As reported earlier purohit by a handful of swing state polls have been released today showing Obama leading in CO, FL, IA, MI, NV and WI with more than 50% of the vote, and in NC with 49% of the vote. We also know that the Romney campaign's financial situation is not as bright as was previously suspected. He's overspending and underaising. He's even implying he might have to spend his own personal fortune.
Under these circumstances, you would expect the campaign to tighten up and focus their resources in a more directed and conservative manner. Yet, The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper, is reporting that the Romney campaign just made a $2.4 million ad buy in Washington D.C.
The Romney campaign made 42 buys totaling about $2.4 million Thursday, the second-most of any day since the beginning of August. It made 20 additional ad buys Friday, and eight more on Sunday, according to The Washington Times’ exclusive broadcast advertising tracker.
So, why would Romney buy ads in a district that is reliably democratic?
(more after the jump)
According to The Washington Times, the D.C. ads will also reach northern Virginia, but they also point out that not all ads will make it into that market.
“I think over 40 percent is outside Virginia, so 40 cents of every dollar he spends are not in the important places,” he said.
If the intention is to reach Virginia, it's not a very good strategy. Why spend $2.4 million to get $1.44 million of benefit? Why not make a $2.4 million ad buy in Virginia?
The Washington Times has some speculation on that, as well:
However, blanketing the nation’s capital does have a separate potential benefit: The national political media as well as Republican and Democratic party leaders and operatives are based here, and what they see here can help form their impressions of what others throughout the country are seeing.
In other words, the campaign may be spending $2.4 million in an attempt to influence the
national media.
If Romney is doing so bad that he has to try to buy the opinions of the national media, he may be in worse trouble than we think. We know that people in general do not like him. We know that this includes many in the media, even conservatives. But, is Romney really worried that the corporate media may stop carrying water for him altogether?
While President Obama has been out campaigning and blanketing swing states with ads, Romney has been spending most of his time in private fundraising events, mostly staying away from actual voters. It's not a surprise, really, given how much he seems to loath actual human beings.
Amid all of this, Romney's one-time 20 point lead among older voters has evaporated. His base is increasingly annoyed as he awkwardly tracks to the center. And, now, he is wasting money in a market that will never go his way, in an, apparent, attempt to influence the tone of his coverage. Maybe this is damage control. Maybe he has given up on winning and is hoping to somehow come out the other side not looking like a total asshole.
He'll probably fail at that, too.