Trump 2020 Pours Big Bucks Into Lying Digital Ads

Axios reports:

As the 2020 election inches closer, Republicans continue to enjoy the digital edge they seized in 2016. Why it matters: Online ad spending offers President Trump an efficient way to target sympathetic voters with fundraising pitches and barrage them with inflammatory messages on issues ranging from immigration to impeachment.

It’s especially cost-effective on Facebook, because there, the more an ad proves “engaging” — i.e., hot, attention-grabbing, clicky — the cheaper it is. It’s a system made for Trump’s style. The big picture: This conflict, as we’ve been reporting, is unfolding on platforms that have given politicians a nearly unlimited free pass to tell lies.

The New York Times reports:

On any given day, the Trump campaign is plastering ads all over Facebook, YouTube and the millions of sites served by Google, hitting the kind of incendiary themes — immigrant invaders, the corrupt media — that play best on platforms where algorithms favor outrage and political campaigns are free to disregard facts.

Even seemingly ominous developments for Mr. Trump become fodder for his campaign. When news broke last month that congressional Democrats were opening an impeachment inquiry, the campaign responded with an advertising blitz aimed at firing up the president’s base.

The campaign slapped together an “Impeachment Poll” (sample question: “Do you agree that President Trump has done nothing wrong?”). It invited supporters to join the Official Impeachment Defense Task Force (“All you need to do is DONATE NOW!”). It produced a slick video laying out the debunked conspiracy theory about former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Ukraine that is now at the center of the impeachment battle (“Learn the truth. Watch Now!”).

“While the Trump campaign has put its digital operation firmly at the center of the president’s re-election effort, Democrats are struggling to internalize the lessons of the 2016 race and adapt to a political landscape shaped by social media.” https://t.co/RozbH85Jpm

— Nu Wexler (@wexler) October 20, 2019

Additional thoughts on the NYT digital story. 1) There’s no evidence that proves polarizing candidates are more likely to win general elections. It depends on the district/state/candidate/year, and there are plenty of good examples of polarizing candidates losing to centrists.

— Nu Wexler (@wexler) October 21, 2019