Time Magazine's media blog is looking at the activities of the McCain campaign during its 'suspension' and notes that something odd is going on:
In other words: what is "suspending" a campaign anyway? It means skipping out on a debate. It means pulling campaign ads, which can run later anyway.
But it doesn't preclude getting yourself (and your running mate) on the CBS Evening News that same night. It doesn't mean keeping your surrogates—and, let's be fair, the other guy's—off the news shows to argue the valor of your Entirely Nonpolitical Decision. It doesn't mean your viral web ads go away. As far as I've read, it doesn't mean suspending polling or political messaging generally.
None of these free-media aspects are exactly small, in this campaign age.
So 'Suspension' means a freeze of spending on the biggest budget item in a campaign (TV advertising) and nothing else while loudly proclaiming one's virtue. I wonder why this is the case?
In other words: what is "suspending" a campaign anyway? It means skipping out on a debate. It means pulling campaign ads, which can run later anyway.
But it doesn't preclude getting yourself (and your running mate) on the CBS Evening News that same night. It doesn't mean keeping your surrogates—and, let's be fair, the other guy's—off the news shows to argue the valor of your Entirely Nonpolitical Decision. It doesn't mean your viral web ads go away. As far as I've read, it doesn't mean suspending polling or political messaging generally.
None of these free-media aspects are exactly small, in this campaign age.
So 'Suspension' means a freeze of spending on the biggest budget item in a campaign (TV advertising) and nothing else while loudly proclaiming one's virtue. I wonder why this is the case?
Could it be a response to this TPM Election Central report from earlier in the week?
Obama's overall spending on TV ads has jumped 50% in the last two weeks, while McCain's has held steady -- and Obama is now outspending his rival even as he's up on the air in more states. In the week ending Sept. 21, Obama spent $9.4 million on TV ads in roughly 15 states.... McCain's outlay has held steady at around $7.5 million in roughly a dozen states
Recent polling out of Indiana has pushed that state into a contestable swing state where McCain or his allies have to spend money. McCain's defensive map is expanding as Obama is very likely to pick off New Mexico and Iowa and likely to pick off Colorado which is his minimal winning coalition. At the same time alternative Obama victory routes run through Virginia, Ohio, Florida and North Carolina. McCain's best offensive flip attempt is New Hampshire. And now Indiana is in play.
McCain's campaign is on a fixed budget so a dollar spent this week can not be raised or spent for the last week of the campaign. Obama does not face a budget constraint that is anywhere near as binding.
So is this an attempt for the McCain campaign to make a 'virtue' or at least a 'mavericky' stand out of the necessity of being financially outgunned -- bet that the 'suspension' is such an oddball move that it will dominate the limited free political coverage while both candidates are buried under economic crisis news?
See PC, I can post political crap too.
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