The Chaos Report

Why? Because it forcefully drives home crucial points that in all the noise become easy to forget

We were looking for something to distract us today as we waited for the next World Series game. And frankly, there aren’t a heck of a lot of political ads on TV here in Massachusetts, or being directed to us online, except for ones about a public question having to do with car repair. So we poked around the Presidential and various other major campaigns, among the candidates and big PACs, etc. And ultimately, really couldn’t find anything that beats this.

Because first and foremost it focuses on how the election is about us, the voters. The ad accomplishes this by putting the focus on people: in this case fathers and sons. Not really the candidates. None of us is a clone of Donald Trump or Joe Biden. So then it becomes about character. Our character.

It’s from the Lincoln Project. Which in case you don’t already know, is run by a group of Republicans who want to get Trump voted out. We should also get out of the way that we are not affiliated in any way with the Lincoln Project. We just like the ad a lot.

This particular spot is very clearly targeted at men, particularly White men, which makes sense, because that’s the demographic that’s being most fiercely clingy to Trump. In fact, it’s called “Men.”

And it may not even technically be an ad. But it speaks to something else that’s very important. 

And that’s that the most important thing for Democrats might not be getting the people who didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton last time out and voting for Joe Biden. Of course firing up and mobilizing these voters as much as possible is still important, because:

1. Who knows?
2. They are likely to play a very critical role if Democrats are to be successful in regaining control of the Senate.

But the ad (or video clip or whatever you want to call it) reminds us that if Trump loses, it’ll be much more likely the result of people who voted for him last time, voting for Biden this time.

People who expected or hoped for something different out of Trump, and did not imagine the country would turn out the way it has under his Presidency.

And in swing states that Trump won narrowly in 2016, it doesn’t have to be that many. Even a 1% shift could make all the difference in a place like Pennsylvania, which is pretty much a must win for both.

The ad astutely recognizes there’s a significant hurdle to overcome before people are willing to make that switch: nobody likes to admit they made a mistake.

But encouraging people to overcome that might very well be the determining factor in the outcome of the election. The ad advises looking inward instead of outward; considering your own values and those you were brought up with before making a decision.

Because after all, there is no shame in humility and loving thy neighbor.