(Ezekiel Loseke, Headline USA) Priorities USA, a Democrat Super PAC, is running social media ads publicly shaming 18-34-year-old Americans who do not vote in swing states this election cycle.
Axios reported that Priorities USA prefers the term “social pressure” to describe its public shaming campaign.
Nevertheless, one of its ads is a thinly veiled threat. It reads, “Who you vote for is secret. But whether you decide to cast a vote or not is public. So keep making your community proud this November.”
Another ad shows a willingness to invade the privacy of its targeted audience. It reads, “This is Bob. Bob liked posting that he voted in 2020 … But we know he let his voter registration get out of date. Don’t be like Bob.”
This campaign “also includes messages designed to educate voters on how to check their registration status,” and thus avoid being shamed like Bob.
Aneesa McMillian, Priorities USA’s deputy executive director, told Axios that it was running advertisements on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, streaming music services, YouTube and connected tv.
The Super Pac has currently spent just over $200,000 on these ads. However, Priorities USA intends to spend about $30 million on its Orwellian digital ads for the upcoming midterm elections, reported Axios.
These ads seem to be intended to stem the tide of the red wave threatening Democrat majorities in both houses increasing Democrat turnout in swing states.
They are running in the critical swing states of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Priorities USA sends its ads to users in zip codes that are “urban centers and areas around large universities.” The Super Pac is intentionally excluding “more rural zip codes,” in an apparent attempt to minimize conservative voter turnout.
McMillian told Axios, “We have an entire research apparatus that we have built upon since 2017 to make sure that our targeting and tactics are accurate.”
