In the final quarter before Election Day, the Vice President and her running mate are making a play for Americans in two of their favorite places – on the couch and at the big game.
Kicking off with a new ad set to air in primetime tonight on ABC during the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs game, Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz are bringing a full bench of sports superstars for a big push with just 37 days to go before America votes. Their opening move is a new “Say It To My Face” spot that mocks Donald Trump over his refusal to meet the VP in another live debate.
Despite Trump’s own denials, Harris was widely seen as the big winner when the two met for the first time on ABC on September 10.
Opening with the sports themed line of “winners never back down from a challenge,” the new 30-second ad calls the ex-POTUS a “loser” and taunts renowned golf cheat Trump for not agreeing to met the VP on October 25 on CNN for a second debate.
As well as running the ad nationally Saturday in Week 6 of the well watched 2024 college football season, the increasingly punchy Harris-Walz campaign plan to have a “Trump’s Punting on 2nd Debate” displaying plane fly over Bryant-Denny stadium during the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide game. Trump himself is expected to be among the over 100,000 attendees at the gridiron match-up.
Trump isn’t the only candidate at college ball today.
Going into a debate with GOP VP nominee Sen J.D. Vance (R-OH) on October 1, Gov. Walz is at the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota face-off in n Ann Arbor Saturday.
Set for an event in her old stomping ground of San Francisco,, the Veep will be in LA and Las Vegas tomorrow for an A-list packed fundraiser and a campaign rally respectively
This weekend’s games aside, the Democrats hope to gain a yard or two with voters with the help of some sports legends like Magic Johnson, Billie Jean King and Calvin Johnson.
Under the “Athletes for Harris” banner, the campaign has a number of initiative and ads planned for the last month of the race. AFH is to be “captained” by NBA superstar Johnson, and tennis and feminist icon King, along with Thomas Booker, Steve Kerr, Ali Krieger, Candace Parker, Doc Rivers, Dawn Staley, Ali Truwit and Chris Paul. The campaign has received endorsements from 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers Including Detroit Lion kingpin Johnson, Pittsburgh Steeler Mel Blount, and Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, as well as 50 big name former HBCU players.
With the polls still very close, the sports play is clearly a move right into the heart of MAGAland.
Adding to that, and in search of the last bastion of big TV audiences, the well funded campaign say there will be ads and appearances by the athletes on the likes of the NFL‘s and , and the PGA Presidents Cup, and the final slate of MLB regular season games. As well , the sports superstars athletes will be deployed in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.
As they say, “Game On!”
