Democrats take to the skies for messaging during NFL games

NEWS AND OPINION:

Did you notice? The Democratic National Committee (DNC) revealed its very first NFL ad campaign on Sunday.

It is not your usual quick-moving video full of promises and earnest-looking voters. Nope. The committee instead, in its most bodacious outreach yet, chose skywriting over Las Vegas during the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But that’s not all.

Planes towing banners with political messages “reminding voters to defeat Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda” flew over the Arizona Cardinals–Green Bay Packers game in Green Bay, Wisconsin; the Atlanta Falcons–Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Cleveland Browns–Philadelphia Eagles game in Philadelphia.

This is something for the Trump campaign to mull over, perhaps. Then again, maybe not.

“Fans across the battlegrounds are ready to sack Donald Trump’s Project 2025 playbook once and for all. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda is a dangerous plan to give him unprecedented power over our daily lives, to ban abortion nationwide, allow the government to monitor pregnancies, and give tax giveaways to his billionaire friends,” DNC deputy communications director Abhi Rahman said in a written statement shared with the Beltway.

“That’s why the DNC is meeting voters where they are, with innovative skywriting and plane banners that have a simple message: the most important contest is still to come in November, and America is ready to sack Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, win the game, and cast their vote for Kamala Harris,” Mr. Rahman said.

The messages varied: “Vote Kamala” was seen by audiences in Las Vegas and Green Bay; “Sack Trump’s Project 2025! Vote Kamala!” was the message for Charlotte; while Philadelphians looked skyward to read “Go Birds! Sack Project 2025! Vote Kamala.”

THE BUSY SPEAKER

House Speaker Mike Johnson is definitely a camera-ready lawmaker, appearing Sunday on both the CBS News show “Face the Nation” and the NBC News program “Meet the Press.” He talked about the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, discussed small business loans, and also made a clear vow to guard the security of the presidential election.

“I’m a constitutional law attorney. I’ve dedicated my life, devoted my life and demonstrated every day that I will uphold the U.S. Constitution. We are going to do our job in Congress. A free and fair and legal election will be certified. And that is our hope and prayer across the board. Of course, I’m going to follow the Constitution. I’m going to follow the law. That’s my job. It’s my duty. I took an oath to do that. And I’ll fulfill my oath,” Mr. Johnson said on “Meet the Press.”

“The point is that the process works. We had the peaceful transfer of power in 2020, and we will have it in 2024. Everybody can sigh and take a deep breath. Our system is going to work. We have the greatest system in the history of the world because we live in the greatest country in the world. But that last part is in jeopardy right now. This is a decisive election, and everybody knows it. And that’s why we’re going to be given the chance to run this country again. We’re going to turn it around — and I can’t wait,” Mr. Johnson noted.

’IT’S THE SENATE, STUPID’

Let’s venture back 32 years for a little insight.

“You’ve probably heard Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign slogan, ’It’s the economy, stupid.’ Clinton’s political strategist, James Carville, posted it inside campaign headquarters to keep the team focused and on the message,” reports Senate Conservatives Action.

The organization, by the way, is the super PAC arm of the Senate Conservatives Fund, a national grassroots organization.

“The slogan is making a comeback in 2024 as Republicans highlight Kamala Harris’ dismal economic record. But if you’re a freedom-loving American, we have a different slogan for you: ’It’s the Senate, Stupid,’” the organization said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Conservatives are rightly focused on the presidential race this year, but winning the White House – as critical as it is – won’t be enough to save the country without a conservative Senate. Without the Senate, President Trump won’t be able to confirm his appointees or enact his second-term agenda. A Republican president without a conservative Senate is simply a waste of a Republican president,” the group advised.

It is focusing attention on defending the seats of Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri. The group also is helping the challenges to Democratic-held seats by Bernie Moreno in Ohio, Kari Lake in Arizona, Sam Brown in Nevada, Eric Hovde in Wisconsin and Tim Sheehy in Montana.

Find them at SenateConservatives.com.

ON THE RADAR

The New York Young Republican Club is a very busy group. This month alone, the organization has hosted a watch party for the vice presidential debate; staged a “day of action for President Trump” in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; offered a guide for members on “self-defense, survival and prepping”; and organized a “Trump phone banking social.”

The group is also taking a stand on Columbus Day, which is Monday.

The organization plans an event later this week at an undetermined location titled “Defending Christopher Columbus,” featuring scholarly discussions aimed at “restoring Christopher Columbus’ reputation as an American and Italian icon.”

“Appetizers and Italian heroes will be served,” the group notes in its invitation.

The group was founded in 1911 and boasts 22 separate committees that address policy, politics, philanthropy and other matters.

POLL DU JOUR

• 4% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely interested” in hearing about a candidate’s personal life during news coverage of the 2024 presidential election.

• 10% say they are “very interested” in hearing about a candidate’s personal life during news coverage.

• 32% say they are “somewhat interested” in hearing about a candidate’s personal life.

• 35% are “not too interested” in hearing about a candidate’s personal life.

• 19% are “not at all interested” in hearing about a candidate’s personal life.

SOURCE: A Pew Research Center “American Trends” poll of 9,680 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 16-22 and released Friday.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.