Romney Plans Major Ad Buys in California, Other Super Tuesday States
Mitt Romney plans to buy TV ads in California and other Super Tuesday states, contradicting earlier reports that he was avoiding a costly campaign on Feb. 5, when 21 states hold Republican primaries and caucuses.
As Romney seeks to topple John McCain’s momentum coming out of his win in the Florida primary and a host of big-name endorsements, he said in Long Beach Thursday that he’s authorized a seven-figure advertising buy.
He said that even though he can’t flood the airwaves in every state, “given the number of states going at the same time, this is a time where our message to the main purveyors of information in the world is the best way for us to get our message out.”
Romney’s advisers had given him several options, ranging from spending $1 million for ads to $7 million. It was not immediately clear how much money Romney was willing to spend - or whether the multimillionaire would dip into his own bank account again. He already has poured at least $40 million into his presidential campaign.
The campaign will determine shortly which states it will target beyond California.
McCain aides said he, too, is preparing to run a high volume of commercials on national cable channels and in key states, but Romney will likely be the first GOP candidate on air in the Super Tuesday states, the broadest battleground of the primary season.
Romney’s first ad in California, though, actually passed over McCain in favor of attacking Democrat Hillary Clinton, criticizing her for lacking experience.
But as the mega-contest looms, Romney and McCain clashed sharply at the Wednesday night debate in California, trading accusations on topics ranging from taxes to their positions on the Iraq war to conservative credentials.
Romney has been trying to cast himself as more conservative than McCain. He claimed the Arizona senator was outside the mainstream Wednesday night and even accused McCain of “dirty tricks” and old-style Washington politics for repeating a charge that Romney supports a timetable for troop withdrawal in Iraq. Romney insists that is not true.
The debate Wednesday night further defined the contest as a two-man race, but McCain is already leading in the polls in several delegate-rich Feb. 5 states, including California.
Mike Huckabee is also trying to stay competitive in the race. He and Ron Paul participated in Wednesday night’s debate alongside Romney and McCain.
Romney had indicated on Wednesday that his campaign was not trying to purchase television advertising time in any of the states on the Super Tuesday calendar. Instead, his plans called for campaigning in California and other primary states, while making organizational efforts primarily for caucus states.
That still holds, though Romney now will supplement his campaigning with advertising.
His travel schedule reflects his campaign targets — if not his advertising goals.
The campaign was planning to focus on areas with heavy concentrations of Romney’s fellow Mormons: California, Arizona, and Utah, seat of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romney, trying to become the first Mormon president, will attend the funeral of the church President Gordon B. Hinckley on Saturday in Utah.
He also planned a stop Friday in Colorado, followed by visits to Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri, key Midwestern states. In Missouri, a classic swing state, Romney enjoys the strong support of Gov. Matt Blunt.
Also on the tentative schedule were Tennessee and Georgia, Southern states where Romney has shown strength. Romney was likely to bypass delegate-rich New York and New Jersey after former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani dropped out of the race and endorsed McCain.
Romney’s home state of Massachusetts also votes Tuesday. His campaign tentatively planned to receive the Super Tuesday returns there, though a strong result was not assured.
In contrast to Romney, McCain plans to rely largely on momentum and the “free” news coverage that comes with it by holding rallies and news conferences in California and big winner-take-all delegate states, including New York and Illinois. McCain was picking up the endorsement of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday, an event sure to garner loads of publicity.
His aides say he would make a modest and targeted TV advertising push in some states.
With winner-take-all states his first priority, McCain’s tentative travel schedule calls for him to travel coast to coast for general-election style rallies in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
FOX News’ Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I am Romney’s ardent supporter, but I agree with Doug 100%. I don’t think McCain will carry a single state in general election - conservative Republicans will stay home on the election day and this is exactly what Democrats wanted - they’ve acheived their goal scoring tremendous results. The loss will be a huge blow to McCain’s enormous ego, which he deserves.
I think Romney has done a great job campaigning and I AM VERY PROUD OF HIM and his successes. Romney’s biggest success is that he is now sure that he can and will carry the majority of the Republican vote (especially conservatives). Romney should hand the nomination to McCain this year and SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN IN 2012. McCain will lose anyway - it was destined to happen this way with media’s determination of course.
By the year of 2012 Iraq will be history as the newly-elect Democratic president will immediately start withdrawing our troops - it is their mandate. However, DEMOCRATS DON’T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE ECONOMY and my fear is they will make our economy worse. By 2011 America will be begging Romney to run for president.
McCain’s win this year is not Romney’s loss - it is the assurance for Romney that he is the one that has that solid Republican base behind him.
So, who is the winner? Romney is! And who is the loser? McCain is!
Romney 2012!
McCain isn’t stupid or a liar. He’s just too old to remember to say things correctly. Never before has John McCain shown this kind of skill developing political endorsements. Somebody else is organizing and controlling his campaign. He is dancing like a puppet on a string.
