So far, this hasn't been television's election. CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves might gloat otherwise, but media conglomerate C-suiters are earnings-obsessed. Practitioners and observers of political TV advertising are outcome-obsessed. While the former may grin over the $323 million in presidential TV ad spending so far, the latter folks see mounting evidence that TV isn't getting it done the way it used to. Marco Rubio, who deemphasized organizing in favor of TV and other media, both paid and earned, is now out of the race. Remember, Rubio was the first candidate to reserve ad time, his made-for-TV campaign grabbing an opportunity for press coverage in June about ads that wouldn't air till November. The presidential candidate who spent most by far on TV failed awhile back. Even now, more than three weeks after Jeb Bush dropped out, the $77 million in TV ads on his behalf still accounts for almost 25% of all TV ad spend in the presidential race to date. And Republican frontrunner Donald Trump rolls on, seemingly impervious to TV ads attacking him and largely eschewing
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