• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, June 15, 2016

The general election appears destined to skew heavily negative, and Democrats have begun accentuating issues to blitz presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump for the next five months.

As far as advertising goes, the Democrats are winning the battle, spending more and testing a number of different creatives with which to attack Donald Trump.

The first Democratic anti-Trump ads were targeted to women. “Speak” and “Respect” hit the airwaves back in May with a $6 million buy in Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Nevada. Mimicking a similar Republican anti-Trump ad from earlier in the year, the pro-Clinton apparatus began its attacks on Trump focusing on the largest demographic group in the country.

Recently, Democrats have turned to digital ads targeting Hispanic voters. A $35 million ad buy, executed by pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA, focuses on Trump’s racist comments and policies, an issue which has returned to the foreground after his comments about the fairness and judicial integrity of federal judge Gonzalo Curiel.

Priorities USA has secured a further $90 million worth of TV ad spots in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire and Virginia, to bolster Hillary Clinton’s advertising presence in swing states.

Women and Hispanics will be integral voting blocks come November.

Both in 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama obtained 57% of the female vote, which made the difference both times. Obama was even with McCain and fell behind Romney 53-47 among male voters in his two elections.

Hispanic voters were likewise central to Obama’s success and voted heavily in his favor in both 2008 and 2012. Hillary Clinton will look to replicate or even build on those numbers.

Expect Donald Trump and the GOP to retaliate with negative ads of their own.

A mere day after President Obama endorsed Clinton, Trump tweeted a 2008 Obama radio advertisement that pegs Clinton as a politician that would “do anything to get elected,” hinting at what could be an effective strategy of using the Democrats against each other.

Then again, Democrats themselves will have ample opportunity to do the same with Donald Trump and the GOP.

Donald Trump and the GOP, while being slow to the plate with strong and well-targeted advertising, have started in earnest with big buys, including $150 million on digital video. Democrats have hit the ground running, preparing for months of hooks, jabs and probably some elbows.