Conservative political group Freedom’s Watch is using its campaign warchest to go after select Democratic House candidates. The Democrats aren’t taking it lying down – the DCCC is planning to counter each PAC attack with a radio salvo of its own.
Freedom’s Watch, largely bankrolled by Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas, is planning to launch radio and television campaigns in various locations nationwide. “Democrats will not allow Freedom’s Watch to mislead voters,” said DCCC’s Jennifer Crider. DCCC will rely on radio to mount its counterattack.
Ten congressional districts are on the Freedom Watch/DCCC hit list: ID-1, LA-6, MI-7, MO-6, NH-1, NM-1, NY-29, OH-15, OH-16 and PA-10.
RBR/TVBR observation: A few quick notes. RNC holds a big cash edge over the DNC, but the situation is reversed for the national Senatorial committees and particularly for the Congressional committees. The RNCC, struggling to raise cash and beset with an embezzling scandal, will be hard pressed to do what DCCC is doing here. Second, while some of these districts are being hotly contested, it appears at this point that some cash is spilling into territory that you wouldn’t really think is prime battleground material – unless things are changing even faster than it has thus far seemed. Finally, the DCCC move highlights the use of radio as a fast-strike and fast-response medium, even when responding to a television ad. Messages can be scripted and produced with lightning speed, buys can be precisely targeted and the price is right. If DCCC and other organizations keep this tactic in play, it may bring a little more political cash into radio’s coffers than analysts have been predicting.
