Widening the Battlefield
Republican Mitt Romney is placing television ads in Minnesota, a move that pushes his presidential campaign into a state Democrats have held for more than three decades.
Republicans and Democrats who track campaign spending confirmed late Thursday that Romney will begin running ads in Minnesota over the weekend. The investment is described as a small buy that Democrats suggest is simply intended to generate media coverage and force President Barack Obama’s campaign to invest there as well.
It’s not about winning Minnesota — not even Reagan did that. Although the state has changed since 1984, and has no native son on this year’s Democrat ticket. But it is about spreading Obama’s defenses thinner, making it more likely to pick up states like OH and WI.
(H/T Brian on Twitter.)
I can hardly wait till Friday night when the results from the 7 day averaged polls come out. I figure any possible bounce for Obama from the Monday debate will have to show up in it. If one doesn’t, get out the butter knife ’cause he’s toast.
The Romney internals must be awesome. You have to think he knows better than we do how things are going in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other states.
Plus, it tells me that his ground game is maximizing every dollar they spend. He’s not afraid to spend money on Minnesota because he’s got it available…and doesn’t need to throw it into last ditch attempts.
I said it before, Romney is going to peel away a true blue state if this is a cascade election. Maybe that’s what his internals say. And even as campaign strategy, it’s a great move. Initiative is everything.
1: Minnesota borders Iowa and Wisconsin, so unless he’s advertising in the NW side of the state, he hits at least two birds with one stone.
2: There’s no competition in the Senate race, no other statewide races, and very little president race political advertising. The Gov race in 2010 was 51 – 49 Dem, while the Republicans took both houses of the state legislature.
Romney might actually win in MN. But if he does, it will be because he beat 300 EVs.
Twin Cities media market cover several counties of Western WI, so that could be some of the buy, as would Duluth.