“The first Mormon president?? Is Mike Huckabee trying to become the first ordained southern baptist minister president? Why don’t we hear about what religion McCain or Paul is?? I thought the election was about the issues not religion! Cameron and the AP should be sent back to jounalism school-just report let us decide. Isn’t that the Fox news motto??” David B. Bybee post #106
Thank you for pointing that out! I am so infuriated that his ‘cult religion’ is constantly beaten over his and our heads. People say that a person leads by example, his example is a class act. (As opposed to McCains temper-tantrum during the debate.) His speech at the Bush Pres. Library was inspiring, dignified, and revealed the truth of the matter. Has everyone forgotten that? Like they have forgotten who John McCain really is?
If Romney supporters were only a bunch of mass-breeding, lifetime wellfare leaches, who secretly worship the devil and wish for the demise of American values- Mormons, as Mr. Carl is suggesting, then Mitt Romney would garner less support than Ron Paul.
Vote Mitt, save America!
You Romney lovers are sick. Telling lies to benefit your candidate. Just like Romney himself. Mitt Romney should drop out of the race because he is taking votes from the one person who can beat McCain, Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee is the only true conservative. Romney is a social and fiscal liberal.
So Romney voters, if you are so afraid of McCain winning, place your vote with the only candidate that can beat him, Gov. Mike HUCKABEE.
Believe me when I say that I’m as upset as anyone about McCain’s rise - thanks to the main-stream media who are doing what they can to get him elected.
I am extremely conservative in every way.
That said, if McCain does get the nomination (as conventional wisdom would tell you he will), there is one main difference between him and Clinton or Obama - he understands and believes our country’s security is at risk every day due to Islamic facist terrorists. I’m convinced he will do what he can to protect this country. Clinton or Obama will do what they have to do to get re-elected and continue their liberal policies.
I LOVE Mitt.
I will “hold my nose” and vote for McCain in general election, if it comes down to that.
Believe me I dread waking up on November 5th and hearing the term “President-Elect McCain” being on the airwaves.
My nightmare is waking up in a cold sweat and realizing that this country is about to be led by Clinton or Obama.
So, let’s be pragmatic, if it comes down to that.
Meanwhile, let’s just pray the electorate of this country can get the right guy as our nominee - Mitt Romney.
It isn’t over yet.
I certainly hope Romney wins. I am a USNA alumnus and I don’t support McCain. I know the dirty tricks of McCain, a true politician willing to do anything to gain power. His sarcasm and nasty quips were child-like last night. As someone previously noted, he is a Washington insider; the kind of person who will maintain the status quo when we really need drastic changes. What does McCain stand for other than his stance on the war?
Send a message to Washington. It is the voters’ money the federal politicians are spending when farmers in the Midwest are paid not to farm their fields. Send a message to Washington. It is the voters’ money the federal politicians are spending when tons of pears are left to rot in the fields and oranges are left on the trees in California while produce and canned goods are imported and placed on our shelves. It is not politicians’ money they want to spend to give amnesty to 12 million illegals. It is the voters’ money.
Send a message to Washington that “endorsements” from the good old boys club does not buy votes…that voters are thinking, reasoning people who can make up their minds on their own without being told who they should vote for.
Send a message to Washington that conservatives still exist and family values exist and Washington politicians are paid with the voters’ money and are hired to do the will of the people. Send a message to Washington that we know the government has no money except what the voters give them.
Send a message to Washington because we have a dedicated man willing to sacrifice to get that message delivered. Go to mittromney.com and send a contribution for whatever you can afford if it is only $5, $10 or $25 because if you don’t, you might not get another chance to rein in Washington for a long time.
Romney should resign now and let the only true conservative, Mike Huckabee take down McCain. Huckabee has the natural southern constituency. With Mitt gone, he’d sweep that-including Texas and then all the various neo-cons, fis-cons, etc could finally get on the right band wagon and we could win this thing! Romney can’t do it with all his money- thats been proven. Imagine what a Reagan like spokeman in Huckabee could do if conservatives gave him the support he needed!
Only a few days left folks…spread the word that Romney is the best qualified for President.
This is from a Florida Romney voter.
I’ve been reading a lot of negative remarks about evangelicals or “Christian cult” among other things. Just like it’s wrong for people to attack Mitt for being mormon, it’s also wrong to attack all evangelicals. Don’t allow a small group of people and the media to continue to divide us. If you pay attention to the exit polls and also to what a lot of other people are saying, most of us “evangelicals” have no problem with Mitt. Huckabee seems to be a nice man and I would probably visit his church but he’s not the President in my view. Mitt is the man for the job. The thought of McCain winning the nomination is scary to me and I’m wondering what other conservatives are thinking. Maybe they have bought into the media hype that only McCain can beat Hillary. Normally I understand strategy, “get some of what you want instead of nothing”. However, if we nominate McCain, it will be the same as “getting none of what we want”. Look at the man’s record and you will see that he consistently does not support conservative issues. PLEASE RECONSIDER AND VOTE FOR MITT.