(Cont’d)
“… Privately, though, Democratic strategists concede that the transgender attacks are taking a toll in some races. The most aired Trump ad in recent weeks was rated as one of his campaign’s more effective in September in some Democratic testing, according to results reviewed by The Times.
…
Attacks on what Mr. Trump calls “transgender insanity” have reliably been one of his loudest applause lines at his rallies. But now Mr. Trump has shifted significant resources to move that message far beyond his most fervent fans.
In the last three weeks, Mr. Trump’s campaign alone has spent more than $15.5 million on two television ads that resurface comments Ms. Harris made in 2019 describing her support for policies that “every transgender inmate in the prison system would have access” to gender-affirming surgery.
…
Republican strategists said the focus on transgender women and girls in sports had been particularly effective with a key group of voters the party has hemorrhaged support from in recent years: college-educated suburban women.
“One of the things you see in the focus groups is the moms get really visibly angry on this issue,” said Jim McLaughlin, a Republican pollster who works for Mr. Trump and other Republican campaigns. “It’s a fairness issue. They don’t want their daughters to lose a scholarship, and they don’t want them to get hurt.”
Those are some of the recurring themes in the ads. …”