Opinion: John McCain hits the airwaves -- in New Mexico

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Yep -- New Mexico. Key battleground state, that, or at least it might be if it could actually count its votes. But this is where John McCain chose to air what the campaign ballyhooed as the first television ad of the general election.

That’s right, we’re a week into spring and Team McCain is bragging about being first on the air for the fall election. Call it a pre-emptive strike. But it’s a curious time, and a curious place -- McCain, you’ll recall, represents neighboring Arizona in the U.S. Senate -- to be spending limited cash that might be more useful in, say, October.

The thing is, the 60-second ad doesn’t do much. It comes across as one of those introductory spots aimed at presenting McCain as experienced, and a military veteran. By now, one would hope that anyone planning to vote in November has been paying enough attention to know who McCain is, and that he was a Vietnam War POW -- the ad ends with footage of him in captivity.

No word from the campaign on how often they plan to air the ad. But don’t count on the poll numbers changing over this one.

-- Scott Martelle