The reelection campaign of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) opened the first day of Brazil's free election airtime on television on Friday (28) with attacks on Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), his main rival in the race. According to Folha de S.Paulo, a 30-second spot shown during commercial breaks ties the right-wing candidate to the Banco Master scandal, to contract killers and to the rachadinha case, the illegal scheme in which politicians pocket part of their aides' salaries.
The offensive pairs the TV spots with similar posts on social media and has two goals, Folha reports: to drive up the senator's rejection rate over the course of the campaign and to put him under pressure before the live interview he gives Friday night to Jornal Nacional, Globo's flagship newscast and the most-watched in the country. The material on the air brands the rival "the worst of the Bolsonaros". The PT campaign also launched a website dedicated to attack pieces against Flávio, encouraging visitors to share them on WhatsApp. Campaign members believe the TSE, Brazil's electoral court, may order the page taken down at some point, the newspaper said.
The Jornal Nacional interview runs 40 minutes and is one of the biggest showcases of the campaign. Flávio Bolsonaro is the fourth candidate interviewed in the series. Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Renan Santos (Missão) and Lula himself have already sat at the anchor desk. Augusto Cury (Avante) closes the round on Saturday (29). The five were selected because they hold the highest vote intentions.
Full program starts Saturday
The short spots anticipate the full election program, which debuts Saturday (29) on TV and radio. According to Estadão, Lula's campaign will hold the largest share of the airtime, with 5 minutes and 31 seconds per day. Flávio will have 4 minutes and 20 seconds, Caiado 2 minutes and 2 seconds, and Cury 35 seconds. Presidential ads air on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
According to campaign members heard by Estadão, Lula's advertising was split into two fronts. The first defends the results of his third term, with themes such as jobs, health, education and national sovereignty, and compares the current administration with that of Jair Bolsonaro. The second exploits the rival's vulnerabilities: the rachadinha case, the senator's relationship with Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of Banco Master, and the financing of the film Dark Horse. Part of the footage was recorded at a house in Lago Sul, an upscale Brasília neighborhood, with Lula wearing the panama hat that appears in his ballot photo. The campaign also produced pieces aimed at female voters, a segment in which Lula leads Flávio by 50% to 40% in a potential runoff, according to pollster Datafolha.
Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign, in turn, plans to lead with the economy and public safety and, over the course of the program, attack the PT candidate over suspicions involving his son Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, and Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro, known as Marcola, Estadão reports. The next chapter of the dispute comes Friday night, with Flávio's live interview on Jornal Nacional. On Saturday, Cury closes the interview round and the full election program goes on the air.