Grass Roots Political Ad In Michigan Gets A Lot Of Views And Laughs Via Social Media

Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

With just over a month until Election Day, there are a number of very close races – but that isn’t the case in Michigan, where Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer commands a 17-point lead over Trump-back Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, according to the latest polls. In September, Democrats had funded millions of dollars in TV ads – while the Republican Party has been relatively quiet.

Whitmer is now leading the Great Lake State governor’s race.

Richard Czuba (a pollster who founded the Glengariff Group) stated that “it’s not tightening” because no one has done enough work to inform the Republican electorate about their candidate choices. The Detroit NewsTomorrow is Monday.

Tudor Dixon’s campaign failed to produce any ads that would sway voters so the Gratiot County Republican Party came up with its own. Craig Mauger first noticed the low-budget video, in which a group of older bikers discuss Michigan’s issues. The Detroit NewsThe video was shared on Twitter by who?

“Republican Tudor Dixon has not been running television ads for his campaign to become governor. According to reports, the Gratiot County Republican Party had its own. Tweeted @CraigDMauger from the Facebook page of the county party.

While it’s not known if Mauger was involved in making the video viral or not, nearly a million people have seen it. It has been widely mocked for its production values and bad acting – so much so that it even caught the attention of Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing, who wrote, “I demand that the Discovery channel gives this ensemble of septuagenarian motorcycle outlaw cosplayers their own reality show. Take a look at this swell performance for Gratiot County Republican Party. They produced this charming campaign ad to support GOP Tudor Dixon’s election campaign.

Gone viral – and it costs little

Although it’s getting a lot of ridicule, Dixon’s key points are brought up by the characters in the video. The video has received a lot attention, even though most people find it funny.

“Humor is not generally included in the political propaganda canon – which these campaign ads very much are. That’s because humor – or satire – can backfire, offend, and do precisely the opposite of what a candidate seeks to do – attract votes,” explained Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer in the Department of Communications, Film and Media Studies at the University of New Haven.

Campbell added, “A comedian such as Pat Paulsen knows exactly how deep to cut.” All the rest should be serious. Mike Gravel, in his 2008 advertisement for a new product, said that he had thrown a rock into water. He then walked off. That was what did it mean? He stands for what? Although the candidate is quite outspoken in real life, he was not as bold in this advertisement.

Although the Gratiot County Republican Party’s recent ad has not received endorsement from Dixon, it is clear that she has not tried to distance herself. Perhaps there’s a feeling, given the current lead of her opponent that it will draw attention to these issues.

Although the Dixon campaign may not see the ads changing voter opinion, it has received nearly a million views.

It is my hope that they will see these ads, then laugh and finally do their research. However, history has proven that it rarely works. People don’t dig deeper. Campbell said that they don’t go deeper than what is shown in an advertisement.

It also shows how social media can change the role of ads, especially in an era where people are able to fast-forward past commercials, and where many younger voters have increasingly turned to streaming platforms – which are typically free of political ads.

Campbell stated, “In some cases of these homegrown, unintentionally funny advertisements, I believe they do more damage than good. And when I first seen the Tudor Dixon aging biker-gang advertisement, I thought that it was a clever effort by her opponent.” Anybody who even moderately pays attention to politics could see Dixon’s advertisement and be astonished at the bad script, poor acting, and overall backyard vibe. Campaigns on the size of gubernatorial elections require professional messaging. But that seems not to concern Dixon. Her plea is online for donations so she can “crush Democrats.” This ad commiserates on the work of the governor.

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