Political attack ads are a familiar part of elections, but Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent campaign ad in Ohio’s gubernatorial race breaks new ground.
The advertisement features none other than Amy Acton’s mother imploring voters not to support her daughter.
“I’m Donna Arthur, Amy Acton’s mother. I worked at the Children and Family Service Association, where I helped establish one of the first sexual abuse programs in the nation. I love my daughter, but when I heard her fabricating stories about her opponent, it was hard to say this as a mother,” she says at the beginning of the ad.
“She’s a liar. She fabricates her past. She claims she grew up in a tent, and that’s simply not true. She has lied throughout her life. Amy needs assistance, and she can’t assist you if she can’t help herself,” Arthur adds.
“People can change, but they first need to be honest,” she continues. “And my daughter is still not doing that. Don’t vote for liars. Don’t allow her to become your governor.”
“If you believe she’ll improve your life, you’re mistaken. It will only get worse,” she concludes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ad like that before. It’s brutal,” comments BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere.
“It’s very compelling,” agrees co-host Dave Landau.
“Even though she comes off like someone you’d try to avoid at Christmas,” he adds.
Stu notes that despite the ad’s strength, there are “complications” involved.
“Reporters seem outraged over this. They’ve quickly taken sides in this family dispute. You might argue that airing such conflicts during a campaign isn’t appropriate, which is a valid point,” he reflects.
“What’s fascinating is that the media has predominantly aligned with Amy Acton’s narrative,” he continues.
Stu later plays a clip of Ramaswamy acknowledging the ad, stating it is “from our campaign.”
“What I want to express is that I wish this election centered on the important issues affecting Ohioans. Unfortunately, Amy Acton has been avoiding those topics. She refuses to debate me,” he explains.
“She doesn’t permit cameras at her events. And I think her repeated, particularly in this campaign, defamatory lies about me and my family warrant scrutiny,” he adds.
“I’ve never met Amy Acton, which I regret. I wish I had at least met my opponent. I also haven’t met her mother. She wasn’t compensated for her appearance. I did check with my team about that,” Ramaswamy notes.
Stu remarks on the situation, “There’s a complicating factor. I think it’s crucial to mention. The dispute between Amy Acton and her mother is a truly heartbreaking story.”
“There are allegations of abuse. The claim is that Amy Acton was abused by her stepfather, and her mother sided with him,” he adds.
“Well, there are three sides to every story, right?” interjects Dave.
“One side, another side, and then there’s the truth,” he concludes.
