The drill of the chase

RNC to drop $3 million on ads hitting Obama on energy

Posted by Kate Sheppard at 1:24 PM on 03 Jul 2008

Roll Call reports ($ub. req'd):

The Republican National Committee is launching $3 million in independent expenditure television ads in four states, focusing on the energy issue.

The ad is slated to run on network and cable television in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and will highlight the differences between Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) on energy security.

"Following Barack Obama's decision to become the only major party presidential candidate in history to not adhere to campaign spending caps, the Republican National Committee has begun an independent expenditure campaign in accordance with FEC regulations," RNC I.E. consultant Brad Todd said in a statement. Todd's firm, On Message Inc., produced the ad, which will run from this weekend through July 15.

Todd said the energy issue is "emerging as a defining difference in the race for president."

The ad buy demonstrates some of the RNC's financial muscle, relative to its counterpart. Through May 31, the RNC had $53.5 million on hand, compared to almost $4 million for the Democratic National Committee.

Independent groups like Newt Gingrich's American Solutions PAC -- which is leading the "Drill here, drill now" campaign -- are also likely to drop a lot of cash hyping energy issues this year. As Avi Zenilman reported this week in Politico, offshore drilling has emerged as a rallying issue for conservative politicians, activists, and bloggers.

The RNC's $3 million ad buy does seem like a large chunk of change. But by way of comparison, Swift Boat Veterans spent approximately $20 million on ads in the 2004 election. MoveOn.org Voter Fund spent $14.6 million on ads, and the League of Conservation Voters spent $3.9 million.

Something else to note: As of June 2, 2008, the RNC had received $3,652,286 from oil and gas interests, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. More than enough to fund this energy ad buy.

For story: The drill of the chase
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Oil Me!

* Obama has accepted more than $213,000 from individuals who work for companies in the oil and gas industry and their spouses.
* Two of Obama's bundlers are top executives at oil companies and are listed on his Web site as raising between $50,000 and $100,000 for the presidential hopeful.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_oil_spill. ...

by jabailo at 1:10 AM on 04 Jul 2008

Alternatives

Noooooooo!!
There has to be a way out of this gridlock! I had been wondering why the Obama campaign seems to avoid mentioning global warming and the benefits of switching to alternatives.

If Obama would challenge the nation to make the energy revolution happen, to make the switch to solar wind and geothermal a national priority, he would be proposing a hopeful positive course of action, rather than just responding to the Republican dogma.

The benefits would include lots of great jobs stimulating the economy, improved international security, investment in the 20% to 30% growth of alternative energy, and action to lessen the escalating extreme weather, floods, fires, droughts and other catastrophes.

The question is not how will we survive without oil. The question is how wonderful will it be to get solar power on every roof, geothermal and wind providing all the electricity we can use, even for plugg-in cars. With American ingenuity and industry powering this transition we could the wind out of the sails and put it behind the windmills and still have some oil left to make the plastic parts of windmills!

by Zephaniah at 11:51 AM on 05 Jul 2008

Just goes to show...

To paraphrase (it may be a direct quote, but I'm not looking it up) Douglas Adams from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,

"Anyone able to get themselves elected president should on no account be allowed to have the job."

by BlackBear at 3:40 AM on 06 Jul 2008

ADVERTISING POLICY

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