I saw an ad for Sen. John McCain today on my local news. Now, it was a cheap buy, on the 2nd rated of 2 stations in my town, where the station trails the leader by almost 80% in news ratings. It probably costs just a few thousand dollars. Why does that show he's desperate?
I live in Salisbury, MD. Maryland. As in Massachussets with decent beaches (sorry, couldn't resist).
It's on the Delmarva Peninsula, just 15 miles south of Delaware, home of Sen. Joe Biden. Now, Delaware is solid for Sen. Barack Obama at this point, and even though my part of Maryland will go heavily for McCain, Maryland is about as much of a lock as you can get for Obama.
Why was he on my screen? It's the only TV market that serves most of the northern half of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and a hell of a lot cheaper than the Norfolk TV stations.
How many votes are there? Well, the entire population of Accomack County, VA, the county served by Salisbury's TV market, is 38,000. That's population - not registered voters. Population.
In the 2000 election, a total of 11,000 voters voted. 11,000. That's it.
John McCain is spending money to reach 11,000 voters. 11,000 voters in a district that went for Bush by 53-42 in 2000 and 58-41 in 2004.
A district that Bush won by SEVENTEEN POINTS in 2004. That's where McCain is spending money.
That's desperate.