Updated Apr 18, 2018

Stormy Daniels wins TV war: overshadows taxes, health care

Tax cuts and the Affordable Care Act are supposed to be big issues in the midterm elections, but both have faded from the attention of the cable news networks now that they're no longer front and center in Congress, according to data from GDELT, a service that monitors television news coverage.

Data: GDELT Television Explorer. Volume in all tracked national stations using keywords: Obamacare, repeal and replace, Affordable Care Act; tax cuts, tax plan, tax bill, tax reform; Stormy Daniels. Chart: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Why it matters: Democrats are campaigning hard on the GOP's unpopular attempt to repeal and replace the ACA, and Republicans are pushing the financial benefits of their tax law. But while the tax cuts have gotten another burst of attention during tax filing season, both issues are getting less cable news attention than Stormy Daniels right now. Both parties will have to hope that changes in time for the elections.

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