Conservative groups are starting to get involved in the 2020 Democratic primary contest with a new TV ad targeting Beto O’Rourke, who is considering a White House bid.
The Club for Growth, an group focused on cutting taxes, will soon begin airing an ad across Iowa that attempt to paint O’Rourke as the opposite of former President Barack Obama, Politico reports.
The ad contrasts O’Rourke’s “charmed life” of “white male privilege” with Obama’s life and career. The ad titled “Pedigree,” argues that while Obama was a progressive who fought stereotypes, O’Rourke perpetuated stereotypes about working women.
The ad also highlights how O’Rourke was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 1998. The charges were dismissed after he completed a court-approved diversion program.
“Obama went on to become the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review, breaking barriers,” the narrator says. “Beto crashed into them; causing a collision while driving drunk, then fleeing the scene to avoid accountability. His charges were dropped as people of color languished behind bars for far less.”
Citing polling, Club for Growth president David McIntosh said that if O’Rourke were to win the Democratic nomination, there would be concerns about the matchup against President Trump. O’Rourke, a former representative from Texas, did much better than expected in Texas when he battled incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in for his seat during the 2018 midterm elections.
“We watched what he did in Texas in the race against Cruz and realized his potential within the Democratic primary system is enormously larger than what people are giving him credit for right now. We realized, here is a real potential threat because if he is the nominee then Texas suddenly is in play,” McIntosh said.
As more candidates throw their hats into the ring, there will likely be more opposition ads from conservative and Republican groups strategically aimed at disrupting the Democratic primary field.
[Opinion: Beto O’Rourke has nothing smart to say]
