TV Wars: Obama Still Has Big Advertising Edge

WP: Obama Still Has Big Advertising Edge
By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 16, 2008; A11

Since emerging from a coast-to-coast slate of presidential contests on Feb. 5, Democrat Barack Obama has significantly outspent rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on television commercials, providing a crucial edge that helped push him to a rapid succession of primary and caucus victories. Obama's ability to blanket the airwaves -- and repeatedly start statewide television ad campaigns a week ahead of Clinton -- has been the defining advantage to emerge from the commanding fundraising lead he staked out in January.

In the nine days following Super Tuesday, the senator from Illinois spent about $13.5 million on television ads, compared with Clinton's $8.3 million, according to a media consultant not connected with any campaign who collected the figures and shared them on the condition of anonymity. In Wisconsin, which will vote on Tuesday, Obama ads monopolized the airwaves for six days before Clinton responded with her own spot. "Since the beginning of this race, he's always relied on getting that big head start, and he continues to do that," said Evan Tracey, the chief operating officer of Campaign Media Analysis Group, which analyzes political advertising. "It's hard to make up for that."

Signs are emerging, though, that the Clinton team recognizes the strategic disadvantage the advertising imbalance has created. In Ohio and Texas, two crucial contests set for March 4, both campaigns began advertising at the same time and have been spending about $50,000 a day. Clinton has invested in several new ads -- including one that directly attacks Obama -- that will air in small and large markets in Wisconsin. And while Obama has purchased television time in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Clinton has made large advertising buys in virtually every Texas market, from Amarillo to McAllen....

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Several media analysts and campaign advisers said yesterday that Obama's substantial advertising edge played a critical role in his ability to rack up wins in the contests that followed Super Tuesday voting on Feb. 5.

Kenneth Goldstein, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who monitors political advertising, said television ad campaigns are the most effective when one candidate is on the air and the other is not. Obama has regularly had the chance to define himself to the electorate without competition....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503321_pf.html

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