Candidates spent ad money early

Presidential contenders from both major parties spent a record $107 million through last Sunday to air more than 151,000 television ads -- but hardly any of the media dollars were used to buy air time in the more than 20 states holding nominating contests Tuesday.

Reflecting the extraordinary focus placed on early primary and caucus states this election cycle, three times as much money was spent at New Hampshire television station WMUR -- about $10 million -- than had been spent in all of California. As of Sunday, ad buys in California totaled about $3 million, though that increased this week as some of the major candidates launched new TV spots in the state.

At a similar point before the Iowa caucuses, $36 million had been spent there, said Kenneth Goldstein, director of the University of Wisconsin Advertising Project, which conducted the study. By the time the Jan. 3 caucuses were over, the candidates had spent $43 million on television ads in Iowa, or about $121 for every person who cast a ballot.

In New Hampshire, which voted Jan. 8, the candidates spent $32 million, or $62 per primary voter.

“When it’s all said and done, more will have been spent on WMUR than in the entire state of California,” Goldstein said.

The relatively light spending in California is ironic, he said, because it is a state where campaigns are most effectively fought over the air. In Iowa and New Hampshire, by contrast, retail politics work best.

Nationally Democrats outspent Republicans -- $57 million to air 83,320 ads versus $50 million for 67,798 ads -- despite the fact that Democrats did not put up any ads in Michigan or Florida, which were under sanction for violating party rules by holding early votes.

That contrasts with the $8 million the candidates had spent as of Sunday in all the Super Tuesday states combined.

Within the parties, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) outspent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) by $4 million, while former Gov. Mitt Romney’s (R-Mass.) $29-million outlay -- the highest for all candidates -- far outpaced Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) $8 million.

The early-voting results also have shown that the message matters more than the number of ads purchased, Goldstein said. Romney, for instance, spent four times what McCain spent on ads in Florida, yet lost the primary to him.

If Romney loses the Republican nomination, “it will not be because he was not able to introduce himself” to voters, Goldstein said. “It’s not just tonnage . . . it’s the quality of the message.”

The study also found that the parties diverged thematically: Republicans focused on taxes, defense, abortion and immigration while the Democrats highlighted healthcare and economic issues.

Some 90% of the ads were deemed “positive,” and the rest were considered “contrast” ads, except for 11 “negative” ads aired by former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) in Iowa.

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scott.martelle@latimes.com