Iowa Politics with Jeff Stein -- Mon. Sep. 14, 2026

Just 50 days away.

I'm Jeff Stein with today's Iowa Politics Report.

The 2026 General Election is now 50 days away, and the clutter on the airwaves, especially local television, is already heavy.

The claims in these political ads are starting to get silly with the distorted video and sinister sounding music and narration.

Now those are mostly coming from political action committees, allowing the campaigns themselves to not get their hands dirty directly.

The candidate can mention the claims in those negative ads when the candidate is on the stump, thereby having the ability to cite the outside entity as the source.

The campaign can then use their money for ads that don't even mention the opponent in some cases, presenting a wholly positive vibe and warm feeling about the candidate and his or her intentions in office.

And yet again, you are not seeing those campaign ads indicate which political party the candidate belongs to.

Instead, they are touting how they will work for you and not special interests and term themselves as bipartisan.

Obviously, that's not by accident, given that there are more non-affiliated voters out there than Democrats and almost as many non-affiliated as Republicans.

So those independent voters will again decide the election.

Therefore, an ad focusing on party label does not resonate with the target audience.

The campaigns apparently presume they'll reach their respective bases other ways more directly.

And just as your fatigue starts setting in, here comes word this morning that one of those entities that predicts media spending has again increased its revenue projections for the year, based on, you guessed it, even higher than expected political ad spending.

So the countdown is at 50.

Campaigns use that countdown for their purposes.

Those tired of listening to ads are using it for another.

And that's the Iowa Politics Report for Monday, September 14.

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I'm Jeff Stein on News Talk 1540, KXEL.