Four years ago, while Republicans were recovering from a bruising primary fight, the Obama campaign unleashed a month long television blitz in battleground states to define Mitt Romney as a man out of touch with the American people. That early attack was later credited with Obama’s win in those key states.
Now the Clinton campaign is following the same playbook, launching two new ads in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.
The Clinton campaign says part of the ad buy will attempt to reintroduce her to voters. Other ads will hit Trump much harder.
The ad blitz isn’t cheap. The Clinton camp will spend $1.6 million in Virginia. $1.3 million in Ohio. $1 million in Iowa. $926,000 in Colorado. $764,000 in New Hampshire. $723,000 in North Carolina. $563,000 in Florida. $473,000 in Nevada.
Virginia was once a dependable Republican state but has been made competitive in the Obama era. Ohio has not gone with a losing presidential candidate since 1960. No Republican has ever reached 270 electoral votes without it.
Like Romney in 2012, the Trump camp is not expected to match the Clinton buy in battleground states. Trump is raising campaign cash this month in traditionally red states.