An eye-popping $575 million has been spent so far on presidential campaign ads in battleground states, according to an analysis by NBC News.
The
states getting the most money for TV and radio ads should be no
surprise to political observers. Florida ($117.4 million), Ohio ($112.1
million) and Virginia ($85.7 million) are tops on the network's list,
which uses data from SMG Delta, an ad-tracking firm.
The NBC
analysis includes spending by the Obama and Romney campaigns, the super
PACs that are helping their causes, and various outside groups such as
the deep-pocketed Americans for Prosperity, Planned Parenthood and labor
unions that are key players in the election.
NBC's analysis shows Obama and his allies have the edge in spending in Florida and Ohio, while Romney has the edge in Virginia.
Romney
and his Republican allies are expected to ramp up their spending, now
that the former Massachusetts governor is officially the party's
standard-bearer and can tap into funds set aside for the general
election.
USA Today