NYT: Kerry Pulls Ads From Some States as Spending Is Limited

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 - Senator John Kerry, who was advertising in 20 states earlier this summer, had hoped by now to be playing on a broader canvas that included more states that President Bush won in 2000.

But advertising data gathered for The New York Times by Nielsen Monitor-Plus shows that from Sept. 7 through last Thursday, Mr. Kerry was running advertisements in just 13 states. He had pulled back in seven that he had tried to make competitive, including the crucial battleground of Missouri.

Mr. Kerry actually projected a bigger television presence than his advertising buying suggested because the Democratic National Committee was augmenting it with significant purchasing of its own.

Still, there were fewer Kerry and Democratic Party advertisements in that period than spots bought by President Bush and the Republican National Committee, and they ran in fewer states. Mr. Bush was advertising in 18 states.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/20/politics/campaign/20map.html?ex=1096257600&en=cebf415c2a705704&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1

[dumpster_baby]

1. That is probably will Bush is pulling ahead

It all comes down to money. The Right is buying this election, too.

[w4rma]

2. The RNC and Bush have WAY more money to spend.

In addition to basically owning their own TV "news" network (FOX) and practically owning the others.

[AP]

4. I think they own NPR too.

[IndianaGreen]

8. I thought that everyone had the same amount, once they got the matching

funds. Bush burned a lot of money early in hopes of an early knockout of Kerry. He clearly failed to do that before the DNC. Bush was pretty much tapped out by Summer's end.

[Erika]

3. That's Why We Must Make The Difference

in yard signs and bumper stickers. I've been approached by several of my neighbors as to why I will vote Kerry. My best friend has a bumper sticker reading Veterans for Kerry. He has also got to explain to them that Bush has hurt, not helped veterans. We need to write letters to the editor.

Bush has big business behind him. Kerry has the working class, and the talking class.

[AgadorSparticus]

5. this is exactly why i tell people that this election will not be won by

TV but by the people. It will be the grassroots that will deliver the election to kerry. SO WHAT if the repukes have gazillions of dollars to blow on advertising. we have millions of democrats who have voices and can wear kerry tshirts and put kerry bumperstickers on their cars. WE are the advertisers for kerry. and we are FAR more powerful than a 30second ad.

i refuse to be bullied by dollars when we have the numbers and the momentum in the world outside of TV.

[sonicx]

6. This is why its critical for Kerry and Edwards to do Talk Shows...

Its free and no show will turn them down. And it'll help them get around the bias reporting.

[JDPriestly]

7. This is why Kerry should give away the bumper stickers and

yard signs and not charge $2/$5 per sticker/sign. Only two houses on my street have Kerry signs although all but one family is for Kerry. How many of my neighbors will "forget" to vote? If the signs were free, it would be easy to get people to put them up. By not giving things to his volunteers to give away, Kerry is not using his most valuable asset -- the volunteers, to his advantage.

The goal of closing a sale is getting the customer to commit to buy. If a candidate gives you a yard sign and you put the sign up in front of your house, you feel flattered, you are grateful to the candidate and, on a psychological level, you commit your vote to the candidate. Kerry should focus more on getting voters actively involved in his campaign and less on getting them passively involved in watching some ad on TV. How many people just Kivo past the political ads anyway?

[Erika]

9. I bought My Own Kerry Yard Sign

I don't need some corporate entitlement program with a tax credit to do so.

[Voltaire99]

11. I live in a liberal neighborhood. A VERY liberal one, and...

There are almost no Kerry-Edwards signs.

Not for want of Kerry volunteers canvassing, nor for love of Bush, I assure you.

People don't want them. They aren't enthusiastic. They don't like Kerry or his watered-down message. When I talk to them, I hear variations on how little Kerry differs from Bush, how depressing a choice we have been given, how irritating to be told to vote for somebody who doesn't share one's values, and how damnable to be facing more years of Bush. And I find myself, in the main, agreeing.

If I care at all at this late date it is because I believe that with a change of message Kerry still might win. Six weeks to go. The polls suck, and no, my dear conspiracy theorists, it ain't all Gallup's fault. Six weeks. Change the message, or get used to Bush.

[HarveyBrooks]

19. If you and your neighbors...

think there is little difference between bush & Kerry you are either misinformed or lying to yourselves.
The 12th most liberal Senator vs. possibly the most conservative pResident in history & you can't tell the difference?
Me thinks that anyone that would be acceptable to you & your neighbors would be so liberal as to be unelectable.

[progressivebydesign]

20. The ones around here have all be stolen!

They, and ALL the Democratic signs, have disappeared around here at a fast rate! The amount of money the Repugs are spending on signs is ridiculous.. they're sprouting up like weeds here, YET the bumper stickers are running Kerry over Bush 3 to 1!!

Signs aren't going to win it! In fact, most of the people I talk to are SOOO sick of political signs all over, that there is a backlash against the ones with the most signs!

Take it to the people! Buy your Kerry gear and wear it proudly.. then you have real opportunities to promote Kerry. My "WOMEN FOR KERRY" dogtags have gotten an astouding response... and I have the chance to remind everyone that comments on them, to vote.. because it's so important. I guarantee that the proliferation of signs are simply starting to piss people off... grass roots is the way to go.

[tlcandie]

17. go to democratic headquarters...

They are there for donations only and I'm sure if you said you would love to donate, but can't atm they would not say .. NO you can't have a sign!

:+

[saracat]

10. Wtf? What happened to all that money we raised?

Why aren't we competing? This is outrageous!

[Gregorian]

14. Well.... I got a big glossy picture of Kerry and Edwards. :(

A total and complete waste of money. In a folder, no less. That must have been a million, right there. I was pissed. I am not a republican- I don't need images.

[Larkspur]

15. I got one of those and I didn't even donate to Kerry's campaign

[papau]

12. Could it just be timing - waiting until after the debates?

So for a week ending 9/12 Kerry focuses on - Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio - Wisconsin - Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico and West Virginia, plus he added last Tuesday - Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Oregon/Maine.

Of the 7 where he is off air more or less -Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia - only Missouri is a major blow to getting to the 270-71 electorial votes. IMHO

[demokatgurrl]

13. I don't understand

Both campaigns have the same limits. Presumably RNC and DNC can supplement by spending money of their own. Does this mean DNC is runnign out of money?????

[fugop]

16. My thought as well , papau....

Since both candidates had the same amount after the RNC (except for the small amount I believe Kerry spent to deflect the August barrage), I also wonder if Kerry is just saving some ad money in those states until October. This is a country of short-attention span, after all, so often the last guy to make the big statement is what people remember.

SO here's hoping he isn't pulling everything from those states for good. I think it's definitely too early to write them all off.

[noamnety]

18. The parties can still raise money

"Kerry" and "Bush" can't raise any more money for ads, but the Democratic party and the Republican party can. And their donation limits are much higher.

[Doosh]

21. i sure hope this is a strategic decision

because we raised tons of money for him. I hope it wasn't pissed away like with the dean campaign. heading into the stretch run of the campaign, we should be preparing for an all out blitz.