Looks like the Republicans are finding the reality-based universe here in Wisconsin a bit unwelcoming:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican National Committee is halting presidential ads in Wisconsin and Maine, turning much of its attention to usually Republican states where GOP nominee John McCain shows signs of faltering.
The party's independent ad operation is doubling its budget to about $10 million and focusing on crucial states such as Colorado, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia where Democrat Barack Obama has established a foothold, according to a Republican strategist familiar with presidential ad placements.
Full article here:
RNC To Pull Out of Wisconsin, McCain Will Not
I don't know if it's true or not, but I heard from a Republican operative that McCain may be rethinking his Wisconsin strategy, too. The article states that he's planning to continue advertising through October 26 here. I know I've gotten robocalls the last three days from the McCain campaign. Two were the infamous William Ayers call. The other was the Hollywood call. The Ayers call had a phone contact number at the end of it--I'd guess they were trolling for volunteers.
Does anybody out there know anything along those lines?
The political ads on television are massive here in Green Bay: about every fourth commercial--last week it looked to me like McCain was outspending Obama 2 to 1. This week it seems to me that the buys are fairly even. Given that McCain's ads are nasty and misleading, and Obama's doing a mix of positive and negative ads, that still means that there are twice as many attack ads in the McCain column as there are in the Obama column--at least according to my admittedly unscientific count.
The yard sign wars are in full force--I've had my signs stolen or mutilated 4 times. Two days ago, somebody got every Obama sign in the neighborhood (there were lots).
I'm hoping McCain gives in to reality. The Quinnipiac poll last week had Wisconsin at Obama 54, McCain 37. It seems to me that the more the local Republicans feel like the election is slipping away, the nastier they get. One poor woman came out to find her Democratic yard signs BURNING last week.
Anyway, this diary is a celebration of good news--The RNC is getting desperate, and circling the wagons around the old solid Red States. That means giving up on Wisconsin.
It's also a quest to see if anybody has heard anythng about McCain's plans for Wisconsin.