This ad is so bad I wasn’t entirely sure if it was real or parody. Turns out, it’s real and McCaskill’s campaign probably paid someone good money for it, too.

The radio ad, which has been airing for about a year, attempts to paint Sen. McCaskill as a centrist Democrat and “not one of those crazy Democrats.”



You know it’s bad when a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat is trying to portray herself as anything but a Democrat.

The Daily Dot summarizes:

The ad features two men talking about McCaskill and her opponent, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley. While one says he doesn’t always agree with McCaskill, at least she works hard and does her job, unlike Hawley, who, they claim, makes wine runs and heads to the gym during work hours. “[McCaskill] works hard, fighting against those tariffs, doing all those town halls,” one narrator says. “Claire’s not afraid to stand up against her own party.” “Claire’s not one of those crazy Democrats,” the other man adds. “She works right in the middle and finds compromise.”

Listen here:

Awful ad aside, McCaskill managed to tick off an African American state legislator, who represents the bit of Missouri containing Ferguson.

Maria Chappelle-Nadal believes the “crazy Democrats” McCaskill’s ad disparages are black voters and activists in her district. And she’s not happy.

In races this close, you never want to piss on your base by calling them "crazy Democrats" in rural radio ads. And don't be mad at those who are keeping you accountable.https://t.co/rvNLRMmmq5 pic.twitter.com/XyJS7iODHC — MariaChappelleNadal (@MariaChappelleN) October 24, 2018

Bigots use the term "crazy" all the time. Shame on you, @clairecmc. https://t.co/O3bSM8cyLM — MariaChappelleNadal (@MariaChappelleN) October 24, 2018

If Sen. @clairecmc identifies with Trump in her tv and radio media ads, then she must be a white NATIONALIST, too. Only a white nationalist would use the term "crazy Democrats."https://t.co/rvNLRMmmq5 — MariaChappelleNadal (@MariaChappelleN) October 24, 2018

Using the term "crazy" — while targeting a specific group — is the exercise of white supremacy. No bueno for POC. — MariaChappelleNadal (@MariaChappelleN) October 24, 2018

Chappelle-Nadal spoke to The Weekly Standard where she elaborated:

“I want to know who these ‘crazy Democrats’ are,” state senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who represents parts of North St. Louis, told THE WEEKLY STANDARD. “Is she talking about African Americans? Is she talking about the LGBT community? Is she talking about pro-choicers? Is she talking about the activists on the ground that have been responding to racial inequity? The question she needs to be asked and forced to answer is who are the crazy Democrats she’s talking about and relying on to vote for her in November. We deserve an answer.”

State Representative Courtney Curtis called the ad a “coded” message. TWS ctd:

State Representative Courtney Curtis represents the St. Louis-adjacent city of Ferguson, where racial tensions flared following the August 2014 police shooting of African-American teenager Michael Brown. Curtis told TWS that the McCaskill ad was a “dog whistle.” “It’s a message that’s coded, that’s reaching out to a certain kind of person and trying to play or cater to their worst fears or thoughts by saying ‘those crazy Democrats,’” Curtis said. “And the immediate question is who are you talking about, and then what are you doing to that person in trying to get this voter in this way or manner . . . It almost dehumanizes or devalues the person’s worth or contribution to the community.”

The walls appear to be closing in on McCaskill’s campaign. Recently, Project Veritas captured unflattering footage of McCaskill’s campaign. And while McCaskill is pretending not to be the Democrat she is, Real Clear Politics has the race a toss-up, with polls trending in Hawley’s favor.



