Nearly Half Of Democrats’ 2018 Ads Mention Health Care, While GOP Candidates Shy Away. Either Way, Many Don’t Name The ‘ACA.’
An analysis of campaign ads for the upcoming midterms reflects polls that find that the percentage of Americans who hold favorable views of the law has surpassed the share opposing it -- a gap that has grown since Republicans’ failed repeat efforts. But many candidates focus on buzzwords like "preexisting conditions" rather than naming the contentious law itself. Media outlets take a look at advertisements and campaigns in races across the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Care Crowds Out Jobs, Taxes In Midterm Ads
Eight years ago, the newly passed Affordable Care Act was so widely criticized that it contributed to Democrats losing control of the House of Representatives. But in this midterm election, health care is the party’s most-mentioned topic in advertising—far above anything else, including opposition to President Trump. Meanwhile, Republicans—who have made repealing the Affordable Care Act one of their top advertising messages since the 2010 election—are barely mentioning it this year, after the GOP-led Congress tried unsuccessfully to overturn the law last year. The party has instead turned its attention to touting the tax legislation Mr. Trump signed into law late last year. (McGill and Bykowicz, 10/9)
Bloomberg:
Republicans Fought Obamacare. Now They're Campaigning To Save It
Numerous Republicans who are supporting attempts to dismantle Obamacare are simultaneously campaigning for election on their support for a core provision of the law. The GOP spent the eight years since the Affordable Care Act was passed attempting to derail it in Congress, the White House and the courts. But those efforts have struck a nerve when it comes to a central element of the law -- rules protecting insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions. (Kapur, 10/9)
The Hill:
Dem Ad Accuses Heller Of 'Lying' About Record On Pre-Existing Conditions
A new Democratic ad is accusing Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) of “lying” about helping people with pre-existing conditions. The ad from Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is seeking to unseat Heller in a close Senate race, features people with pre-existing conditions, one of whom says, “Dean Heller is lying about helping us.” (Sullivan, 10/8)
The Washington Post:
Rep. Dave Brat’s Attack Ad Focuses On ‘Sanctuary Cities,’ Taxes And Health Care; Opponent Calls Foul On Two Of Three
Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) is airing a TV ad that criticizes Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s positions on taxes, health care and “sanctuary cities” — and her campaign calls two out of the three untrue. Locked in a tight race, both candidates and their allies are spending heavily on TV ads in the central Virginia district, which comprises rural areas and parts of Richmond and its suburbs. Brat and Republican-aligned interest groups spent $363,275 on commercials last week alone, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Spanberger and her allies spent $408,728 over the same period, some of it for an ad that features the mother of a diabetic son who criticizes Brat, saying he voted against protections for people with preexisting medical conditions. (Vozzella, 10/8)
The Oregonian:
Oregon Governors' Race: Kate Brown Vs. Knute Buehler On Health Care
With polls showing the governor’s race is tight, incumbent Kate Brown has ramped up the attack ads against her Republican challenger, Rep. Knute Buehler, on his home turf: health care. Brown says Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon by trade, has repeatedly voted to cut health care funding and restrict access while assuring Oregonians he would do no such thing. “I feel like I’m running against two different people,” she recently told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Rep. Buehler voted against expanding the Oregon Health Plan, he voted for taking 430,000 people off the plan. He voted against a plan that would have covered all our children. Are you kidding me? That’s not only dead set against Oregon values, it’s cruel.” (Manning, 10/8)
The Hill:
NARAL To Launch $1M Ad Campaign Targeting GOP Over Kavanaugh
Pro-abortion rights advocacy group NARAL is launching a $1 million ad campaign hitting vulnerable House Republicans over the GOP's support for newly-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The NARAL campaign is seeking to turn Democratic anger over Kavanaugh into votes during the midterm elections. (Birnbaum, 10/8)
The Hill:
Ryan Says 'Medicare For All' Shows Democratic Party Has 'Gone Off The Rails'
The embrace of “Medicare for all” shows that the Democratic party has “gone off the rails,” Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Monday. In a speech at the National Press Club, Ryan warned that the plan favored by “the Left” would result in Americans having no choice about the cost or coverage of their health insurance. (Weixel, 10/8)
And Senate Democrats are looking to get another health vote on the record —
The Hill:
Senate Dems To Force Vote This Week To Overrule Trump ObamaCare Change
Democrats are planning to force a vote in the Senate this week on overturning a Trump administration rule expanding non-ObamaCare insurance plans. The Democratic resolution, which will likely get a vote on Wednesday, would overturn a rule finalized in August that expanded the availability of short-term health insurance plans. (Sullivan, 10/8)
