McCain Campaign Buys Ad Time In Historically Red Virginia
Here's a sign that the McCain campaign could be worried that Obama has a real chance of winning in Virginia, a state that's historically voted red but has been trending blue.
The McCain camp has bought up ad time for a sixty-second spot in at least four major Virginia media markets, a Democratic ad buyer tells me. The markets: Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and Tri-Cities.
A McCain aide confirmed the buy but declined to discuss specifics.
The ad is set to begin airing next Tuesday, and the buy is a moderate one, the buyer says, meaning that the ad will probably run four or five times a week.
"At this point in the campaign, that's a good start," the buyer says. He added that it shows that the McCain campaign realizes that Camp Obama's efforts in the state -- Obama is airing an ad and has sent key staff -- isn't "just a head-fake."
"It shows they're worried about Virginia," the buyer said.
Seen many runs of the one Obama did.
Repubs should be worried. My county voted red the last election and this time around has many Obama signs up.
I'm curious as to what his ad will say...
July 2, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Greg Sargent said:
Then Cricket said:
I doubt McCain is worried about Virginia. These media markets have huge military populations, with Norfolk being the largest naval base on the East Coast. The ads will appeal to the military, timed to follow Independence Day and herald the homecoming of the last of 5 drawdown brigades to return from Iraq. Makes sense.
July 3, 2008 3:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Spend mcbush, spend!!!! I am looking forward to him starting to run ads in Texas. Then we know he has a huge problem.
July 2, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Taking VA would be very sweet. It could change the map, not just for this election, but for the future.
July 2, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least Ob is being aggressive with his ads in VA- not like MO.
July 2, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's got a couple of ads going here in STL.
July 3, 2008 12:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does Obama have a patriotism problem?
Is Obama Bush's third term?
Is Obama alienating the base?
Obama fist bump snub?
That was the story on a MSNBC show this afternoon. MSM is fully on board with McCain and it boils my blood.
There are adamant to see this country go to the gutters...geez..f$@k.
Have to stay way from the telly for a few days to get my composure back.
July 2, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Is Obama Bush's third term?"
What the? Huh? Mommy? How on the earth could they...? I mean in what context did they ask that? There I got a full sentence out. How can anyone even ask that and try to remain credible?
July 2, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry for all the typos above, apparently couldn't contain my frustration. I wish we had a edit or preview option on here.
Anyway, apparently, the Obama faith based agenda was a sufficient reason to not only compare him to Bush but to call him the Bush's 3rd term.
MSM are partners in crime, culprits for almost all major problems in this country. Most of them have little, if any, national affiliation.
They are accomplices in pushing the Iraq war, in re-electing W, for the current economic turmoil, corporate hacks of MSM devouring the country while diverting our retard minds to American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.
Sorry for unsolicited anger, but it fucking makes me mad.
July 2, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the clarification. It's still a lame and sensationalistic question, but then, consider the source.
July 2, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
It drives me insane as well. Just look how the MSM reacted to the whole Clark thing. How did they cover McCain not paying his taxes? Not a word.
If McCain wins, it will mostly be because of how the MSM covered this election.
SNL seriously needs to start shaming them again. It is the only thing that seems to work. The tools in the media do not like being portrayed in the media as tools.
July 2, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know what? I can't stand the MSM, either. In fact, I've just pretty much tuned them out. BUT, it's up to Obama, as part of demonstrated his competence in leading this country, to show that he can effectively counter that shit. If he can't manage to put a coherent messsage out there and keep it out there, then he has a problem that will plague him and keep him from being as effective as he should be throughout his Presidency. He needs to get his best people on these shows to effectively administer a spanking or two.
July 3, 2008 6:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just saw my first Obama ad a few minutes ago here in Missouri. Hopefully I'll see a lot more.
July 2, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
wow i guess it's not a myth that obama is a threat to take va.
July 2, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Obama will win VA more easily than say OH.
July 2, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ohio has voted for a Dem several times in the past 40.
VA never.
Obama will win Ohio.
I think he can win VA.
July 3, 2008 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Kash if you think MSNBC is bad, CNN earlier was suggesting that McCain was responsible for the fact that Ingrid Bettencourt and American hostages has been released today in Colombia...
July 2, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know. MSNBC is supposed to be "pro" Obama for all its worth.
People like John Fucking Hardwood are more dangerous, because atleast to me he is a McCain hack in the skin of a "objective" expert- he's been slogging for McCain relentlessly on the times and MSNBC but claims to be a independent observer.
July 2, 2008 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you're wrong about Harwood being a McCain guy. Harwood is a liberal.
July 2, 2008 8:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pun was intended. If Harwood is a liberal, than god help us all liberals.
July 2, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
John Harwood is no liberal. His former gig was at The WSJ. BTW, Rasmussen has a poll out for Montana w/Obama up by 5. Talk about VA all you want if Montana goes for Obama thats all she wrote.
