Anti-Pelosi ads break records
Washington (CNN) - More money was spent and more commercials were run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in this midterm election cycle than against any other congressional leader since Newt Gingrich.
More than $65 million was spent on 161,203 ads that targeted Pelosi from January 1 through last week's election, according to a new analysis of TV ads for CNN by Campaign Media Analysis Group.
"Not since 1996 and Newt Gingrich has a speaker been the target of so many elections ads, candidates, groups and party ads from the GOP put Pelosi front and center in the midterms" says Evan Tracey, CMAG's president and CNN's consultant on TV advertising.
The game plan by the GOP, individual campaigns, and independent groups that backed Republican candidates and causes, was simple: Tie as many Democratic incumbents and candidates to Pelosi, one of the most unpopular political figures in America right now. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll conducted the weekend before the midterms, only 26 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of the House Speaker, with 53 percent saying they had an unfavorable view of Pelosi.
"In 1996, Gingrich was targeted in a similar fashion, but in the 1996 election spending represented about a third of what is spent now, so it's possible as a percentage the total spent against Gingrich would be similar to that spent against Pelosi, but her image was used in a negative way in a unprecedented scale," adds Tracey.
According to the CMAG analysis, individual campaigns accounted for nearly have of the $65 million, with independent groups that supported GOP candidates and issues spending more than $22 million and the Republican party chipping in more than $8 million.
The most ads (14,443) and the most money ($8.46 million) for ads targeting Pelosi were spent in Pennsylvania, where five House Democrats went down to defeat.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @PsteinhauserCNN
From CNN Politics
- Untitled
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- America's kids are failed again
- New US drone routes over Black Sea 'definitely limit' intelligence gathering, says US official
- In 2024, Republicans may complete a historic foreign policy reversal
- Blinken subpoenaed by top Republican investigating Biden administration withdrawal from Afghanistan
As far as I can tell, the wing nuts hate her because she's from San Francisco, appears to use Botox, is not a cute young thing, and is perceived as being a strong, aggressive woman. Throw in the obligatory "socialist" label, and you have their entire case against her.
I don't care about those trifling charges. My reason for disliking her is that she abrogated her constitutional obligation by not investigating and impeaching Bush and Cheney.
I'm sure it was because Ms. Dictaorship was one of the worst things that has ever happened to the Democrats and the Republicans. She made the Senate a House of War like it has never been before, just because of her arrogance and total socialist outlook. She does not care what the people want, only what she wants. If she is returned as leader of the Democratic Party, things will just go on as they have been, until there aren't any Democrats left in office. If she gets elected, I'm sure it's because she will use her old boy tricks of blackmail and promises to coerce them. The remaining Democrats should know she will only take them down with her when she goes, and she will go!!!
yes, just being demonized by those who are WORSE devils...they're known as "REPUBLICANS"!
This just proves how powerful Speaker Pelosi was and the republicans know it. They spent millions on villifying and demonizing her and I say what goes around comes around, SPEAKER BONEHEAD your day is coming!
Republicans have been successful in targeting and using the social security/medicare con game on senior citizens and the sad part is, seniors fell for it. Anyone who cons the elderly should be in jail but the poor tea party elderly people just got caught up in the con.
The "Queen of Mean" I hear now wants to be minority leader. "Learjets are too small for me Pelosi" is beyond understanding. Her reasoning has aways been up there with some kind of rebel faction so the minority leader fits her well and most of us would like it but I doubt the Dem's want more of her in that role.
I am wondering if the speaker of the house is not allowed to go on the political Sunday shows? Unless this is prohibited, the Democrats should have had her out as often as possible to explain her job and her successes and the Republicans would not have had such an easy time maligning her. I have watched her on Bloomberg live recently as she was being interviewed, she is clear and concise in her answers.........she does a very good interview. Please Democrats grow a spine and stick together behind President Obama and Nancy Palosi you know what to expect now so don't back down and capitulate to the thugs.
House Speaker Nancy has a fine face and is a good person, but clearly she she as poor national appeal and she is inept politically. By effectively pasting Nancy’s face on every moderate Democrat running for congress, the Republicans were able to knock the Democrats out in the battle for the House. By staying on a majority leader, she is simply the gift that keeps on giving to the Republicans. Nancy road President Obama’s coat tails to her gain her current position; she did not earn it and now she has failed President Obama.
Do you all realize just how close Perry came to losing the Texas Governorship to a Democrat, way close. There is a huge latent Democrat potential in Texas, the South and the fly-over states. Think what could have happened in this last election if the Congress was not dominated by the delusional-left for the past two years but rather was more moderate and aligned to the majority of Americans. Then maybe the only blue left on the board would not just be in the extreme west and east, but also down the middle in the many important States that Nancy Policy and her following of luny-left supporters love to snob. Nancy would now be able to between protect those important positions she is now has NO power to protect.
Nancy Pelosi did her job and did it great! She had her house of reps in step and got health care reform passed which no one else could come close to doing. The Republicans want her out because they are scarred of her. She gets it done. And, she looks good which really pisses them off.
