Super PACs Play a Leading Role in Republican Air War

Time-Swampland ^ | january 12, 2012 | Alex Altman

[Cincinatus' Wife]

..In the political mud pit of South Carolina, whose Jan. 21 primary is next on the calendar, candidates and their Super PACs have already dropped more than $9 million so far this cycle. The top three spenders in South Carolina have all been super PACs, led by RestoreOurFuture, a Mitt Romney-allied group, at $2.1 million. Texas Governor Rick Perry’s super PAC, MakeUsGreatAgain, has pumped $1.77 million into the Palmetto State so far, and WinningourFuture PAC, which backs Newt Gingrich, trails close behind at $1.6 million. Those sums are poised to swell quickly, with both Perry and Gingrich planning to savage Romney in South Carolina in an effort to stymie the front-runner’s momentum.

...Romney’s campaign and super PAC have dwarfed his rivals in media buys, pouring nearly $15 million since November into radio and television time. Perry, the second-highest spender, has funneled some $9.7 million into ads promoting his campaign. Buoyed by small-dollar donors, Ron Paul checks in third with nearly $5 million in ad spending. Newt Gingrich and his allies have forked over $3.1 million for ads, a million more than Jon Huntsman. At $1.18 million, Rick Santorum, who battled Romney to a virtual draw in Iowa on a shoestring budget, has shelled out the least for paid media among the GOP field.

[SNIP]

Romney is the only Republican so far to purchase ads in Florida, whose critical Jan. 31 primary requires competing in several major media markets, making it prohibitively expensive for underfunded candidates. Romney’s campaign and super PAC have spent $6.1 million so far in the Sunshine State. By contrast, Ron Paul has opted to skip Florida altogether to pursue a strategy of cornering smaller, cheaper states like Nevada, where he recently became the first candidate to purchase air time.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

By contrast, Ron Paul has opted to skip Florida altogether to pursue a strategy of cornering smaller, cheaper states like Nevada, where he recently became the first candidate to purchase air time.

"CONCORD, N.H. -- Upbeat about how it will fare in today’s election, the Ron Paul campaign said today that it may now consider a stronger presence in Florida, which holds its primary at the end of the month.

A Paul spokesman today downplayed previous reports that the Texas congressman would not try to actively compete in Florida, the largest trove of votes in the nascent campaign season.

“We’re not yet spending any money down there, but we have strong grass roots presence,” said the spokesman, Gary Howard.

The key, of course, is money and whether the campaign will have the resources to effectively compete in such a massive state far different from Iowa and New Hampshire.

Jan 10, 2012 Source

[johnthebaptistmoore]

My head is spinning...!