July 4, 2008 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
And they're going to buoy up McCain just to keep the public believing that he has a chance. If they can't make it appear that the race is close, they can't keep the drama going, and that's their bread and butter.
July 3, 2008 6:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
CNN!
WTF?!?!!
Campbell Brown makes my blood boil. Some of the shit she eggs on and knowing that she's married to a Repub strategist just reeks to me!!
July 2, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be Dan Senor, in case folks were wondering.
July 2, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've always thought she was/is a mediocre lightweight.
Now I know she was/is a mediocre lightweight Republican apologist.
The brunette Monica Crowley.
July 3, 2008 12:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's truly amazing to see you guys railing at CNN, MSNBC and the rest of the MSM... I don't know how it happened but you guys sound like us Republicans for the past 20 years...If you were beating up the LA and NY Times it would truly feel like a parallel universe...lol
July 3, 2008 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
On a totally unrelated note, that picture of Virginia makes looks like a Christmas tree that fell down.
July 2, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Edit feature!! We need you!
July 2, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
This means nothing now as McCain is spending from his primary fund. It's not until after the convention (I believe) when he is locked into the public funding he has accepted (though I'm betting he's change his mind on that as well).
July 2, 2008 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
He shouldn't BE spending from his primary fund. He's already busted through the spending limits he pledged to uphold in the primary by accepting public funds. See my Letter to the Editor in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. :)
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/67B6F2DA6E9D26C686257479007A0CF8?OpenDocument
July 3, 2008 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
The MSM is definitely in McCain's pocket both in print and on television. They are chipping away a little bit every day on Obama. It's going to be very difficult to win against the corporate power in the general election.
July 2, 2008 8:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
From KOS, pretty good stuff:
by kos
Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 05:00:51 PM PDT
McCain became visibly angry when I asked him to explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the Presidency.
"Please," he said, recoiling back in his seat in distaste at the very question.
McCain allies Sen. Lindsey Graham stepped in to rescue him. Graham expressed admiration for McCain’s stance on the treatment of detainees in US custody.
He became visibly angry because the answer to the question was "it doesn't". Yet now, thanks to Wes Clark, this obvious question is being asked of someone who would rather use his military service as a shield against all criticism. And McCain can't deal with it.
July 2, 2008 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm confused by the wording in the post. The buyer, who is the anonymous McCain aide, admitted that the campaign is worried about Virginia?
July 2, 2008 9:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
The buyer was a Democratic ad buyer. Ad buys are public information, but stations typically do not make it too easy to get the info. Frequent buyers (customers) often are able to get information more easily than the general public.
July 2, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, but it's confusing; I had to go back and re-read to clarify that very same thing. The sentence identifying the source is this one:
The McCain camp has bought up ad time for a sixty-second spot in at least four major Virginia media markets, a Democratic ad buyer tells me.The McCain aide (contacted subsequently) simply confirmed the purchase of the ad time, but declined to comment further.
July 2, 2008 11:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sigh. Ditto the call for a preview/edit feature. That quoted sentence was supposed to be in a blockquote graf, but I must have misspelled the tag. (Geez, they couldn't find message sofware that lets you use a toolbar for that stuff????)
July 2, 2008 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
YEs it is confusingly worded. It appears the McCain person is an "aide" and the primary source for the post is a Democrat buyer, which is shortened to "buyer" in subsequent citings. On first read, "the buyer" would seem to refer to the buyer of the ads in question, rather than someone from the other side.
July 2, 2008 11:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
A Republican presidential candidate buying time in Virginia in July -- wow! This is a sure sign that the list of battleground states has grown substantially.
How can McCain win this sort of election? He doesn't have the money or the troups on the ground to compete; especially if the Christian right is either unenthusiastic or sitting this one out.
July 2, 2008 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are wrong about the money in this sense: the Republican Party has *tons* of money to throw at his election, even if McCain doesn't hold it within his own campaign.
July 3, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain has now replaced his campaign manager with a Karl Rove protege. Clearly he is worried. But what does it say about Angry John that he is now letting the guy who suggested his adopted kid was a "black love child" run his campaign?
July 2, 2008 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain must be trying to make some gains in the purple areas of the state; but with the large African American populations in Norfolk and Richmond he is going to have a harder time than pretty much any Republican in recent history. The fact that he is also advertising in Roanoke and the Tri-Cities areas is just strange as those should be solid Red; but again southern Virginia has large AA populations so maybe that is what his team is worried about.
I can't wait for my Virginia to vote for Obama in November!
July 2, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would the fact that McCain hasn't led in a VA poll for over a month be a clue that maybe he needs to take this seriously?? Not only *might* he lose it, he is losing it.
