California Ad Watch: “Media Meg” vs “The Invisible Man”

If TV were any indication of the California governor’s race, some people may not even know Jerry Brown is running.
Brown’s name is actually getting the most air time when it's being bashed by his opponent, the now notoriously media exposed Meg Whitman.
Whitman, who has been spending lucrative amounts of her own massive fortune on her campaign since the primaries, has not stopped her onslaught of campaign ads that have made her a regular fixture on California televisions.
The latest media reports have indicated that both Whitman and Brown are vying hard for the Latino vote, and Whitman seems to have heard them loud and clear.
Her latest ad is targeted specifically toward the Latino community and has Spanish subtitles. In the ad she vows that if elected she will make sure Latino children in particular are given a better education and better opportunities.
With Whitman’s ads being so numerous, the silence from Jerry Brown, dubbed by some as “The Invisible Man,” seems to grow more and more deafening.
In a recent interview, the former California governor and lifetime politician said he doesn't feel that the absence of an ad campaign now is hurting him.
"Going forward, I think you're going to see a very powerful campaign, but the key is really September and October," he said.
"That's right before the election, and that's when it counts."
He has also said in interviews that he has always prided himself on honesty and frugality, and does not want to attempt to beat Whitman at her own game as a testament to these virtues.
Brown may not be worried, but his supporters are taking his campaign into their own hands.
One supporter even created his own Jerry Brown for Governor video, titled “We Say Jerry!” and posted it on YouTube.
He implies that his no-cost video is indicative of the difference between supporters of Jerry, and Whitman’s now-billion dollar campaign. Different union groups have also created ads to show their support for Brown.
California Working Families released an ad defending Brown against the many allegations Whitman has made against him in her ads.
But Whitman countered by creating another ad claiming that these special interest groups are defending Brown because they want to keep control in Sacramento, and don’t want the real change her leadership would provide.
As a bipartisan observer, I am struggling to understand Brown’s media strategy. Perhaps in a race where the other party did not have a media campaign as prevalent as Whitman’s, launching a full scale campaign now would be premature. But with the whole country buzzing about Whitman’s campaign, its expenses and its intensity, how can Brown stay relatively silent?
I understand that Brown may want to hold true to his values and not try to match Whitman’s campaign spending, but the truth is that the average American gets a large part of his or her information from the TV.
Brown has to get his name out there more, because Whitman’s not letting up any time soon. But we must keep in mind that
Brown is a seasoned politician, and the race is not even close to over. He may have some tricks up his sleeve, and when he finally does release a full blown media campaign we all may be surprised.
Either way, this race isn’t going to get boring any time soon.
To reach staff reporter Stephanie McNeal, click here.