Marco Rubio to air 30-minute TV special in Iowa
Marco Rubio’s campaign will take to the airwaves this weekend with a 30-minute television special to air across much of the state, a rare move for a campaign competing in the Iowa caucuses, political scientists said.
The recorded town hall will air in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines for a cost of at least $7,000, data from ad trackers show. At least one station will air it Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and the rest on Sunday.
"We were able to get some really good times to run 30 minute commercials," Rubio said in Ames on Saturday. "And basically, they're not even commercials, they're re-airing some of the town halls than we've done. And it gives us a chance to reach more voters."
The ad may signal a “last-minute push” to place well in Monday’s caucus, political experts say, perhaps seeking a clear third place position that’s closer to second than fourth, which could bring momentum heading into the New Hampshire primary.
"It may be a way for Rubio to make up for not being in (Iowa) as frequently as Ted Cruz, his closest competitor," said Chris Larimer, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa. “They’re pulling out all the stops to make it happen."
But Rubio countered that, saying: "No one has been here more than I have since Thanksgiving, so we feel very positive about what that's going to lead to."
Several Iowans welcomed the infomercial. Despite seeing Rubio in person Saturday morning in Sioux City, Josh Smith, 39, said he’d “absolutely” watch.
LeAnn Friedenbach of Le Mars also thought it was a good idea. Not everyone can get to a campaign event like the town hall she attended, but on television, "you'll get it out to more people to see,” the 45-year-old credit analyst said.
Others say such a commercial is a gamble, given the pride Iowans take vetting presidential candidates during one-on-one interactions.
While it could give Rubio a needed bump in the final days before the caucus, at worst it could be perceived as distant or even “insulting,” said David Andersen, a political science professor at Iowa State University who has studied voter behavior and sentiment.
A half-hour ad before the caucuses is a rare move, and political experts interviewed by the Register could only point to general election campaigns as precedent.
That included Barack Obama’s prime-time, half-hour special on major networks in 2008, which he used to deliver his closing arguments. Ross Perot also ran a series of eight infomercials in 1992.
— Staff writer Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.
Television stations
Marco Rubio's half-hour long infomercial will air on the following stations this weekend.
SATURDAY:
KPTH in Sioux City at 5:30 p.m.
SUNDAY:
KWWL in Cedar Rapids at 10:30 a.m.
KGAN in Cedar Rapids at 5 p.m.
WOI in Des Moines at 11 a.m.
WQAD in Davenport at 11 a.m.
KPTH in Sioux City at 9 p.m.