Biden Gives CNN Exclusive on New Covid-Themed Ad Running in Texas — Where He Leads Trump By 5 Points in Recent Poll
Former Vice President Joe Biden gave CNN an exclusive first look at a new ad that made news, as anchor John Berman put it, not just for the ad itself, but where it’s running: Texas.
On Tuesday morning’s edition of New Day, Berman introduced a package from Arlette Saenz by noting “I know what you’re saying, an ad in and of itself is not news, but this is: Where the ad is airing. The state of Texas. And that says a whole lot about where this race is right now.”
“John, Joe Biden is wading into Texas with his first general election TV ad of this campaign, a spot that will focus on the Coronavirus pandemic, as that state has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks,” Saenz said.
She noted that the ad “is part of a mid six-figure buy in television and digital, and while the ad makes no direct mention of President Trump by name, Biden’s advisors believe that the tone and message of this ad will present a stark contrast with the president’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.”
“Now here is the very first look of this new ad set to run in the Lone Star State,” Saenz said, then played the entire one-minute spot.
The spot itself is an emotionally scored mix of public service announcement and empathetic fireside chat, as Biden talks about Texans’ struggle with the virus.
“This virus is tough but Texas is tougher,” Biden says in the ad. “We can stop the spread. It’s up to all of us to do it. We have to step up and do both the simple things and the hard things to keep our families and our neighbors safe. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay home with if you can and socially distance when you go out.”
“I want every single American to know if you’re sick, if you’re struggling, if you’re worried about how you’re going to get through the day, I will not abandon you,” he continues. “We’re in this together. We’ll fight this together. And together we’ll emerge from this stronger than we were before we began.”
Saenz then noted that “similar TV spots will also run in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina,” but that “this ad comes as a recent poll showed Biden is competitive with President Trump in Texas. One CBS poll showed there’s no clear leader right now in that state. Taxes is a state that the president won by nine points back in 2016 so this ad today from the Biden campaign shows they’re willing to test the waters in this typically Republican state.”
In fact, in another poll published Sunday, Biden leads Trump by five points, and is tied with Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of Texas polls.
Taking back Texas has been a decades-long siren song for Democrats, but nevertheless, getting CNN to air and report on this challenge to Republican dominance in the state was a savvy move by the campaign.
Watch the clip above via CNN.
