The advertisement opens with three older women sitting around a table in a diner, talking about threats to Israel and American Jews and Donald J. Trump.One admits she “never cared for” the former president. “But at least he’ll keep us safe,” she says.
The advertisement, produced by the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund, is an example of one of the most striking advertising tactics of this campaign.
Going after their skeptics, both Democrats and Republicans are highlighting relatable characters offering measured testimonials — even acknowledgments of the shortcomings of the candidates they are pitching — to coax voters into crossing party lines. They implicitly speak to the reality that, in a polarized country where people are defined by their tribe, one of most difficult things is to step out of that box and vote against type.
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“What about Kamala?” “Busy defending ‘The Squad.’” “Oy vey! You know, Trump I never cared for, but at least he’ll keep us safe.”
It is intended to “create a permission structure,” said Todd Harris, a Republican consultant. “In order for a message to sink in, you have to have people listening and paying attention.”
The diner ad, for instance, tries to give Jewish voters, who are mostly Democrats, permission to vote for a Republican former president.
