More Than $76M Spent on Energy Issues

Obama Outspends Clinton; Energy Companies Spend Big

Posted by Evan Tracey on 04.30.08 @ 04:31 PM

Since the beginning of the year, more than $76 million has been spent on the issues related with going green. Recently TNS's Campaign Media Analysis Group released its newsletter, The Eye, focused on energy-related ad spending. Here's what was covered:

Like he has in every other realm, Barack Obama outspent Hillary Clinton on ads focused on energy issues since January 2008. Clinton set aside approximately $5.1 million to address energy issues, or 18% of her total ad spending, whereas Obama spent almost $7.7 million, or around 16%. Both candidates focused on the need for energy independence and alternative fuel.
Energy companies, ranging from Chevron Corp. and Shell Oil Co. to Americans for Balanced Energy Choices and Chesapeake Energy, spent a combined $55 million on ads to date this year. The need for independence from foreign oil was a common theme, as well as the need for a clean energy source.
The Alliance for Climate Protection, fronted by Al Gore, was one of many advocacy groups to run ads stressing the importance of energy conservation. More than $8.4 million has been spent on ads featuring actors and religious and political leaders.
To show the downside of energy-conservation legislation, Competitive Enterprise Institute released an ad highlighting how a decrease in energy usage puts America's jobs and future at risk.

~ ~ ~
Evan Tracey is the founder and chief operating officer of Campaign Media Analysis Group, a TNS Media Intelligence company. See his complete bio.

4 Comments

By industryfinest.com | SAN ANTONIO, TX April 30, 2008 06:58:25 pm:

Not ture

Permalink

By KenWheaton | New York, NY May 1, 2008 09:08:44 am:

Mr Wright,
I'd think if someone was going to make a claim that the numbers coming from one of the most-trusted measurement firms in the country, he'd at least have some numbers to back that up. But I don't see any.

Permalink

By DAN | RAYTOWN, MO May 1, 2008 06:48:45 pm:

It is most illuminating that Obama and Hillary have spent millions promising solutions to energy independence, yet neither one, nor Democrats in Congress will do the few things necessary to actually create energy independence, i.e., drill for oil and build more refineries to increased supply. This would depress commodity speculation, OPEC would drop their prices in a heartbeat to stave off competition, American business would be more robust, and there would be more money to invest in advertising.

Permalink

By guess88 | Olney, MD May 5, 2008 01:02:38 am:

The energy issue is more than just oil prices, and oil independence. It's also about finding alternative sources. You make it sound like oil's an unlimited resource, and we can just keep pumping away. More drilling is only a band-aid patch for the US economy, but not a long term solution at all.

Aside from tapping our own oil, we also have a war problem that's not doing the economy any favors either. Not to mention its possible affect on global oil prices.

Permalink