‘I Thought It Was A Fake’ [WATCH]

On Monday, a CNN panel took aim at a new campaign advertisement from Kamala Harris, criticizing it for its attempt to appeal to male voters.

The ad, directed by commercial filmmaker Jacob Reed, features a series of men affirming that they are “man enough” to stand up for women’s rights and are not “afraid of women.”

The panelists dismissed the 90-second spot as patronizing and unlikely to connect with its intended audience.

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Matt Gorman, who previously served as a senior adviser to Senator Tim Scott’s campaign, expressed disbelief when he first saw the ad. “I thought it was a fake until Jacob Reed, who did that ad, was interviewed on CNN, and I was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s real,’” Gorman said.

He argued that the advertisement felt more like an attempt at trolling than a serious political message.

Gorman also pointed out a broader issue he sees with the Democratic Party’s approach to engaging male voters, noting, “Democrats have a serious problem with men, and if you notice, too, when they’re trying to appeal to men, they’re doing it in the context of women. It’s like, ‘I’m not afraid of a woman.’ Like, that’s not a message to men.”

Meghan Hays, the former director of message planning in the Biden White House, also took issue with the ad’s tone. She described it as “condescending” and not likely to be effective. “Yeah, the message is condescending,” Hays commented. “And I know it’s my party, but it just comes across as condescending, and that ad seemed like a joke to me.”

Hays suggested that if the Democrats want to make inroads with male voters, they need to craft a message that feels more authentic and respectful. “If Democrats really want to go after men, they need to figure out a better way to talk to them,” she added.

This criticism comes amid polling data that reveals a growing gender divide in voter preferences between Harris and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.

According to a recent survey by The New York Times and Siena College, Trump currently leads among male voters by 11 points, 51% to 40%, while Harris holds a 15-point advantage among female voters, 53% to 38%.

The data also indicates that Harris is struggling to gain traction with black and Hispanic men, especially younger demographics.

During a campaign event in Pennsylvania last Thursday, former President Barack Obama touched on the challenges Harris faces with certain male voters.

He speculated that some black men might be reluctant to support Harris due to her gender.

This observation is supported by CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, who pointed out that Harris is leading among young black men by only 41%, a significant drop from the support levels seen by President Joe Biden in 2020 (53%) and Obama himself in 2012 (81%).

As the election draws nearer, the effectiveness of campaign messaging remains a hot topic, particularly for demographics that have historically leaned one way or the other.

Harris’ new ad appears to be an attempt to bridge the gap with male voters, but the feedback so far suggests that it may not be hitting the mark.

The conversation around how best to communicate with and win over different voter groups is likely to continue as both campaigns intensify their efforts in the coming weeks.

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