You can't help but see the Gordon Smith-Jeff Merkly ads on TV. They're back to back. (Which for a radio guy is very annoying.) Every stop set. The frequency of those ads is insane. They irritate me to the point of turning off the tv. Do you know anybody, besides the tv station manager, who likes those ads? The question in my mind: 1. Is that kind of frequency having a positive or negative effect? and 2. why not take some of that money, just a fraction, not even a huge portion, and place in on radio outside of the major markets. (yes, there is more to Oregon than the Portland metro....) It would reach places that tv is not currently reaching, and go many times as far,dollar for dollar.

I stopped watching TV a long time ago... Radio is even starting to bug me with all the political ads :-(

It's a statistical dead heat in the polls and if Smith wants to pull it out, he and his team figure going negative is their best option. It isn't pretty, but it's politics. It’s the first time a Senate race in Oregon has been this close since the Wyden – Smith election in the mid 90’s.

Most of the ads on both sides are awful. Gordon Smith has stooped to an ad showing an unflattering view of an obviously famished Jeff Merkley stuffing his face at a picnic - so what exactly does that have to do with being a US Senator?

I've love to see some creative political advertising. In this race, I've seen none.

Here's one of the better political ads I've seen in Oregon this season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJvA-wLq4eo

(Trivia note: the ad was posted on YouTube by Adam Klugman, who may well have produced the ad, because that's his business. Klugman's dad is a lot more famous than he is from "Quincy" and "The Odd Couple.")

Andrew

(Additional Trivia note: Adam lives in West Linn.)

On that Gordon Smith "hotdog" spot, wouldn't ya just love to hear this disclaimer? "I'm Gordon Smith and I'm ashamed of this ad."

My question was more in regard as to why so much money was being spent on TV as opposed to radio for these political ads. Sure TV is viable. But it is as if they have discounted radio almost entirely. I think they are missing a huge opportunity to reach listeners. People who will actually vote in this upcoming election.

My question is why does Merkely not run on Gordon Smiths record? The only thing Jeff does is tie Smith in with Bush and Big Oil, whatever that is. I don't think its a crime to support either is it? Don't both parties have connections to oil and politics?

Merkely would win hands down if he would just run spots of himself eating a hot dog at a ballgame.

we do not care if a candidate approved the ad!!!we are not going to phone the other candidate and tell him to support or oppose anything!!!so what if bill sizemore wrote it???would you reather have alfred e. Newman be the writer of the measure??Why don't you put on the person(s)
who acrually paid for the add??

Someone please introduce 62kgw to:

Capitalization

Spaces between the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next

Proper punctuation

Correct spelling (Actually, not acrually, ad not add)

I'm outsider and I paid for this post.

we do not care if a candidate approved the ad!!!

aren't the candidates required to say that?

A legally qualified candidate saying he/she approves the ad is necessary to get Lowest Unit rate from a station. The candidates voice or image constitutes a "use". It has nothing to do with whether or not the candidate him/herself even approves of the copy.