'Childless' GOP Candidate Poses With a 'Fake' Family to Appeal Voters Before Elections

Former president Donald Trump's running mate J D Vance's controversial 'childless cat lady' remark is now haunting GOP candidates before elections. In a bizarre twist, candidate Derrick Anderson posed with a "fake" family in an attempt to win over voters in the tight contest for Virginia's seventh congressional district. The single politician decided to use his close friend's wife and children as props for a campaign photo session, presumably to appeal like a family man. The New York Times called out Anderson with an article titled G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives. It stated that “male Republicans struggling to appeal to female voters concerned about their records on reproductive rights are unleashing their spouses to make the pitch on their behalf.” 

Posing in what appears to be a picture that could be used for an annual holiday card, the former Army Green Beret is pictured with a woman and her three daughters. In an additional promotional image, Anderson is seen chatting while sitting around a family dining table with the same woman and three girls. However, the Republican candidate's official website states that he lives alone with his dog.  

According to The Daily Beast, Anderson's team representative chastised the report for concentrating so much on the video and said that “Derrick’s opponent and every other candidate in America are in similar pictures and video with supporters of all kinds.” The spokesperson went on to say that the footage just displayed the GOP candidate “with female supporters and their kids.” 

As of yet, the material has not been used for any political advertisement, however, both Anderson's official YouTube page and a website funded by the National Republican Campaign Committee hosted it. 

Republican strategists pointed out that female representation in GOP advertisements serves a more useful purpose than merely enhancing a candidate's image on women's issues. They are powerful spokespersons when the high cost of living is a major concern for voters who lean Democratic.

“We have a massive gender gap, approaching a gender chasm, at the top of the ticket, with women far more likely to vote for Kamala Harris and men far more likely to vote for Donald Trump,” Whit Ayres, a strategist noted. “In most districts and states, there are more women registered to vote than men. It makes sense that Republicans would be trying to appeal to women, especially given the prominence of abortion.”

“There has been a resurgence of these ads, with Republicans being on the defensive on abortion in a way in which we haven’t seen in recent times,” Isaac Baker, a Democratic strategist and ad maker revealed.

However, Alexandra De Luca, vice president for communications at American Bridge 21st Century has a different view, “Hiding behind your wife as a prop as you and your party work to dismantle women’s rights and risk their lives is a pathetic political move,” she said. “These Republicans should own their dangerous policies and their vicious insistence that women have no control over their own bodies.”