With more control over campaign cash, Obama gets more discounts on advertising

[Drunken Irishman]

As the presidential campaigns step up the pace of their multimillion-dollar spending sprees, President Obama has a little-noticed strategic advantage that gives him more control over the money he has raised.

While Mitt Romney relies heavily on massive amounts of cash held by the Republican Party and interest groups, Obama has more funds in his own campaign coffers. That allows him to make decisions about where and how to spend the money and to take better advantage of discounted ad rates, which candidates receive under federal law.

In one Ohio ad buy slated to run just before the election, for example, Obama is paying $125 for a spot that is costing a conservative super PAC $900.

The imbalance could prove crucial over the next six weeks, when the candidates and their allies are expected to burn through about $1 billion worth of advertising in battleground states and deploy thousands of staffers and volunteers to drum up votes. With $1.5 billion already spent on the White House race, the final barrage will help determine whether Romney can turn around his fortunes and defeat the incumbent.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/obama-has-more-control-of-campaign-cash-and-with-it-an-edge-in-ad-rates/2012/09/26/c85304ea-03f9-11e2-91e7-2962c74e7738_story.html?hpid=z1

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Wait, what? The Obama campaign thinks things through and understands the rules of the game?

Yeah, we already knew that.

See, for example, complaints about caucuses, spring 2008.

If you're gonna play the game, understand the rules. Whining about a campaign that actually understands the rules and uses them to its advantage is pretty, well, pathetic.

[Tigress DEM]

2. A Prez who spends money carefully or pretender who blows through cash willy nilly?

WHOSE HOUSE? Our house. Put the right man in charge of our national interests... and the principals too.

[Cha]

3. I love the President and his Team's thorough

understanding of how to use the rules and in this case Bargains to their advantage. Which turns out is to our advantage, too!

[BlueCaliDem]

4. Just when I think Pres.Obama can't surprise me more than he's already done,

I discover that he knows how to spend wisely and productively as well.

[Cha]

5. They've done it with

Medicare and other deadwood cut from different Gov Agencies. More bang for the buck with this Prez!

[littlemissmartypants]

7. Yep he even had the AP change their rules in 2008

CHECK THIS OUT ANOTHER COOL THING ABOUT THIS PRESIDENCY: New Obama Style
Associated Press quietly issued a new style rule that took effect at 3 a.m. Nov. 14.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1415652#edits

http://blog.heritage.org/2008/11/17/new-obama-style-suits-ap/

[4lbs]

6. It might have something to do with President Obama and Michelle having started their life together

as somewhat poor.

Thus, they actually had to *GASP* budget their limited money and think about how to best spend it to get through the next month.

This stayed with them all through their lives.

Something that Romney never had to do, because he's always been able to depend on rich people to open their pocketbooks and write another huge check when he's needed it.

So, now, we see two different spending philosophies applied yet again in the spending of campaign money.

[bklyncowgirl]

8. Obama's legion of small donors can keep on giving right up to the election.

Most of Romney's big campaign donors are maxed out

Just when Mitt the Marvelous Money Manager starts to run short of cash, Obama's got the money he needs. In addition, rich Democrats have started to kick into the Obama superpacs.

No wonder Romney's spending so much time fundraising--aside from the desire to spend more time with "his people"--that is.

[davidpdx]

9. Wow 7 times the amount

It's kind of like getting screwed without lubricant.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. Remember when many folks, including here on DU, were questioning why Obama was spending

so much money on ads? The conservative media intimated that Obama was wasted money on ads. Remember that?

What is it going to take for people to realize that we have a very smart, competent president who knows what he's doing? When will people learn that unlike Mitt Romney, he has hired the most capable people who are brilliant at running campaigns and managing money.

Look at the man's record. Look at how he has been incredibly responsible when it has come to America's budget. Agree or disagree about the items in that budget, the bottom line is that Obama has demonstrated extraordinary restraint and an amazing ability to be responsible when it comes to management and finances.

That totally destroys Robme's argument about how he should be elected because his private industry expertise assures that he knows how to manage well. We are witnessing that lie right before our eyes.

When will we wake up and stop doubting this president?