Ad: “Marsha Blackburn Cracks Down on China”

Transcript:

Marsha Blackburn: “How hard am I gonna crack down on China? Well, here’s a clue.”

Narrator: “Marsha Blackburn worked with President Trump to take on Communist China. As governor, Marsha will fight to protect Tennessee land from Chinese front companies, close loopholes and hunt down every communist who tries to defy us.”

Marsha: “It doesn’t take a fortune cookie to figure it out. Here in Tennessee, we’re going to stop Communist China and protect Tennessee land.”

Analysis: In the first ad of her gubernatorial campaign, Sen. Marsha Blackburn revisits her anti-China sentiments in a trope-laden, fake Chinese restaurant.

Sitting in Elliston Place Soda Shop, the venerable Nashville diner redecorated with soy sauce, chopsticks and vaguely Chinese props, Blackburn smashes several fortune cookies while committing to “cracking down” on China in her first ad, which aired statewide earlier this week.

The spot promises Blackburn will protect Tennessee farmlands from Chinese acquisition, despite the USDA’s most recent agricultural census, which was completed in 2022 and published in 2024, reporting that China owns less than 1 percent of U.S. farmland, ranking it ninth among foreign countries, and providing no known examples of Chinese-owned farms in Tennessee.

But the narrative fits a familiar sinophobic theme in Blackburn’s previous campaigns, most notably present in her 2024 Senate campaign ad, in which she “breaks China” by smashing ceramic plates adorned with the Chinese flag on the ground and threatens to make the country “pay” for COVID-19.

The newest ad hits a similar destructive tone and leans on Asian stereotypes, complete with gong sound effects and misplaced motifs like a Japanese beckoning cat waving goodbye and fortune cookies, an American-made takeout staple with Japanese roots.

Despite backlash from Tennessee’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community following her previous China ad, Blackburn defended the new one to the Banner on Thursday, arguing that her intent is to challenge the Chinese Communist Party.

“No one is worse to the Chinese people than the CCP, and I am serious about taking them on. Just look at my record of standing up to the CCP, they’ve even banned me from traveling to their country,” Blackburn said in an emailed response.

Asked what actual policies she would enact as governor related to China, Blackburn committed to ending international partnerships with China and credited the state legislature, which passed a law this year that added China and North Korea to a list of countries prohibited from buying non-agricultural land in the state.

“Our state legislature has done a fantastic job of leading the nation on this issue, but there is more to be done. Businesses in Tennessee with significant Chinese interests can still purchase land – that’s not good for Tennesseans, and it’s certainly not what Tennesseans want,” Blackburn wrote. “Not only will I get rid of Chinese sister cities, but I will also make certain that there are zero Confucius classrooms in Tennessee, and I will stop China from trying to get control of our battery manufacturers and EVs. When I’m governor, China won’t be able to get their hands on one blade of grass in Tennessee.”

Earlier this summer, John Rose — who consistently has trailed Blackburn in gubernatorial primary polling, but seems to have closed the gap by about 10 points in the the last month following an onslaught of ads — made a similar statewide ad buy, this time committing to keep Tennessee affordable for Tennesseans, touting his multigenerational family history in the state, and pledging to prevent China from “buying up our farmland.”

While Rose first mentioned the issue in this campaign, Anna Katherine White, a spokesperson for Blackburn, rebuffed the idea that Blackburn’s ad was related to his and questioned his commitment to the issue.

“To answer your second question, it’s not [related to Rose’s ad], but while we’re on the topic, in 2022, John Rose said he was not ‘gravely concerned’ about Tennessee farmland being owned by foreign nations such as Communist China,” White said.

Asked why China was the issue she chose to focus on in her first campaign ad, Blackburn said it was in the interest of farmland.

“Tennessee’s largest industry is agriculture – which means that our agricultural heritage is part of the foundation of our state and must always be protected,” Blackburn said. “I share Tennesseans’ concerns about our foreign adversaries getting a foothold in our country. As your governor, I will fight to ensure that never happens in Tennessee.”

Where it’s running: Online, broadcast TV

The post Marsha Blackburn Again Targets China in Fortune Cookie-Smashing Campaign Ad appeared first on Nashville Banner.

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