With the election just days away, Democrats are stepping up efforts to dissuade swing-state voters from supporting third-party candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein, pouring $500,000 into a targeted ad campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Monday that it would run digital ads on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, primarily targeting young voters on college campuses.
The ads feature a clip from a June Trump rally, where he expressed admiration for West and Stein’s impact on the Democratic vote, stating, “She takes 100% from them. He takes 100%.” The DNC’s message aims to remind voters that a vote for West or Stein could inadvertently help Republican Donald Trump by drawing votes away from Democrat Kamala Harris.
"In "last minute push," Democrats go after Jill Stein, Cornel West in digital ads aimed at young voters . . . They're spending $500,000 on this, roughly a third of what the Stein campaign has raised. @DrJillStein @CornelWest https://t.co/h1mbi29pJa
— AnnGarrison (@AnnGarrison) October 29, 2024
Democrats, wary of narrow losses in 2000 and 2016 that they attribute to third-party candidates, have been vocal this year in discouraging left-leaning voters from choosing alternative candidates. Stein, the Green Party nominee in 2016, won a significant share of votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, where Hillary Clinton’s combined loss margin was 77,000 votes.
On the campaign trail in Phoenix, Stein urged supporters to vote their conscience, accusing both Trump and Harris of “genocidal” policies in support of Israel. She criticized the DNC’s campaign against her as a suppression tactic, adding, “If we are to be a democracy, we have to stand up for what we want.”
Democrats go after Jill Stein, Cornel West in digital ads aimed at young voters – ABC News via @ABC – https://t.co/nh4FkO4Tqa
— stevenfromct (@stevenfromct) October 29, 2024
Jason Call, Stein’s campaign manager, echoed her sentiment, saying, “We want them to lose,” referring to the Democrats. He argued that another Democratic administration might worsen current issues, fueling debate among progressive voters. Democrats hope their final push will prevent votes from shifting toward third-party candidates in pivotal states.
