With Airwaves to Himself, McCain Targets Ohio

Right now, John McCain has America’s commercial breaks all to himself, and he’s using them, reports the Wall Street Journal. McCain spent $170,000 Wednesday, which puts him on pace for $1.2 million per week, after spending $1.5 million over the past two months. Most of that money is flowing into Ohio, and to a lesser extent other battleground states, and hammering an uncharacteristic issue: the economy.

The economy isn’t seen as a McCain strong suit, and it’s all but absent from his stump speeches, but in his Ohio ads he says fixing the economy is his “great goal,” showing he believes the issue will be key in the hard-hit battleground. But McCain’s buy pales in comparison to George Bush’s 2004 spending—or what Barack Obama might unleash once his primary fight ends. (More campaign advertising stories.)