candidates’ pro-reform ads can offer tepid support for the law. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) ran an ad last week that mentioned his support of health reform briefly, sandwiched between other legislative accomplishments.
“When the economy collapsed, Sen. Feingold helped pass tax cuts for 95 percent of Wisconsin family,” the script reads. “Russ also fought for tax credits for small businesses and relief from rising health care costs.”
“There’s not any messaging out there by incumbent Democrats trying to promote what people liked, like allowing dependents to stay on their parents’ insurance,” says Tracey. He describes the Health Information Campaign’s advertisements, which do hit on popular provisions of reform, as “one voice screaming in a crowd. They’re not going to get heard with everyone else screaming.”
As POLITICO has previously reported, at least five Democrats have run ads touting their opposition to health reform.
Anti-health reform groups continue to pour millions into attack ads. The Chamber of Commerce went up Tuesday with new ads attacking Attorney General Jack Conway in Kentucky for supporting the law and accusing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist of flip-flopping on the issue.
“Democrats haven’t found a good rejoinder,” Tracey said. “There doesn’t seem to be a significant effort to try and dial some of that criticism down, turn a negative into a positive.”
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