Joe Biden is barely advertising online anymore
Joe Biden is missing in action.
The former vice president's seemingly untouchable polling lead has been leapfrogged a handful of times over the past few weeks, namely by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). That would imply that it's time for Biden to double down and reach out to more voters, but his online advertising is suggesting he's doing the opposite, The New York Times reports.
In the month leading up to the September Democratic debate, Biden spent just $32,000 on Facebook ads, per the Times. That's less than five candidates who didn't make the stage spent, and less than two candidates who dropped out during that time. It's also a huge plunge from the $1.2 million Biden spent on Facebook and Google ads in the first two weeks after his April campaign launch. Instead, Biden has shifted his ad spending to TV ads — a move that Zac Moffatt, who ran Mitt Romney's digital operations, said "reeks of desperation." "You are spending at least a third to half your life on your mobile phone, and they're deciding they don't need to have a message for you there," Moffatt told the Times.
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.
Meanwhile, Sen. Cory Booker's (D-N.J.) 2020 campaign has a bit of good news: It hit its $1.7 million fundraising goal for 2019's third fundraising quarter, from July to September. If that didn't happen, Booker says he would've ended his campaign. Still, that's nowhere near the totals top-tier candidates raised during the second quarter, and only about a third of Booker's Q2 total of $4.5 million.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland



