New York’s junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, set off a firestorm when she tweeted last week that the future is “Female,” “Intersectional,” and “Powered by our belief in one another.”
It’s the kind of language that liberal activists love and conservatives love to hate, and the tweet was treated accordingly.
Gillibrand has been appealing to this portion of the left and antagonizing the right in more than just the viral tweet. A review of her recent ads in Facebook’s archive of political ads shows her campaign asking for “activists like you to stand with her.”
The ads say that Gillibrand “is leading the resistance against [President Donald] Trump’s hateful agenda and has the strongest anti-Trump record in the Senate.”
“This resistance has been fueled by your calls to Congress, your marches, your protests and your grassroots activism,” the senator says.
Other politicians in New York’s backyard — including potential 2020 candidates — have been less resistance-focused in their Facebook ads. Gov. Andrew Cuomo ran heartily against Trump for his re-election, but he has been quiet on the social media platform since then.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has focused on legislative priorities like protecting Obamacare.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg is boosting his bipartisan opioid philanthropy.
And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has some bland language about looking for “progressive change.” It’s the kind of middle-of-the-road liberalism that he put on display in a wink-and-nod trip through early-primary New Hampshire this month.
Gillibrand’s ads are more fiery, from diatribes against dark money to invocations of the good that can come from making your voice heard. It’s the position she has staked out for herself going into 2020, a possible way to stand out in what already is a crowded field.
Gillibrand has spent thousands on these ads which, naturally, are being targeted to users from California, Florida, Texas and New Jersey — all over the country, not just her home state of New York.
Mark Chiusano, an editorial writer for amNewYork, writes the column amExpress. Sign up at amny.com/amexpress.
