Candidates Still Figuring Out Web Ads

Caucusgoers may have known too much about 'establishment' candidates

(NEWSER) - The Iowa caucus results shook up more than just political campaigns, reports Advertising Age, as age-old advertising truisms also flew out the window. Mitt Romney’s $7.9 million on broadcast ads should have sealed the deal against Mike Huckabee, who spent just $1.7 million. Like Barack Obama (who did outspend his rivals), Huckabee came across as anti-establishment, which may have clinched his victory. More»

Arianna Huffington, Michael Gerson disagree

(NEWSER) - The media has largely ignored Mitt Romney’s first TV ad , and Arianna Huffington is outraged. The ad includes a wildly out-of-context 2008 clip of President Obama saying, “If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” It fails to mention that Obama was quoting the McCain campaign. “This is far from the garden-variety truth stretching we're used to in political advertising,” Huffington fumes in her eponymous Post . “This is so breathtakingly cynical it should cause us to question whether a candidate that would put it forth is fit for any public office.” More»

Many pundits ruled out Obama victory early

(NEWSER) - With the election over, what's more fun than calling out all those whose predictions were off—way off. Der Spiegel lists some highlights:

• "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win." Hillary Clinton, on Barack Obama
• "We'll win Florida." Rudy Giuliani
• "Virginians are really getting fired up for this ticket of McCain and Palin." George Allen
• "Romney for the Republicans, Hillary for the Democrats." Ann Coulter, on the nominees

Buying time on all networks but ABC still misses most in major markets

(NEWSER) - Just about a fifth of watchers in big US media markets tuned in to last night’s Barack Obama infomercial, even though the spot aired on four of five major networks, the Chicago Tribune reports. The highest ratings were in Baltimore, where a little less than a third of families caught the 30-minute spot. More»

Some did, some didn't, making a headline tough to write

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's half-hour TV pitch scored with writers on the left—though one found it embarrassing to admit to being seduced by an infomercial—while those on the right were turned off:

• Saying it was hardly the "gauzy, feel-good commercial," McCain labeled it in advance, John Nichols of the Nation found it an effective expression of empathy for a hurting populace. “Obama presented a chronicle of despair,” he writes, telling stories that were "crying to be told."