Sarah Huckabee Sanders just ran an ad that went viral. Political ads rarely go viral for being good, so something is off here.

The Arkansas governor filmed a 30-second commercial promoting her welfare-to-work requirement, all as part of her reelection campaign this November. The commercial stars a couch potato gamer named Brad. Brad is a white guy who refuses to work and would rather sit on his beanbag playing a non-copyrighted ripoff of “Street Fighter,” eating cheese puffs while supporting his lifestyle with government welfare. Only through Huckabee’s welfare-to-work program can Brad get himself out of this rut and actually be a productive member of society.

Before I dive into the vast ocean of negatives concerning this ad and its broader narrative, there is one positive. A mandate requiring able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work is a pretty good policy move. It incentivizes people to actually go out and make money to better themselves and those around them. Hopefully, it will create more jobs for the welfare class.

As for all the major issues, is Sanders’s idea of a welfare recipient a white male who is clearly an avid gamer? Yes, the majority of welfare users in Arkansas are white, but that’s because Arkansas is 75% white. Only 25% of white people in Arkansas are enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 40% of blacks. Only 8% of white people are receiving SNAP benefits as opposed to 22% of blacks.

Furthermore, gaming can be an expensive hobby. Hypothetically, Brad would have spent the little money he has on the furniture, TV, gaming console, and, at the very least, rent for a decent living space. Not to mention (due to this ad’s creators likely being on the older side), Brad seems to be playing some fairly classic games, so I’d imagine he’s spent money on the games themselves. The room that Brad was in doesn’t look like the trailer park or cheap apartment that someone receiving Medicaid or SNAP benefits would live in. If I had to guess, he’s living in his parents’ basement, freeloading off of them, not the government.

Sanders likely used a young white guy as her punching bag in this commercial because featuring any other race or gender would have led to even more backlash, regardless of accuracy. In today’s society, people, especially people on the Left, will get offended by everything. It’s been a common joke for years, but only because it’s so true. It’s understandable why Sanders would avoid that, but if you were going to make that ad, why would you show cowardice and attack the only demographic in this country who can’t fight back in the current political climate? That’s a low blow, and a disappointing one.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is also seemingly out of touch with the struggles of her own voter base. White men compose a large portion of her voter base, and many of those on the younger side are grappling with problems such as a tight job market, leaving many good job candidates unemployed. Not because they don’t want to work, but simply because they can’t.

Even in my own experience, before I started writing for The Patriot Post, I applied for what felt like hundreds of jobs and did a couple dozen interviews over months with little traction. It wasn’t because I wasn’t qualified; it was mainly because for everything I applied for, I was competing with tens, if not hundreds, of candidates for a single position. I count myself as one of the lucky ones.

The reason is that many American jobs are being filled by people overseas, or by AI, or by people on work visas. Jobs are being created, but last month, 98% of those new jobs went to women. It is an absolute travesty that millions of able-bodied men aren’t working, producing, and supporting America’s economy, but that’s often happening because there simply isn’t a place for them.

Requiring welfare recipients to work and produce something of value is not a bad thing. In fact, it could potentially make Arkansas a wealthier state that doesn’t require nearly as many welfare dollars as most other places. But denigrating the one demographic that consistently works or is willing to work the most is truly disappointing. Sarah Huckabee Sanders needs to acknowledge that or risk alienating a voter base that she will absolutely need come November.