Latino group’s race-baiting ad insults all hard-working Americans

This time of year — campaign season — can easily wear on the average voter with the constant barrage of political ads, campaign phone calls, mail pieces — not to mention the usual mudslinging. Even for a political junkie like myself, at times it can be too much.

{mosads}But the recent video ad by the liberal Latino Victory Fund against Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie takes the cake as one of the most egregious political ads in my lifetime. Not only is this minute-long spot blatantly false in the way it portrays conservative voters like myself, but it is vile, offensive and establishes a new low for political ad integrity — one that many could never have imagined.

The ad falsely portrays a Gillespie supporter driving an oversized pick-up truck with a Tea Party license plate while attempting to chase and run down children of a variety of ethnic backgrounds. You can’t make this stuff up. This is an actual ad that someone thought was a good idea and then decided to write, produce and run.

White House accuses anti-Trump ad in Virginia governor’s race of “stoking political racism” https://t.co/8RKolxUV5S pic.twitter.com/4mzRjbUahX

— The Hill (@thehill) October 31, 2017

News reports indicate that liberal George Soros has been helping to bankroll the Latino Victory Fund. This should be a surprise no one.

Yet the sad reality is that the commercial is so disgusting and evil that it’s even hard to discuss. It’s offensive to categorize conservatives as hateful individuals who would hunt down children in the streets simply because you disagree with us. You disagree on policy initiatives? Fine, let’s have a discussion and debate the facts. But to completely throw out the facts and devolve to race baiting and name-calling is absolutely disgraceful.

What this ad really does is attack everyday Virginians. This is an attack on Virginians who often vote for family-focused policies, entrepreneurship and traditional American values. Latino Victory Fund pulled the ad after the attack in New York Tuesday, but that a political group thought it was appropriate to create and promote this message speaks volumes. Worst of all, it may actually reveal a dirty secret held by those who created this ad: This is what they think of us.  

We conservatives are not individuals looking to chase down and scare children, nor are we road-ragers that run over those we disagree with. To insinuate us as such shows how just out of touch the Latino Victory Fund is. We are mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, farmers, coaches, teachers, small-business owners and public servants, and we love our country and are happen to disagree with big-government progressive policies.  

Latino group pulls ad showing truck with sticker for GOP Virginia governor candidate chasing minority children https://t.co/LOVmJBkMJf pic.twitter.com/jneWKP5ltJ

— The Hill (@thehill) November 1, 2017

In fact, our principles of a free market where there is less government and more opportunity helps create an America where all individuals of all backgrounds are able to prosper. We are the party of less government spending so that the children of this great nation, and the future generations to come, are not saddled with more and more debt.

The clear and desperate intent of the Latino Victory Fund is to use fear mongering and ad hominem attacks to drive voters to the Democrat nominee. But, this may actually be a failed strategy. In fact, this ad is so preposterous, it could actually help Ed Gillespie win the Virginia gubernatorial election next week.

It’s been widely reported that there is limited excitement from the conservative base when it comes to this race. But this ad and its over-the-top allegations have enraged many conservatives, including myself. It will likely motivate the grassroots to show up on November 7, for the simple fact of trying to combat this extremely hateful meme.

Let’s hope that this ad and all of its negative attention will be a lesson to Democrats and George Soros types, a lesson that the worst way to make a case to the voters is to poke everyday, God-fearing, hard-working Americans in the eye.

Mary Vought is a conservative Republican strategist who resides in Virginia. She previously served as press secretary to the House Republican Conference under then-Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.). You can follow her at @MaryVought.