dupe; please delete

[CatWoman]

Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of primetime television on CBS and NBC, sources confirm.

The Obama campaign is producing a nationwide pitch to voters that will air on at least two broadcast networks. The ad will run Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. -- less than a week before the general election.

The direct purchase of such a large block of national airtime right before an election used to be more commonplace before campaigns began to focus their end game strategies exclusively on battleground states. Such a move is not without precedent in modern presidential politics, however -- Ross Perot did a similar purchase in 1992.

The special is a smart move for the Obama campaign, said Larry Sabato, a political analyst and director of the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia.

"Obama's theme is not just change but unity, so he's appealing to the whole nation rather than a handful of toss-up states," Sabato said. "He wants to win the popular vote by a good margin, which will enable him to govern."

And he's got the cash for it, said Sabato.

"This is another indication, if there needs to be any more, that Barack Obama's got more money than television time to buy," said Evan Tracey, COO of the Campaign Media Analysis Group in Arlington, Va.

http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/10/obama-primetime.html

[NightWatcher]

1. will the cable "news" companies show any of that, or give it coverage?

glad to see the money going to good use. Should we help buy him a few more channels?