PoliticsDevelopingUpdated 1 hr ago

Ramaswamy campaign ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother draws criticism

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, all left-leaning.

8 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Image via The New RepublicHow images are chosen Report this image

The Daily Beast, The Independent, The New Republic and Reason report that Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad in Ohio's governor race featuring Democratic nominee Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur. The New Republic reports that Republicans on and off his team warned him the ad would backfire, and The Daily Beast cites a new poll saying it has cost him potential votes. The Independent reports that Michael Pogue, who says he taught Ramaswamy in eighth grade, protested at a campaign event in Cincinnati. Reason, an opinion piece, says the ad is read as implying that Acton lied about childhood sexual abuse by her stepfather.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur.
Reported byFar Left2Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
The Daily Beast, The New Republic
Left
The Independent
Right
Reason
Michael Pogue, who says he taught Ramaswamy in eighth grade, protested at a Ramaswamy campaign event in Cincinnati with signs criticizing the ad.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
The Daily Beast
Left
The Independent
Reports say Ramaswamy's aides and Republicans on his team warned him the ad would backfire before it aired.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
The New Republic
Left
The Independent
A new poll, as reported, says the ad has cost Ramaswamy potential votes in the Ohio governor's race.
One outletThe Daily Beast· Far Left
The ad is described as implying that Acton lied about childhood sexual abuse by her stepfather.
One outletReason· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

Whether the ad implies that Acton lied about childhood sexual abuse.
Reason says the ad is read as implying Acton lied about childhood sexual abuse by her stepfather. Left-side reports describe the ad as Donna Arthur calling her daughter a liar and do not describe an abuse allegation as part of the ad.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, and that it drew criticism. The left stresses the backlash, including a former teacher's protest, aides' warnings and a poll, while the right piece focuses on the ad's implication about Acton's childhood abuse.

the left
3 outlets
Left headlines center the ad's fallout: a former teacher's rebuke, aides' warnings and a poll. Far Left outlets use mocking words like ‘Gets Schooled’, ‘Sick’ and ‘Vile’.
Vivek Ramaswamy was warned not to air ‘liar’ ad and now staff want to resign days before election: report
The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
0 outlets · 1 opinion
Reason's one opinion piece calls the ad a new low and says Trump and Vance made it worse, centering the child abuse allegation; this is a single newsroom's view.
Ramaswamy's Attack on Amy Acton Was Bad Enough. Trump and Vance Made It Worse.
ReasonRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left14
twisted campaign adMAGA CandidateGets SchooledSick Ad
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right1
a new low

In the outlets’ own words

Loaded modifier
twisted campaign adMore neutral: campaign ad
Calls the ad twisted, a judgement the excerpt does not support with facts.
…said he was “disappointed” to see what his student had become after his twisted campaign ad.
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
MAGA CandidateMore neutral: Republican candidate
Labels the candidate by a political movement, which the event does not require.
MAGA Candidate Gets Schooled by His Own Teacher Over Sick Ad
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
Gets SchooledMore neutral: criticized by
The idiom casts a public rebuke as a defeat and takes a side in the dispute.
MAGA Candidate Gets Schooled by His Own Teacher Over Sick Ad
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
Sick AdMore neutral: attack ad
Calls the ad disgusting, a judgement rather than a fact.
MAGA Candidate Gets Schooled by His Own Teacher Over Sick Ad
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 11 more phrasesShow fewer

Loaded modifier
embattledMore neutral: Vivek Ramaswamy
Describes the candidate as under siege, a judgement the reported facts do not establish.
A former teacher of embattled Vivek Ramaswamy scolded the Republican over a controversial attack ad he ran about…
Used byThe Independent (Left)
Loaded verb
scoldedMore neutral: criticized
The verb adds a tone of reproach to the protest.
A former teacher of embattled Vivek Ramaswamy scolded the Republican over a controversial attack ad he ran about his Democratic opponent,…
Used byThe Independent (Left)
Loaded verb
slams himMore neutral: criticizes him
The verb presents a criticism as an attack.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s former teacher slams him over controversial ad: ‘I taught you better’
Used byThe Independent (Left)
Loaded verb
condemnedMore neutral: criticized
The verb describes the protest as moral condemnation, a judgement beyond the facts reported.
Even Vivek Ramaswamy’s former teacher has condemned his ad attacking his opponent’s past
Used byThe Independent (Left)
Loaded verb
team up withMore neutral: featured
Describes the ad as an alliance with the mother, which the excerpt does not show.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision to team up with his opponent’s estranged mother has officially hurt his campaign.
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
Grim NewsMore neutral: poll results
Presents a poll result as dramatic news about the candidate.
MAGA Candidate Gets Grim News About His Sick Attack Ad
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
SickMore neutral: attack
Calls the ad disgusting, a judgement rather than a fact.
MAGA Candidate Gets Grim News About His Sick Attack Ad
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
smearingMore neutral: saying
Describes Arthur’s words in the ad as a smear, a judgement rather than a description.
…the decision to run the ad - which featured Acton’s 82-year-old mother, Donna Arthur smearing her daughter as a “liar” over child sex abuse she suffered - that they have…
Used byThe Independent (Left)
Loaded modifier
distastefulMore neutral: ad
Describes the ad with a moral judgement the reported facts do not establish.
…Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy was warned against producing a distasteful ad against his Democratic opponent, Dr.
Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)
Sensational language
Vile AdMore neutral: attack ad
Calls the ad vile, a judgement rather than a description of its content.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s Own Aides Warned Him Not to Run That Vile Ad
Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)
Sensational language
a new lowMore neutral: an unusually harsh attack
States a moral judgement about the ad as if it were a measured fact in the outlet's own voice.
Accusing a candidate of lying about child sexual abuse is a new low, even by political campaigning standards.
Used byReason (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