As much as the MSM likes to paint some of these states as head-fakes, I don't really think there are any in the Obama 18. Some - like GA are a bit of a long shot but completely possible should Obama get a bit of wind at his back so why not. If he had chosen AZ or TX those would be head-fakes. Possible but really unlikely. I think people are surprised because of CW - but when was the last time a candidate had this much $ to spend. If you have to choose between Ohio & Virgina - you pick Ohio. If you can advertise in both Ohio & Virgina, then why not?
This is really good news for Obama because McCain doesn't have the fund-raising potental that he does so he does have to choose between VA & OH. Every ad that McCain puts out in VA is one less he puts out somewhere else.
Also, Obama will be in Fargo on Thurs & Butte MT on Friday. He is serious.
That said though - 'The Obama fund-raising machine' is only as good as its donors. So give give give. If you can't donate $, then donate time. If you are mad at Obama over FISA or whatever, think about how mad you will be at McCain when he starts a war in Iran and when you have no job or health care.
*steps off soap box*
July 2, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Doesn't the huge cash advantage that the RNC has over the DNC completely mitigate Obama's cash advantage over McCain?
July 2, 2008 10:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent point. As far as we know right now the 'Obama ATM' is a work of fiction because as of June 1, McCain had more $$ to spend. Obama & McCain were even and the RNC had $50Mil more than the DNC. We are assuming that Obama's $$ increased after he clinched the nom, but we don't know. And with 527s & all of the Repub dirty tricks, he will need every penny he can get.
$ can't buy you an election, but the lack of it can sure lose you one.
July 2, 2008 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
The thing is, you can't sell an Edsel to a skeptical public, amd call it future change.
Down goes the RNC $$ down the drain.
July 3, 2008 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
just donated $100...everyone else should do the same....
July 2, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just saw this at Baloon Juice:
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=10760
The Republican National Committee has tapped a GOP media consultant to run an independent expenditure campaign set up to target Barack Obama, according to a source familiar with the plan.
Brad Todd will run the new arm of the RNC, broadcasting ads and sending mailers with committee money.
The new entity is barred by law from any coordination with either McCain’s campaign or the RNC, but some of the cash they use to air the spots will have been raised by the GOP nominee.
If McCain's campaign is raising the cash for this "independent" group - wouldn't that be seen as coordination between the two groups?
July 2, 2008 10:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Strange listing, since, the Tri-Cities are Kingsport, TN; Johnson City, TN; and Bristol, which is half in TN and half in VA. (The main street, State Street, is the state line.) So a buy in the Tri-Cities would be mostly for TN.
July 2, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, I think in this case "Tri-Cities" might refer to the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell, with portions of the adjoining counties (Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George). Those are in south-central Virginia, and are part of the greater Richmond metropolitan area.
Colonial Heights and Chesterfield County are definitely historically Red areas. Petersurg is majority A-A; Hopewell is majority white, but I'm not sure just how they vote. It's a highly industrial area (chemical plants), and a generation ago, you'd find a lot of transplants there from the northern states, who tended to be more Democratic. But like most cities, they're fighting urban decay, and the middle class has migrated to Chesterfield and Prince George Counties.
Prince George County is more than 60% white; Dinwiddie County is nearly 65% white. Both of them vote Red. Altogether, the area seems a pretty good target area for McCain.
July 2, 2008 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. You're probably right, though I thought of the other Tri-Cities for two reasons:
(1) Obama made his very first campaign appearance after getting the nomination in Bristol, thus showing a great interest in the Southwest part of the Commonwealth, and
(2) Though living nearby in Charlottesville for three years, I had never even heard of this Central Virginia Tri-Cities.
July 3, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yaay! One more Red State goes Obama's way. There's room for more!!!
July 2, 2008 11:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Although I like your enthusiasm, this is a little premature.
July 2, 2008 11:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama's pick for VP should be...
find that and much more here:
http://darkcomedyhour.com/dcmacdaddy/
July 2, 2008 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
GO AWAY SPAMMER
July 3, 2008 12:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't you mean, GET OFF MY LAWN SPAMMER!?
July 3, 2008 12:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Touche!
July 3, 2008 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
cher - You really encouraged me, so I just matched your donation. I'm praying that Obama's fundraising is way up from May, so we can start hitting McCain in these purple states--including Missouri.
July 3, 2008 12:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLANT NEWS!!!FOR MCCAIN!!!!
July 3, 2008 1:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
They also are running ads here in NC, i see them just as often as the Obama ads.
July 3, 2008 7:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain's doing everything he can to get military personnel to vote for Obama.
McCain's promising more wars in the middle east, and opposes expanding veterans' benefits. Our military ain't stupid.
July 3, 2008 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
A friend said that there was a posting here asking for free lance writers to e-mail about political writing, but I can't find it, nor can I find any e-mail address anyway.
Does anybody have a clue how to go about it?
Thanks,
J.D.
July 7, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink