Source: J. Scott Applewhite/CNP/startraksphoto.com / WENN
Joe Biden has been relatively quiet over the last few months, but it seems that after an influx of support he plans to change that for the final three months of the 2020 Presidential election run.
According to the New York Times, Joe Biden‘s campaign announced a $280 million fall advertising blitz on Wednesday (Aug 5), outlining plans for $220 million in television and $60 million in digital ads across 15 states in the lead-up to the November election.
The ad reservation, which will begin on Sept. 1, is by far the biggest of the 2020 race by either campaign and is a sign of the swift turnabout in Mr. Biden’s finances, as both small and large donors have rallied behind him since he became the presumptive Democratic nominee against Donald Trump.
Part of the massive advertising campaign includes an additional campaign specifically targeted to African Americans. According to the Associated Press, Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential campaign has launched a new national ad focused on Black Americans, urging them to stand up to President Donald Trump the way their ancestors stood up to “violent racists of a generation ago.”
The one-minute ad, which is meant to drum up support among Black Americans, a key constituency for Biden, ahead of November’s general election, titled “Better America,” also takes a direct swipe at Trump, without mentioning the president by name.
“We must choose to fight for that better America,” the narrator states. “And just like our ancestors who stood up to the violent racists of a generation ago, we will stand up to this president and say, ‘No more,’ because America is better than him. So we choose to be bigger. We choose to be bolder. We choose to bring back justice, respect, and dignity to this country. We choose Joe Biden to lead us all towards that American promise together.”
While many call attention to the move as a way to pander to garner African American support, Biden’s Director os Strategic Communications says that taking care of the concerns affecting the African American community has been the for Vice-President’s priority since day one.
“The emphasis on engaging with Black voters and communities of color has been a key pillar of our campaign since day one,” Kamau Marshall, Director of Strategic Communications for Biden’s campaign told the AP. “Our robust paid media strategy, which will include the largest general election investment in African American paid media by a presidential campaign, will allow us to disseminate Vice President Biden’s policy proposals and targeted initiatives that speak directly to Black communities across the United States.”
In addition to funding his extensive ad campaign, Biden has also become more vocal about the seemingly impending legal trouble that is surrounding Trump and his campaign. During an interview with NPR, when asked whether or not he would interfere with the prosecution of Trump if the Department of Justice decides to move forward before adding that he didn’t think the move would be “good for democracy.”
“Look, the Justice Department is not the president’s private law firm. The attorney general is not the president’s private lawyer. I will not interfere with the Justice Department’s judgment of whether or not they think they should pursue the prosecution of anyone that they think has violated the law,” Biden said.
The new ad debuted as Biden’s self-imposed deadline to announce his running mate was rapidly approaching. In March, Biden vowed that his running mate will be a woman, but after his now-infamous “You Ain’t Black” quip, many supporters pushed for him to name a Black woman as his VP. Top contenders under consideration include Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren along with former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Representatives Karen Bass and Val Demings.
Check out Biden’s new ad below.
