Anti-Pelosi ads break records

Anti-Pelosi ads break records

By: CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Abby Livingston

Washington (CNN) - More money was spent and more commercials were run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in this midterm election cycle than against any other congressional leader since Newt Gingrich.

More than $65 million was spent on 161,203 ads that targeted Pelosi from January 1 through last week's election, according to a new analysis of TV ads for CNN by Campaign Media Analysis Group.

"Not since 1996 and Newt Gingrich has a speaker been the target of so many elections ads, candidates, groups and party ads from the GOP put Pelosi front and center in the midterms" says Evan Tracey, CMAG's president and CNN's consultant on TV advertising.

The game plan by the GOP, individual campaigns, and independent groups that backed Republican candidates and causes, was simple: Tie as many Democratic incumbents and candidates to Pelosi, one of the most unpopular political figures in America right now. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll conducted the weekend before the midterms, only 26 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of the House Speaker, with 53 percent saying they had an unfavorable view of Pelosi.

more