An ad for Democrat Claire McCaskill insists she's not 'one of those crazy Democrats'


Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) is pushing a unique message in the final weeks before the midterm elections: She's not "crazy" like other members of her party.
That's the crux of a new radio ad imagining a conversation between two voters, one of whom declares that he likes the senator because she's "not one of those crazy Democrats," reports CNN. The other voter says that he doesn't always agree with McCaskill but likes that she's "not afraid to stand up against her own party."
This angle, targeting voters who might have some reservations about McCaskill, also made its way into a recent television ad from the campaign. In it, veterans dispute attacks on McCaskill's record, with one noting that "you don't have to like her."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Missouri senator is facing a tough re-election race in a state that President Trump won by almost 20 points in 2016. Although she is a Democrat, she votes in line with Trump's positions about 45 percent of the time, per FiveThirtyEight. For comparison, Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) all vote in line with Trump's positions about 10 percent of the time. McCaskill was considered to be a possible "yes" vote on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation — although she didn't end up supporting him, it appears she's still gunning for the moderate bonafides she would have won if she had. Read more at CNN.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge
Cartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
Codeword: August 23, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'