Meet The Democrat National Convention’s Latest Sponsor: John McCain
This can’t have The One’s campaign very happy.
Sen. John McCain has so much spare cash on hand — he collected a record $27 million in July — that the Republican candidate plans to run campaign ads during the networks’ coverage of the Democratic National Convention later this month.
Because Mr. McCain has agreed to accept $84 million in public financing for the general election, the presumptive presidential nominee has only until Sept. 4, when he accepts his party’s nomination, to spend the more than $21 million he has on hand.
“We continue to have record months of fundraising. This is now the fifth month in a row that we have exceeded the month before,” said McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. The candidate’s advertising budget for August is expected to exceed $20 million, he said, and, by the Republican convention, Mr. McCain is on track to spend some $60 million on TV advertising during the whole primary campaign.
A pretty brilliant move, actually. McCain has money to burn right now before he accepts public financing. Obama, on the other hand, must make his fundraising last until election day, which makes it unlikely that he could pull off a similar stunt during the Republican convention.
Typically during the national conventions you see each party concede the limelight to the other side during the respective conventions. But McCain isn’t playing by that unwritten rule this year, and that’s exactly what he needs to do to break through the incessant and adoring coverage Obama gets from the media.
