Into the General Election, this narrative continues:

            As of September 2^nd, the media page on Angle’s campaign website
displays six videos of television ads—all six of these are anti-establishment ads targeting Harry Reid directly. Interestingly, the Reid campaign has begun to attempt to harness similar voter anger and turn it against Angle. The Reid campaign has attempted to paint Angle as an outsider. It is an interesting advertising play that fits Angle directly into the mold that the Angle campaign wishes to fit Sharron Angle in …. Except to the extreme. The idea is to capitalize on the anger that swept Angle into office in the first place and use it to push her further to the periphery. By characterizing Angle as an extremist, the Reid camp is able to portray her as out of the mainstream and out of touch with the wishes and needs of Nevada voters.

                Similar to Angle’s website, the Reid campaign main page displays four video ads, three of these attacking Angle outright. Clicking the video tab takes you to a similar scenario. (The video page) is stocked with video ads that paint Angle as an extreme candidate; many titled appropriately– “Angle Extreme & Dangerous Education Agenda” and “Sharron Angle: Just too Extreme,” are among the more direct video titles.

     Whether this advertising strategy is successful will be determined in part by the results of November’s General  Election. But one thing is for certain, the desired effect of television advertising in characterizing campaign opponents in Nevada is panning out. According to Rasmussen Reports, “The U.S. Senate race in Nevada remains very close. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state shows Democratic Senator Harry Reid and his Republican challenger Sharron Angle tied with 47% of the vote each. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided. “ (Wednesday, August 18, 2010) (This Narrative is enforced by previous polling) “Earlier this year, Reid was considered to be one of the Senate’s most vulnerable incumbents. He picked up just 39% of the vote following Angle’s primary victory but has seen his own numbers improve to 41% in late June, 43% in early July, 45% in late July and 47% today.”

Virginia broadcast and cable began airing new political advertising this week from the candidates running for Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor.

Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General, Steve Shannon for Attorney General, and Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor all placed ads in the Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Tri-Cities, and DC markets, while Deeds and McDonnell continued with their statewide advertising schedules. The above map compares how much each candidate spent by market for the week of 9/22-9/28.

This chart details how much money each candidate and issue group has placed in each market since the week of 8/31, and show the grand total of spending since 5/11.

Cuccinelli placed a total of $672k in Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke broadcast for five weeks of advertising from 9/29-11/2.

Click here to see a map of Cuccinelli’s spending.

Shannon placed a total of $140k in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Tri-Cities, and DC broadcast and cable for one week, 9/22-9/27. He placed $100k of the total sum in Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke broadcast, and he placed $40k of the total sum in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Tri-Cities, and DC cable networks NB, CNN, FXNC, HLN, MNBC, TNT, and USA.

Click here to see a map of Shannon’s spending.

Bolling placed a total of $74k in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and DC broadcast and cable for 9/22-9/28. He placed $67k of the total sum in broadcast, and he placed $8k of the total sum in Norfolk and DC cable networks CNN, DISC, ESPN, and HIST.

Click here to see a map of Bolling’s spending.

Creigh Deeds placed a total of $807k in Virginia broadcast and cable for 9/22-9/29. He placed $661k of the total sum in broadcast, and he placed $146k of the total sum in cable networks CNN, ESPN, TLC, AEN, DISC, HGTV, LIF, TBS, TNT, USA, BRVO, and MNBC.

Click here to see a map of Deeds’ spending.

Bob McDonnell placed a total of $648k in statewide broadcast and cable for 9/21-9/28. He placed $528k of the total sum in broadcast, and $120k of the total sum in cable CNB, AMC, CNN, DISC, ESPN, FXNC, FOOD, HGTV, HIST, TNT, USA, TWC, SPK, and LIF.

Click here to see a map of McDonnell’s spending.