former teacher's protest
aides' warnings against the ad
poll showing lost votes

Leaves out

Acton's account of childhood abuse by her stepfather and her estrangement from her mother

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

The New RepublicFar Left
Vivek Ramaswamy’s Own Aides Warned Him Not to Run That Sensational language“Vile Ad”Calls the ad vile, a judgement rather than a description of its content.More neutral: attack adDisagree with this highlight?
Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy was warned against producing a Loaded modifier“distasteful”Describes the ad with a moral judgement the reported facts do not establish.More neutral: adDisagree with this highlight? ad against his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton. He charged forward anyway. …
3 hr agoRead at The New Republic (opens in a new tab)
The IndependentLeft
Vivek Ramaswamy was warned not to air ‘liar’ ad and now staff want to resign days before election: report
MAGA world figures describing the ad as a ‘self-inflicted wound’ in private, report claims
4 hr agoRead at The Independent (opens in a new tab)
3 more from The Independent
The Daily BeastFar Left
Loaded modifier“MAGA Candidate”Labels the candidate by a political movement, which the event does not require.More neutral: Republican candidateDisagree with this highlight? Gets Sensational language“Grim News”Presents a poll result as dramatic news about the candidate.More neutral: poll resultsDisagree with this highlight? About His Sensational language“Sick”Calls the ad disgusting, a judgement rather than a fact.More neutral: attackDisagree with this highlight? Attack Ad
Vivek Ramaswamy’s move to use his opponent’s estranged mother in an attack ad has cost him potential votes in Ohio’s gubernatorial election, according to a new poll. …
4 hr agoRead at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)
1 more from The Daily Beast
- MAGA Candidate Gets Schooled by His Own Teacher Over Sick Ad

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

0 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

allegation of child sexual abuse
Trump and Vance's role
nastiness of the race

Leaves out

former teacher's protest
aides' warnings and the new poll

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines

ReasonRightOpinion
Ramaswamy's Attack on Amy Acton Was Bad Enough. Trump and Vance Made It Worse.
Accusing a candidate of lying about child sexual abuse is Sensational language“a new low”States a moral judgement about the ad as if it were a measured fact in the outlet's own voice.More neutral: an unusually harsh attackDisagree with this highlight?, even by political campaigning standards. Will voters agree?
1 hr agoRead at Reason (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
First to report
The Daily Beast, Oct 27, 2:30 PM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 27, 2:30 PM EDT
The IndependentLeftOct 27, 6:49 PM EDT
The New RepublicFar LeftOct 28, 11:18 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Ramaswamy campaign ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother draws criticism

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Own Aides Warned Him Not to Run That Sensational language“Vile Ad”Calls the ad vile, a judgement rather than a description of its content.More neutral: attack adDisagree with this highlight?

Vivek Ramaswamy was warned not to air ‘liar’ ad and now staff want to resign days before election: report

From the center

From the right

Ramaswamy's Attack on Amy Acton Was Bad Enough. Trump and Vance Made It Worse.

How the coverage built up

Read next

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Federal Reserve expected to hold interest rates steady at Wednesday decision

Two high-speed trains collide in Spain, killing at least 10 people

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers, dies at 96

Texas man deported to Ghana says he was then sent to Mali; DHS responds to CBS report

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Own Aides Warned Him Not to Run That Vile AdSensational language“Vile Ad”Calls the ad vile, a judgement rather than a description of its content.More neutral: attack adDisagree with this highlight?

Vivek Ramaswamy was warned not to air ‘liar’ ad and now staff want to resign days before election: report

From the center

From the right

Ramaswamy's Attack on Amy Acton Was Bad Enough. Trump and Vance Made It Worse.

How the coverage built up

Read next

Peltola campaign denies NYT report it recruited a second Dan Sullivan candidate

Federal Reserve expected to hold interest rates steady at Wednesday decision

Two high-speed trains collide in Spain, killing at least 10 people

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers, dies at 96

Texas man deported to Ghana says he was then sent to Mali; DHS responds to CBS report

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Own Aides Warned Him Not to Run That Sensational language“Vile Ad”Calls the ad vile, a judgement rather than a description of its content.More neutral: attack adDisagree with this highlight?