Get On TV

Once upon a time GOTV meant Get Out The Vote. Now, it seems, it's more likely to mean Get On TV and it is the primary reason political campaigns are so expensive. Oklahomans viewed some great political ads and some really despicable ones this past cycle. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry's tv commercials produced by D.C. firm Murphy Putnam were all-time favorites with many Democrats and Republicans I talked to. Everyone loved the Centenarians. Check out Henry's winning tv commercials here.

I was deeply troubled with one negative tv commerical, provided by an outside independent group, that boosted a GOP candidate's name identification and disgusted many voters resulting in a Democratic incumbent's defeat. In this case, negative did not work for our candidate, it worked against our candidate.

But Oklahoma wasn't the only place where tv commercials ruled the day. Check out this story about the top ten political commercials for 2006. You saw some of them, but it's worth taking a look at how both sides do tv. Check it out here.

For those interested in some background on political tv commercials read this 2004 story published in the Christian Science Monitor. For PBS fans check out the 30 second candidate site here.