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December 1, 2008 8:17:53 AM CST


campaign advertising

campaign advertising news stories

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(Newser) - Barack Obama took to the primetime airwaves tonight with a 30-minute infomercial summing up his case for the presidency. The pitch, which cost more than $3 million and aired on seven broadcast and cable networks, blended images of the candidate, his family, and ordinary Americans, MSNBC reports. "I will not be a perfect president," Obama said in the ad. "But I can promise you this—I will always tell you what I think and where I stand." More »

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Senate Contests Ringing Up Record Ad Tabs

Some races tipping $30M mark, inundating voters with 'cacophony'

(Newser) - Senate races in 11 hotly contested states are drawing record sums in spending on TV advertising, the Washington Post reports. Both parties stick to repeated attacks: Democrats and their backers tie Republicans to Bush and aid for big corporations, while GOP supporters say Democrats will tax and spend freely. “It's very difficult for anybody to get a message across” amid the cacophony, says one campaign manager. More »

More about:  Election 2008 Congress Senate political advertising campaign advertising Al Franken Senate race Elizabeth Dole Bob Schaffer

GOP Senator Blasts McCain Robo Calls

Collins criticizes the campaign for linking Obama to Ayers

(AP) - GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, facing a tough re-election fight, urged John McCain yesterday to stop making automated calls into her state that link Democratic nominee Barack Obama to one-time Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers. "These kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics," said Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley. "Sen. Collins urges the McCain campaign to stop these calls immediately." More »

More about:  Barack Obama Election 2008 John McCain campaign advertising Bill Ayers Maine robo-calls Susan Collins




 Obama Set to Smash 
 Spending Records 

Unprecedented Democratic ad blitz to break Bush record within days

(Newser) - Barack Obama is outspending John McCain 4-to-1 on advertising nationwide and is on course to break George Bush's 2004 spending record within days, reports the New York Times . Obama has stepped up his spending since the start of October and is blitzing network TV, cable TV, and even video games with campaign ads, both negative and positive. More »

More about:  Barack Obama Election 2008 John McCain political advertising campaign advertising attack ad

ANALYSIS

 Obama Ad Blitz 
 Stifles McCain 

Dem using massive fundraising edge to outspend GOP by as much 8-1

(Newser) - Over the past three weeks, Northern Virginia TV viewers have seen 1,342 commercials from Barack Obama … and eight from John McCain. Obama is dominating the airwaves, Politico reports, outspending McCain and the Republican National Committee as much as 8-1 in some markets, blunting GOP attacks with a sustained presence. “McCain is virtually invisible in the commercial breaks,” said one station executive. More »

More about:  Election 2008 Obama 2008 McCain 2008 campaign finance campaign advertising McCain Feingold

(Newser) - There are a scant 27 days left to dedicate your blood, sweat, and tears to your candidate of choice. But some activists' moves are better than others. Christopher Beam runs down the best way to put your limited resources to good use in Slate: Got time to kill? Knock on doors to get out the vote, especially if you live in a swing state. Call people. It can work, ecspecially if you have something in common with those you call. Wave signs. It's easy enough. More »

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McCain Plays Horton-Like Race Card: Dukakis

Dem compares new ads to Bush spots that helped sink his 1988 bid

(Newser) - Michael Dukakis says John McCain is using the same race-based tactics that sunk the Massachusetts Democrat’s 1988 presidential campaign, PolitickerMA reports. Dukakis cites an ad that criticizes Barack Obama’s supposed economic advisor, disgraced Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines, who’s also black. Dukakis called the spot “essentially” similar to the Willie Horton ads used to paint him as soft on crime. More »

More about:  Barack Obama Election 2008 John McCain George H. W. Bush campaign advertising Michael Dukakis Willie Horton Franklin D. Raines

 Interest Groups 
 Rejoining the Fray 

As campaign's tones get harsher, parties step up sniping from left and right

(Newser) - As Barack Obama and John McCain drop niceties for harsh politicking, interest groups are seeing a thumbs-up from the candidates to bombard Americans with millions in provocative TV, mail, and Web ads. Groups including unions, MoveOn, the Minutemen, and pro-life BornAliveTruth are planning ads, the New York Times reports, including ones that link McCain to lobbyists and Obama to a ‘60s radical. More »

More about:  Barack Obama John McCain campaign advertising MoveOn SEIU interest groups

OPINION

 McCain Sheds Honor 
 in Heat of Campaign 

Columnist, a longtime fan of the straight-shooting senator, sorely disappointed

(Newser) - John McCain's dishonesty in this race has turned him into the kind of politician the candidate once professed to hate, writes Richard Cohen—a one-time fan of the Arizona senator—in the Washington Pos t. McCain’s lies—most blatantly expressed on The View in response to a question about misleading ads—"would be unacceptable in any politician, but McCain has always set his own bar higher than most." More »

More about:  Barack Obama John McCain Sarah Palin negative campaigning campaign advertising The View Joy Behar Richard Cohen

 Rove: McCain's 
 Attack Ads 
 Went 'Too Far' 

Criticism of Obama not '100%' true, he says

(Newser) - The Democrats have found an unusual ally in attacking the veracity of McCain campaign ads: Karl Rove. The GOP mastermind criticized McCain’s advertising, saying he had gone “too far” and that criticism of Barack Obama didn’t pass the “100% truth test,” CNN reports. Speaking of both campaigns on Fox News, Rove said, “There ought to be an adult who says, ‘Do we really need to go that far in this ad?'” More »

More about:  Barack Obama Election 2008 John McCain Karl Rove campaign advertising campaign tactics

Cindy McCain Blasts View
After Grilling

It's 'out of sync' with mainstream America, says aspiring first lady

(Newser) - Newspapers and TV shows like The View are out of sync with the average American’s political beliefs, wannabe first lady Cindy McCain has declared. She blasted the media the day after she and hubby John McCain were grilled on The View about misleading campaign ads and the undisclosed number of homes the McCains own, reports ABC. More »

More about:  Election 2008 John McCain Cindy McCain campaign advertising voters The View Barbara Walters Joy Behar

Swift-Boat Gang Plans
Attack on Obama

Outside groups turn up volume in presidential race

(Newser) - Key individuals behind the 2004 Swift Boat ads that attacked John Kerry’s Vietnam service and helped torpedo his presidential campaign are readying a major new advertising onslaught against Barack Obama, the Washington Post reports. The American Issues Project has amassed a multi-million-dollar fund. Its involvement marks a new level of campagin participation by outside groups. Organizations backing Obama, including unions and envoronmental groups, are readying ads of their own. More »

More about:  Barack Obama Election 2008 John Kerry campaign advertising Swift Boat

ANALYSIS

 Mac Misleads 
 in Obama Sex-Ed Ad 

Legislation Republican is criticizing meant to protect kindergartners from pedophiles