(In thousands)
State McCain RNC Obama DNC
CO 464 0 979 1
FL 436 4 3,100 18
IA 151 0 157 0
IN 0 41 415 1
ME 0 0 2 0
MI 292 63 754 1
MN 202 0 66 0
MO 104 0 356 6
MT 0 0 47 0
NC 47 0 688 3
NH 96 0 258 0
NM 147 0 254 1
NV 299 0 737 3
OH 485 103 1,217 0
PA 942 69 1,882 14
SC 0 0 67 0
VA 93 25 1,215 5
WI 295 26 666 1
WV 23 11 43 0
Total: 5,239 337 13,371 52
The disparities in resources is stark, with Obama closing in on a 3-1 margin in spending. The cash-flush RNC is obviously spending its money on other things like field, and saving up up for one last barrage of sleazy attack ads.
That Obama spending in South Carolina was in the Greenville market, which pokes into western North Carolina. So no, that doesn't mean Obama is making a play for the Palmetto State. It means he's hitting every corner of North Carolina.
Minnesota is the one battleground state in which McCain continues to outspend Obama, and it's shown in the polling:
But McCain has sunk about 20 percent of his advertising budget into Pennsylvania, and that's going nowhere fast:
McCain can't compete financially, so expect the RNC to come riding in and try to save the day. Still, if Michigan was too tough to compete in, what makes the McCain campaign think they can compete better in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania? The only Kerry state which remains truly competitive appears to be Minnesota, yet even that one will be tough to grab. And why is McCain still pissing money away in New Mexico and Iowa, two states that are solidly Obama at this point?
Two last points -- I like that West Virginia and Montana are still getting attention. Both Obama and McCain are spending in Wheeling, WV, which hits both SE Ohio and SW Pennsylvania. McCain is also in Parkersburg, which borders SW Ohio. But both Obama and the RNC are dabbling in Charleston, which is smack in the center of the state. Obama must be flirting with making a play for the state, while the RNC seems a bit worried:
Market McCain RNC Obama
Charleston 0 $10,600/28 ads $30,604/117 ads
Parkersburg $12,510/57 ads 0 0
Wheeling $10,595/82 ads 0 $12,738/89 ads
Not a big outlay, but definitely dabbling.
And just look at that Florida spending. That kind of massive disparity has been a hallmark of this entire campaign, and one that has finally begun bearing fruit in recent weeks, as Obama has taken the slimmest of leads. It's the kind of investment that would've never been possible had Obama taken public financing (or had we nominated someone who wouldn't opt out).