Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has halted television ad purchases in Iowa and New Hampshire as the caucuses there approach. Iowa will hold its caucus on January 15 and New Hampshire on January 23, but Ramaswamy’s ad campaign spending has collapsed, according to reports from ad-tracking company AdImpact.
The report states that the Ramaswamy campaign paid $200,000 for TV adverts in early December, but in the week before Christmas, this was down to just $6,000. A campaign spokesperson, however, said there were new plans in place to reach out to voters via other means.
The campaign’s press secretary said the best way to reach voters is through “addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls and doors.”
On Twitter, Mr. Ramaswamy called television advertising “idiotic” and “a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.” Despite these views, the candidate spent millions on TV ads in the early part of his campaign.
While Ramaswamy started out positively, his popularity declined in the later months of 2023. In the first GOP Presidential debate, public reaction suggested he had done well, but in the events that followed, commentators described him as “bombastic” and even a “bully,” partly because of his behavior toward fellow candidate Nikki Haley.
In one debate, Ramaswamy criticized Haley because her daughter is on TikTok, and he referred to the former UN Ambassador as “Dick Cheney in 3 inch heels.” He later called her corrupt and accused her of representing the interests of rich and powerful donors – comments received with loud boos from the audience. Republicans also criticized his behavior, with strategist Scott Jennings stating the most Americans don’t like “below-the-belt punches.”
A psychologist speaking to Politico suggested that appearing powerful is more important to Ramaswamy than being liked. “Research on youth shows that status and respect can be gained not only by bullying but also by being a prosocial and charismatic leader,” she said, before adding that bullying is the easier option.