Nancy Pelosi, intelligent, cares about the working woman and man, , what's the problem for the right wing macho male afraid of intellectual castration?
She's not unpopular with me. Frankly I've never understood the whole "demonize Pelosi" echo chamber. Why? Because she's a woman? Because she comes from (*gasp*!) San Francisco? More likely it's because she's effective, and she'll keep on being effective - something the spoiled loudmouth crybabies of the Right clearly can't tolerate, or imitate. In two years America will be begging for Pelosi to take charge again and get our country back on course.
Pelosi is the genius that stated they they needed to pass Obamacare to find out was in it. Yes, she said, pass it, experience it, but DON'T READ IT. Every month since Obamacare has passed, we find more expensive, useless regulations and controls–but no real cost-saving solutions.
.... and she thinks that she is a good candidate for Minority Leader??? Really?
The Democrats I repeat did not loose the house because of the people rejecting their agenda. They lost because they failed to magically fix the economy in 2 years so of course the Republicans tied that to Nancy Pelosi. The party of "no" somehow got majority I knew this election would turn out this way. America is way too impatient However their is nothing to worry about Democrats still have the Senate and the president yay for Veto power if needed.
Now heres two theories
A: The policies that Obama has put fourth have yet to take effect and will take effect in the upcoming years where the Republicans will get credit for since it happened under their watch
B: Obama's policies have failed
The thing is unless this congress passes nothing then will know. But I'm not a fan of seeing that
Republicans please work with the president to fix our economy.
I do not want to see any party fail I just want these problems fixed
The record is not yet set as this is the most hated Speaker in history and she does not have the common sense to quit (thank God) after being th face that launched millions of votes for Republicans. I am so happy she will add to her total in 2012.
Because fear, ignorance and hatred are what made this country great! Have a nice day!
My theory is that if Pelosi is such a major target, then she must really be ticking someone off. Since Keith Olbermann is the only person on the planet who seems to have "manned up" and put his name on his political donations, we can only assume that the Multinational Corporate Overlords don't want us to know who they are and who they want us to elect for them (remember, for all of their billions, you have the vote, not them). Pelosi got more done as Speaker than the previous lot of wussies that held the job.I may not have agreed with everthing she did, but I felt like she had my back more than those other panty-waisted wimps (Reid & Obama come to mind). I hope she keeps kicking rears on both sides of the politcial fence.
The new owners of CNN must be Republican. They report on polls that no one has taken, which leads me to ask. Where are they getting their information, and how accurate is it? Nancy is an alturist. She is worth millions, yet she is willing to work hard for the underclass people. Dumb is the new status quo
Yes please ignore what Pelosi herself says about why the Tea baggers were running scared about Pelosi. She was EFFECTIVE.
Say what you will about Nancy Pelosi I admire her chutzpah, and her ability to clearly and distinctly speak her mind,and stand firm. She also gave the President the support he needed, especially after Kennedy died.
Democrats NATIIONWIDE could learn these traits from her.
It's pathetic how a little old lady like Pelosi scares the living bejesus out of the GOP/Tea Party. I predict hundereds of misogynistic responses filled to the brim with vitriol towards Ms. Pelosi. I'd expect nothing less from the unwashed masses...
You have to love the geniuses known as "political strategists". $65 million dollars. Someday, Rove and his ilk will have a lot to answer for.
I'd like to know where these ads were run? They sure weren't ran in my part of Texas. All you Democrats call us Texas rednecks. I guess because we get up before daylight, we work 7 days a week, all year long. We feed with 50 lb. sacks of feed. We break ice in the winter so the livestock can drink. All of this so you can go to McDonalds, which we don't even have< and eat a hamburger. You know, a lot of us "red necks" would like President Obama a whole lot better if it was for people like Pelosi and all you bloggers that spew your hate and vengance against everyone that is not a Democrat. Why don't you quit pointing fingers and join the human race for compromise and equality.
GOOD!!! Waste all of your money because Pelosi will still WIN!!!!! While you're focusing your energy on Pelosi, you don’t even know what to do with PALIN and the Tea Party!!
PELOSI is DAMNED if she’s NOT the Minority Leader – and DAMNED if she IS the Majority Leader. That makes it more of a reason for her to STAY as Leader.
The RepubliCAN'Ts are already stating that if Pelosi STAYS, that will definitely KILL the Democrats in 2012 and give them the White House!!
In my opinion, if Pelosi LEAVES, the RepubliCAN’Ts are still going to campaign some CRAP stating Pelosi LEFT because she did not want to fight for Health Care, et al. They will call her a QUITTER and not willing to FIGHT for what she believes is right!!! I KNOW HOW THE REPUBLICAN’TS THINK NOW!!!
This is T'sah – OUT of Campaign MODE (for now) – N2 MOVING AMERICA FORWARD!!
well, the tea......why are they called a party????..they are just a movement like the tides...up and down or in and out, but a movement only....as for those republiCONServatives and their spending: go figure, they spent 65 mill. attacking the Speaker of the House, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi and what did they get for it???? HER REELECTION!!!!!!!imbeciles...but, it was good for the economy, hehehehe