Fresh from a cross-country tour that wrapped up in New York last night, Democratic 2004 presidential frontrunner Howard Dean is launching a $1 million blitz of new TV ads as he tries to leave his rivals in the dust.
Dean has already run TV ads in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that launch the nomination race in January, and now plans to go national with early ads in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington state and Wisconsin.
Dean can afford ads thanks to his unique success at raising cash over the Internet – $7.6 million last quarter with a $10.3 million public “target” for the three months ending Sept. 30.
“One of the things we’re seeing out there is a great level of interest in Howard Dean – also the campaign, but especially Howard Dean – earlier than ever before and we’re trying to tap into that [with TV ads],” said Dean strategist Steve McMahon.
So far Dean has soared by attacking President Bush over the Iraq war and with an aggressive early strategy. The traditional political playbook says it’s too early to run TV ads before Labor Day.