Dems outspend McCain by more than 10 to 1 on TV ads

Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) have spent more than 10 times as much on television advertising this year as Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive GOP nominee.

Obama and Clinton have spent $121 million on television advertising so far this year, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Advertising Project, a nonpartisan academic study. Obama has spent $75 million and Clinton has spent $46 million.

{mosads}By contrast, McCain has spent only $11 million on ads this year.

Obama’s millions have enabled him to air 139,000 television ads, 60,000 more spots than Clinton has aired in 2008.

Obama spent three times as much as Clinton in primaries held between Feb. 5 and Feb. 19, when he reeled off a string of victories in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii and Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Advertising Project, which analyzed data compiled by TNS Media Intelligence, a firm tracking political advertising.

In states that held primaries after Feb. 19, Obama spent twice as much on campaign advertising. The study analyzed primaries through May 20, when Kentucky and Oregon held contests.

Obama has spent $47,000 on advertising for each delegate he’s won. Clinton has spent $33,000 per delegate.

Clinton has spent more on television than Obama has in only a few states: New Hampshire, Nevada, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, New York and Oklahoma. Clinton won every state except for Idaho. Clinton won the popular vote in Nevada, but Obama picked up more delegates in the state.

Obama enjoyed his biggest advertising advantage in several states he won easily: Maine, Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont and Mississippi.