Millions Of Dollars In Ads Backfire As Jeb Bush Sinks In New Hampshire Polls

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:14 pm

Since early September, New Hampshire has been bombarded with ads supporting Jeb Bush for President. With the combined spending of the Bush campaign and the Right to Rise super PAC, 4.8 million dollars have been spent on pro-Bush ads in New Hampshire since the beginning of September. Ads supporting Bush have gobbled up 60 percent of the available air time in the past three weeks, putting Bush’s ad presence ahead of all the other presidential candidates combined.

The ad blitz doesn’t seem to be helping Jeb, however. The ads may even be backfiring, as Jeb’s numbers have dropped slightly since his campaign began dominating the airwaves in the Granite State. Prior to the ad blitz, Jeb Bush was polling around 9 percent in New Hampshire’s Republican field. Since flooding the state with pro-Bush ads, Jeb’s polling average has dipped to 8.7 percent.

Adding insult to injury, Both Donald Trump and Ben Carson are ahead of Bush, and neither of them has spent any money on television or radio ads in the state. Carly Fiorina, who is in 4th place in New Hampshire, nipping at Jeb’s heels, has also not invested in advertising in the state yet.

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The problem for Jeb Bush, and one that should concern GOP mega-donors, is that there are limits to what money can accomplish. No amount of advertising can sell a pitiful product, and at this point very few Americans, including very few Republicans, are interested in buying what Jeb Bush is selling. His ads constantly remind New Hampshire voters that he is running for president. However, voters apparently view those ads more as a persistent nuisance than as giving them the inspiration to vote for the man.

While the mainstream media has spent the better part of the summer and early fall trying to pitch a narrative about Democrat Hillary Clinton’s political difficulties, the reality is that her campaign is not the one in deep trouble. On the Republican side, however, Jeb Bush’s political survival is hanging by a thread. After a month of bombarding New Hampshire with ads to resuscitate his political chances, Jeb is still sliding backwards. If that doesn’t change soon, Bush may be out of the race before March.

Keith Brekhus

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.