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»

Romney calls new ad divisive

(NEWSER) - The Obama campaign turned heads today with a new video that strongly implies Mitt Romney wouldn't have ordered the raid killing Osama bin Laden. The video starts off innocuously enough, with Bill Clinton praising Obama's decision to go after bin Laden. "He took the harder and the more honorable path and the one that produced, in my opinion, the best result," he says. But then text appears asking, "Which path would Mitt Romney have taken?" More»

And they are largely quiz-taking, photo-sharing home repair fans

(NEWSER) - Likely voters are watching live TV less and less, and political campaigns are responding with aggressive online tactics in what could be "the first truly digital election," says an analyst. Mitt Romney is looking for the right Internet audience to target his ads—but rather than pursuing advertisements on particular sites, his campaign is examining the online habits of potential supporters, the New York Times notes. "We are site agnostic and audience specific," says a strategist. 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