Democrats dominate Super Duper air wars

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At this point in the 2008 presidential race, the biggest warchests have been amassed by Democrats, and it has been showing in the run-up to the critical multi-state Super Duper primary battle. The Democrats are spending freely, while the Republicans are picking their spots.


New York Times reports that Barack Obama (D-IL) began hitting the airwaves in Super Tuesday states on 1/12/08 and has spent just shy of 11M. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) started a bit later, on 1/17/08, and has spent a bit less, 8M. Obama also bit on the Super Bowl, according to the Associated Press. Although no campaign bit on a national ad during the marquee televised event of the year, Obama bought 30-second spots out of local inventory in selected markets.

NYT said its numbers on Republican candidates was less specific, but that it appeared Mitt Romney (R-MA) has sunk 2M into the Super Tuesday states, about double the 1M spent by John McCain (R-AZ).

RBR/TVBR observation: Conventional wisdom has McCain in the driver’s seat by Wednesday morning. The picture on the Democratic side isn’t as clear, and if it continues to lack clarity as of Wednesday morning, that will be a major boon to the economies of the states lined up next on the calendar.