http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080410_Obama_s_a_big_hit_in_TV_ads.htmlFANS OF TV's raunchy cartoon sit-com "The Family Guy" are used to seeing strange things - a talking dog dating a hot 20-something voiced by Drew Barrymore, for example - but this past Sunday night fans of the show here in Philadelphia were treated to something they probably never thought they'd see. A political ad - for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
That TV spot sought to punch the right buttons for a group that is almost always ignored at election time, 18-24-year-old voters - highlighting the Illinois' senator's optimism and his opposition to the war in Iraq.
But the truth is that TV watchers of all ages in Philly and statewide are seeing more Obama ads than the Geico cavemen, the Bud Light "Dude," or Apple's "Mac" and "PC" combined, on shows ranging from the testosterone of Phillies baseball to the estrogen-laden "Oprah."
Political experts say that the cash-rich Obama campaign has shattered records for spending money on TV ads in Pennsylvania, especially on a per-week basis.
Neil Oxman, the veteran Philadelphia media consultant who's done many statewide races, including Gov. Rendell's, said that the Obama campaign has been spending money on TV at an astounding rate, with most of the Ohio senator's roughly $6 million in buys in the last three weeks.
Oxman, who is not affiliated with either candidate, and obtained the numbers from television stations statewide, said that Obama has nearly tripled his rival in the April 22 Democratic primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton, who's spent about $2.1 million.
What's more, most pundits agree, the TV ad blitz - mostly highlighting Obama's unique life story and his economic proposals - seems to have had the intended impact. Although polls have varied, for the most part Obama trailed Clinton in the double digits when he started running the ads, and now most surveys show him closing to a single-digit gap.
"I don't think you turn the corner just by advertising," said Jon Delano, the Pittsburgh TV pundit who also teaches politics at Carnegie-Mellon University. But he believes the ads are indeed a large reason why the race has tightened.
With his big-bucks, big-media approach, Obama has demolished one of the myths going into the Pennsylvania primary: that the only way to succeed here was through old-fashioned, shoe-leather, retail politics. The upstart senator has done that, with a six-day bus tour that received good news coverage except for Obama's lack of bowling prowess - but paid TV has really been a cornerstone of his strategy.
In fact, TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG - which monitors political ads - reported yesterday that Obama has aired a whopping 100,000 TV commercials from coast-to-coast, five times as many as John Kerry aired in winning the 2004 nomination. (Clinton has run 60,000.)
Indeed, if Obama has a successful primary here, the key may not have been what he's done on the ground in April but the remarkable feats he accomplished at fundraisers and over the Web in the winter. That's when Obama took in donations - many from small and first-time donors - at record rates, with a $55 million haul in February and $40 million last month, bringing his total for the campaign to $230 million.
The Clinton campaign, in contrast, has been on a tight budget, which is why it's been so outspent on the airwaves, even with new commercials featuring Rendell and Mayor Nutter launching this week. In fact, Obama was also running ads in the May 6 primary states of North Carolina and Indiana some 10 days before Clinton's went up.
Oxman said one reason that the Obama campaign spends so much on TV is that his campaign appeals to diverse voting blocs that don't all watch the same programs.
"His demographics include the college-educated, which is one kind of buy, but then voters under 30 and African-Americans, which are different buys," Oxman explained. "So he's forced to buy everything."
G. Terry Madonna, the political scientist and pollster from Franklin and Marshall College, agreed that the Obama ad blitz has been effective, but said Clinton should not be counted out.
"This is what she's done in the other states, she's counterpunched," Madonna said. "Now she's got Rendell and Nutter and her 'hometown girl' spot
- and she's counterpunching." *
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