Ad war heats up ahead of U.S primaries

AP

In this January 19 photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. speaks at the Fort Museum Opera House in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Polls suggest Mr. Sanders is doing better among younger voters.

Sanders ad watched nearly a million times on YouTube within 24 hours of its release, Hillary's ad viewed only a few thousand times over 2 days.

“They’ve all come to look for America, all come to look for America,” the song plays in the background as Democratic presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders shows up in his latest ad in the company of his supporters– black, white, and brown; farmers, scientists and students. The 1968 song by Paul Simon, signifying protest, adventure and optimism of a young generation has returned to circulation in the new millennium with several new versions since 2000.

Video watched nearly a million times

On Friday, the one-minute video had been watched nearly a million times on YouTube, within 24 hours of its release. Polls suggest Mr. Sanders is doing better among younger voters.

The grassroots campaign that Mr. Sanders has built up appears gaining strength in the Democratic Party – some polls even show him ahead of national frontrunner Hillary Clinton in early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Iowa caucuses on February 1 and New Hampshire primaries are on February 9.

Last-ditch efforts

Candidates are staying put in these states, and have launched new campaign ads in their last-ditch efforts to come up on top.

In contrast with the Sanders viral ad that is subtle and mellow, Ms. Clinton’s latest ad, ‘fighting for you’ is an aggressive pitch about how she fights for women, the LGBT community, the disabled etc. Over two days it has been watched only a few thousand times, though. An early setback can prove fatal for Ms. Clinton’s ambitions.

No negative ads

Though the Democratic candidates have been taking swipes at each other in speeches, they have not made negative ads.

The story is different on the Republican side, where the fight between frontrunners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz has turned savage.

Trump-Cruz ad war

After putting Mr. Cruz on the defensive on the question of his Canadian birth, Mr. Trump has released a new ad that severely dents his opponent’s anti-immigration credentials. Mr. Cruz is shown in the ad, fumbling in a TV interview when asked about his position in Senate that supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. Mr. Cruz has responded in kind – his ad against Mr. Trump talks about how the business tycoon invoked eminent domain in his attempts to takeover a widow’s property for a casino parking slot. If that doesn’t cut, his campaign is accusing Mr. Trump of being a “progressive liberal!”

Meanwhile, the National Review magazine has come out with a special edition titled ‘Against Trump,’ with 22 essays by conservative commentators on why Mr. Trump should not be the Republican candidate.

Jeb Bush slipping further

Jeb Bush, the favourite of the Republican establishment, who has a $100-million fund supporting him, is slipping further as more money is spent and primaries near. In an extravagant way of burning that money, thousands of people were sent a video player this week embedded with a 15-minute film on him.

But Mr. Bush’s messaging sounds conflicting and confused. After trying to be more nuanced in his support for guns, in his latest radio ad, Mr. Bush sings the Trump-Cruz tune. “I have a message for the Obama administration: why don’t you focus more on keeping weapons out of the hands of Islamic terrorists and less on keeping weapons out of the hands of law-abiding Americans?”

Republicans have a tough choice

But it is the Republicans who are facing a tough choice. As the race is now narrowed, the conventional conservative elites are in a bind. “Whether it’s death by being shot or poisoning, does it really matter?” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham — who withdrew from the race in support of Mr. Bush — said about having to choose between Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz, both outsiders to the Republican establishment.