AdWatch: transcripts from 2018 presidential, gubernatorial, and Senate campaigns

EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

Starting well before each election, candidates produce and air politicial advertisements. Since Citizens United took effect, PACs have produced many campaign ads too.

In modern campaigns, ads might be on TV, but also might be via email, web video, Tweets, or other social media.

Political pundit publications, such as The Hill and Rollcall, analyze campaign advertisements as well as campaign events (although at OnTheIssues we ignore their relentless coverage of polls; since we consider them irrelevant to normal voters and relevant only to pundits!)

OnTheIssues.org reviews those ads and analyses for relevant issue content, including opponents' responses when available. Sometimes we transcribe the ads from video or audio; sometimes we include commentary; all the time, we urge paying attention to the opponent of each advertiser too, to get the full story!

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Kelda Helen Roys: AdWatch: 1849 anti-abortion law is still on the books.     Casey Cagle: Conservative values: pro-life & pro-second Amendment.     Don Blankenship: AdWatch: Positions himself as anti-abortion and pro-Trump.     Marty Jackley: AdWatch: Protect the unborn.     Fred Hubbell: AdWatch: commitment to Planned Parenthood.

Crime     Allan Fung: Strong stance against crime; we need accountability.

Drugs     Marty Jackley: Double headline - Already Done.

Energy & Oil     Bill Schuette: Joins lawsuit challenging Obama's Clean Power Plan.

Environment     Bill Nelson: Lake Okeechobee water is murky, but it's a state issue.     Rick Scott: Lake Okeechobee water is murky, but it's a federal issue.     Don Blankenship: AdWatch: Year in prison for contaminating drinking water.

Free Trade     Heidi Heitkamp: AdWatch: trade war with China hurts soybean farmers.     Heidi Heitkamp: Our $50B of tariffs on China caused $34B of retaliation.

Government Reform     Jacky Rosen: AdWatch: Passed zero bills? But co-sponsored eight bills.

Gun Control     Steve Sisolak: I'll take on the NRA and I'll take on Donald Trump.     Marty Jackley: Double headline - Already Done.

Health Care     Leah Vukmir: Opposed requiring health insurers to cover oral chemotherapy.     Bob Hugin: AdWatch: Raised drug prices in US while lowering them abroad.     Jared Polis: AdWatch: Supports Medicare for All.

Immigration     Jon Tester: FactCheck: Opposes sanctuary cities, but don't punish them.     Walker Stapleton: End these dangerous sanctuary city policies.     Casey Cagle: Double headline - Already Done.     Steve Sisolak: Double headline - Already Done.

Principles & Values     Tate Reeves: AdWatch: defend "In God We Trust" on new car tag.     Elizabeth Warren: DNA test shows Native American ancestry generations back.     Elizabeth Warren: Globe review: no use of Native American heritage in hiring.     Jon Tester: AdWatch: Voted with Trump 52%, but against key initiatives.     Gary Johnson: Fiscally conservative and socially cool.

Tax Reform     Walker Stapleton: I stopped the largest tax increase in state history.     Matt Rosendale: You deserve to keep more of your hard-earned money.

Technology     Gary Johnson: Left NM with new highways and a billion-dollar surplus.

War & Peace     Marty Jackley: Double headline - Already Done.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Allan Fung Rhode Island Republican candidate for governor of Rhode Island Bill Nelson Florida NASA Administrator Bill Schuette Michigan Republican candidate for governor of Michigan Bob Hugin Republican candidate for New Jersey U. S. Senator New Jersey Casey Cagle Georgia Republican candidate for Governor Don Blankenship Constitution Party candidate for President Elizabeth Warren Massachusetts Senator Fred Hubbell Iowa Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa Gary Johnson New Mexico Libertarian Gubernatorial Challenger Heidi Heitkamp Democratic Challenger North Dakota Jacky Rosen Democratic Challenger for NV Senator Nevada Jared Polis Colorado Democratic candidate for Colorado Governor Jon Tester Democratic Jr Senator Montana Kelda Helen Roys Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Leah Vukmir Republican candidate for Wisconsin U.S. Senator Wisconsin Marty Jackley South Dakota Republican candidate for Attorney General Matt Rosendale Republican candidate for Montana U. S. Senator Montana Rick Scott Florida Republican Governor Steve Sisolak Nevada Democratic candidate for Nevada Governor Tate Reeves Mississippi Republican candidate for governor Walker Stapleton Colorado Republican candidate for governor of Colorado