27 OCT 2022
Data to Disrupt: Top 5 ICYMIs and Updates in the Final Stretch
1. “Immigration makes America, America” — the people think so, too
In last night’s debate, Democratic candidate for Senate John Fetterman reminded voters of what brought his family together and what makes America, America: immigration. His messaging speaks to where voters in Pennsylvania stand on the issue despite consistent attacks from Dr. Oz and right-wing extremists.
Remember these proof points?
BlueLabs Analytics surveyed swing and persuadable voters in Pennsylvania who were shown both an ad by the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), attacking Democratic candidate John Fetterman’s record on crime and sanctuary cities, and another ad (Dr. Oz Doesn’t Represent Us) where an Army veteran discusses the importance of immigrants to Pennsylvania and condemns GOP candidate Dr. Oz and his party’s attacks on immigrants.
SLF’s anti-Fetterman ad created backlash among PA voters. 62% of voters were unconvinced by the ad. More than half were also less likely to vote for Dr. Oz.
The ad against Dr. Oz crystallized support for John Fetterman, with 63% of voters saying they would support the Democratic candidate. The ad also largely increased pro-immigrant sentiment among a majority of Pennsylvania women of all age groups.
2. No matter the attacks, voters still want good immigration policies
Way back in April, polling from the Immigration Hub found that, despite only hearing from Republicans on immigration, the majority of voters strongly support lasting solutions for Dreamers and undocumented immigrants. Then, in September, the Immigration Hub again noted continued support for a path to citizenship and protections for Dreamers and farm workers. While the top issue for most Americans is the economy, a critical bloc of the electorate can be galvanized by such popular solutions that would have an undeniable impact in local economies and communities across the country.
Don’t take just our word for it: Poll after poll (after poll after poll) has found a consistently strong majority of Americans— even Trump voters— support DACA and creating a pathway to citizenship.
3. On Twitter, the GOP is a broken record on the border
According to our internal Twitter tracking, Republicans are nine times more likely to mention the border than abortion. This chart, which shows mentions from prominent Republicans between January and October, shows that Republicans are more likely to mention immigration even than inflation, the issue that is the top concern for many voters. An Emerson College Poll about voter priorities ranks the economy first (40%). Immigration came in fifth (7%), with the Republican base largely driving the concern over immigration issues.
4. Update: GOP anti-immigrant ads continue to tick up
According to America’s Voice ad tracking project between June of 2021 and September of this year, the GOP ran over 2,600 different anti-immigrant ads across the country. Border states like Texas and Arizona got hit the hardest, but Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio all saw plenty as well. There’s no escaping the Republicans’ nationalistic rhetoric— the only answer is to fight back.
5. Border mentions in the right-wing media versus mainstream media
Right-wing media's amplification of border surges, fentanyl at the border, and migrant "invasion" influenced major outlets. From January 2021 through October 2022, there were over 49,000 mentions of the "border" in mainstream media outlets and over 152,000 in right-wing media outlets. The mainstream media's highest peaks of "border" mentions continue to occur on similar dates as right-wing spikes.
Got a question or request for any messaging research? Email us at info@datatodisrupt.org.
Powered by the Immigration Hub and America’s Voice
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.