Elections

A Gary Johnson Super PAC Just Spent $30K On ‘Internet Web Memes’

(Katie Frates)

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Phillip Stucky Political Reporter
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A Super PAC for Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson spent $30,000 on what the group calls “memes” dedicated to reaching millennial voters.

Johnson has Super PACs that help pay for media placement and ads, but AltPAC is a unique group that wants to reach millennial voters this election season. Gawker reported the group spent $30,000 on what they dubbed “internet web memes” in their most recent FEC filing.

The activities are actually short web videos, that aim to convince the voters that Johnson is actually the strawberry flavor of ice cream, a pleasant alternative to chocolate or vanilla.

AltPAC director Matt Kibbe attempted to justify the purchases in an interview with Reason magazine Wednesday.

“The way social media works is to microtarget audiences and test things,” adding that the group’s strategy was to “leverage social media and make sure would-be libertarians in social space know Gary Johnson is on the ballot and understand what libertarianism is about. It doesn’t make any sense to run TV ads to connect to that audience.”

The PAC was founded to hold a different strategy from more traditional action committees.

“I am launching a new SuperPAC to help raise awareness, drive messages, and change the conversation on social media. I think I can raise significant funds for this,” Kibbe told Reason.

“Done well, we can trigger a political realignment that’s been brewing for a long time,” he said. “We will offer an attractive alternate to the two flavors of authoritarianism, cronyism, and all-war-all-the-time foreign policies of the other two candidates. For the first time, millions of voters will Google the word ‘libertarian’ in their quest to find a better political choice.”

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