The other shoe has dropped. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has cancelled all plans to advertise on television in the Philadelphia media market, meaning that no congressional challenger will have national air support for the duration of the campaign.
The committee had reserved $1.4 million in the expensive Philly market, earmarked for Kathy Boockvar, the woman challenging Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) and a candidate in New Jersey.
Three media buying sources – two Republican and one Democratic – confirmed the move to PoliticsPA. It follows a similar cancellation last week, when the DCCC withdrew its ads from the second-to-last week of the election (the week starting Oct. 23). In this recent move, the DCCC cancelled the final week of TV ads (from Oct. 30 to Nov. 6).
The decision is based on a multitude of factors, including the likeliness of Boockvar to pull of the win versus the cost of sustaining a television presence on her behalf. Philly is the fourth-most expensive media market in the nation, and the committee decided its resources were most effectively spent elsewhere.
It would be virtually unprecedented for a national committee to withdraw advertising plans if a challenger was running ahead or close to an incumbent in the polls.
Jesse Ferguson, a spokesman for the DCCC, said the decision was based on President Obama’s strength in the region as well as a corresponding cancellation by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
“After Washington Republicans cut their ad buys for Philadelphia, our strong Democratic challengers can win with President Obama’s strength at the top of the ticket and by holding their opponents accountable for their Tea Party record,” Ferguson said.
However, last week the NRCC withdrew its ads only after the DCCC did so first. An NRCC spokesman could not confirm whether the GOP committee would do the same for the final week, but it is likely based on their prior ad traffic decisions.
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26 Responses
If blogging reflects the relative motivations of the candidates, it seems that Fitz has already defeated Boock; others may have noticed, as is evidenced by the fact that PA-8 is omitted from the top-races [particularly those being pushed by the D’s]…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/19/the-fix-60-the-most-important-house-races-in-the-country/
…and this corroborates the points made earlier @ this website regarding the failure of Allyson Schwartz to recruit effectively…
https://www.politicspa.com/rep-allyson-schwartz-chosen-to-lead-recruiting-for-house-democratic-campaign-committee/19805/
…another harbinger of a productive Election Day for the GOP, @ all governmental levels.
Congratulations on your re-election Congressman Fitzpatrick.
Boockvar IS a moderate. She is a qualified candidate but lacks charisma. Her campaign has been poorly run. She has pointedly ignored the issues of the Progressives and can no way be characterized as “far left.” The Republican party platform has drifted to the far right, making conservatives look like moderates. Dems are now like the moderate Repubs in prior decades. The Progressives have the strongest voice but the least power. So the characterizations in posts above of Democrats are not valid.
BOTH parties will have to raise taxes after the election – that’s the reality. The elephant in the room is the cost of the wars – not only is this subject ignored, it is the prime culprit for the incipient failure of the US economy.
@Mrs Doubtfire your speaking in generalities. What taxes does she want to raise that will cause jobs to go overseas. Here is a FACT for you, Fiz supports tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and not the workers who lose their jobs (citation H.R. 38 & HR 27 on 1/25/11and 3/2/05 respectively), and no she does not support any such deductions. Let’s see some documentation.
Bob Guzzardi writes: I was at a Mike Fitzpatrick fundraiser and everyone there liked and supported him.
Wow, this kind of insight is so refreshing. Thanks, Bob. I was wondering what Fitz’s campaign donors think of the guy they are writing checks to. According to Guzz – they all support him.
@KEN – Radical Kathy supports higher taxes that ship jobs overseas. raDICKal Kathee also supports tax deductions for sex changes. #FACT
KENNY: Relax baby!! When Fits has his first town hall meeting in February, 2013 you can sit in the front row and shout out all the liberal cliches you like.
I really would like to hear why all of you keep calling Kathy a radical? I can only assume that you are Republican cronies. Kathy is the moderate in the race, Fitz is running from his radical record which includes massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, support of a corporate tax loophole that lets companies receive tax breaks when they ship American jobs overseas, and of course turning Medicare into a voucher system. Not to mention he supported the cost saving cuts in the ACA before he was against it. The man will not even do any town hall meetings because he knows how vulnerable he is because of his record. Instead he throws rocks and accuses Kathy of being a ‘radical’ without any justification. This is the type of partisan political nonsense we need to rid ourselves of if we want to actually deal with the problems facing this country. Everyone should do this county and country a favor and vote this tea-party fool out of office.
Guy Smith. Obviously, you have not check the record.
I did not contribute to Mike Fitzpatrick this year or in 2010 because I thought he had enough support and because the voters of Bucks County are not crazy enough to send another Big Government Social Welfare Statist to DC. Of course, some think a Leviathan government is a good idea.
Viewing these comments in the aggregate, unquestionably emerging is the reason why the D’s aren’t bothering to contest this seat; Mike combines strengths of conviction/service, while Kathy offers elitism/statism.
DCCC just said, thanks for playing Kathy. Keep the buttons, signs, and pens as the runner up prize pack.
Boochvar, Trivedi, and Badey have all proven to be duds. The Democrats need to quit running progressives and start running moderates if they want to win these seats.
What office will Kathy Boockvar run for next?
LOL!!!! Time to get a job Kathy. Gotta love it. This supposed “swing district” of Bucks County is going to re-elect their Conservative Pro-Life, Pro-Business Congressman by a wide margin. Better luck next time Dems. How long are you Democratic drones in Bucks County going to stick with John Cordisco??
who cares!!
The DCCC is out of this race because they’re having to defend seats they thought were safe. Forget 2010, this feels like 1980.
Fitz supporters read like escapees from metal institutions.
@ManInALadyWig – cathee brockbar’s favorite song is “Dude Looks Like a Lady.”
Radical Kathee Brockvar will vote to raise taxes, wants to end put bureaucrats in charge of healthcare, and would destroy the biotech economy.
The only reason that the DCCC is pulling the money is because they know it is not going to be a pretty picture.
Kathy Boockvar brings up Mumia Abu Jamal more than anyone , and her only name recognition is tied to it.
Fitz by 15 points.
Well obviously Bob. You were at a Fitz fundraiser. It might be hard to find a Fitz donor who doesn’t agree with him. HA.
Rep. Fitzpatrick is Center Right and very sympathetic to union constituency.
Kathy Boockvar is Far Left Big Government Social Welfare Statist who would enhance President Obama’s policies of ever expanding and unaffordable “entitlements” that are loading The Forgotten Taxpayer with trillions of debt and deficit for another generation strangling productive growth that raises our standard of living.
I was at a recent fundraiser with Mike Fitzpatrick and he was very very popular with fiscal common sense women who value personal responsibility.
We’re voting Fitz out of office!
Fitzpatrick hopes women don’t vote!
I laughed even harder at this part
“Jesse Ferguson, a spokesman for the DCCC, said the decision was based on President Obama’s strength in the region as well as a corresponding cancellation by the National Republican Congressional Committee.”
Keegan, you do an excellent job of calling BS.
GAME OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!