McCain's Ad Buy Is A Big-Time Bust

Back in June, John McCain fought back against the Democrats' "50-State Strategy" by launching an eleven state strategy of his own, sinking $16 million worth of ads into Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Those ads carried the same message that McCain's former commanders used to shout at the entire Navy every time the Senator boarded a plane: "Don't hope for a brighter future!" And, as you might expect, people hated the message, and cried.

The results of the investment are graphed by Mark Nickolas at Political Base. In nine of the states targeted, McCain's support in the polls fell precipitously. In Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, slight leads or dead heats became Obama leads. In Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, small Obama leads grew to blowouts. And in Missouri, a large McCain lead has dwindled to a statistical tie.

Exacerbating the problem is the fact that Obama only spent $5 million on advertising in June. The only state where McCain gained traction was Nevada, where no one hopes for a brighter future, preferring instead to hope that desperate, debt-ridden subprime mortgage holders risk their life savings at keno.