Opinion: If you got it, spend it

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CNN reports that Mitt Romney is far and away the biggest spender on TV ads so far this presidential election cycle, dropping a record $10.2 million to air ads 14,500 times mostly in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, with a recent uptick in Florida -- all early voting states.

Second place among the Republicans goes to John McCain, who has spent $300,000 -- half of what CNN reported Romney spent just last week. On the Democratic side, Barack Obama has spent $3.9 million.

Romney’s ads primarily try to paint him as a conservative, introducing him to voters in states where he has little history. To see some Romney ads, click here. And son of a gun -- polls show him leading in Iowa and New Hampshire and in a virtual tie in South Carolina. Florida, not so good. Nationwide? He places a distant fourth in Real Clear Politics’ poll average.

And that, folks, is why candidates spend money on TV ads.

-- Scott Martelle