With less than two months to go until the midterm elections, the Democrats are stepping up their attacks on their favorite foes, Koch Industries, and its support for Republicans like North Carolina Senate candidate Thom Tillis.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of Kochville! In the Koch brothers’ self-serving utopia, horrible things like the minimum wage, social security and environmental protections have been disbanded, and the Kochs’ hand-picked candidates are welcome,” is how the influential group American Bridge 21st Century described the online animated ads.
AB21 President Brad Woodhouse told Secrets that the ads mimic the popular Jib-Jab videos and are meant to be both funny and pointed.
“These ads are in the Jib-Jab tradition of creative, funny and attention getting animation which is sticky and has the potential to be remembered by voters,” he said of the campaign being launched on Wednesday.
“The theme is Kochville,” said Woodhouse. One of the ads features Koch brothers David and Charles, another Tillis and the Kochs.
He said the group is even urging supporters to suggest who the next target should be and offered candidates including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and New Hampshire Senate candidate Scott Brown as options.
The anti-Koch campaign, which echos many attacks from the Democratic Party and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, follows another by AB21 called realkochfacts.com, which negatively portrayed business practices of Koch Industries.
“Our own research and anecdotal evidence has shown these attacks have worked to both drive up the negatives of the Kochs and the candidates they are supporting,” said Woodhouse.
But a key Republican strategist responded, “I don’t think baseless attacks on a good company that employs 60,000 Americans advances their cause. Most people will see this as a pedestrian attempt by a Democratic political operative to distract voters from the real issues. This is true hypocrisy at its best because this hit piece is funded by the deep pockets of the Democracy Alliance.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
