Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Battle for the battleground states

Details

  • Description

    Candidates ignoring large portions of the country?

  • Duration 3:15
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Put more money into targeting a smaller percentage of the American people than ever.

According to the reporting of Associated Press since April the candidates parties.

And those big super pacs have spent more than one billion dollars on TV commercials alone.

In the lion's share of the ads aired in just nine battleground state which account for 22% of the American electorate.

Some political analysts say all this encourages presidential candidates to ignore large portion of the nation it.

That's absolutely what it does you know -- that's not a matter of opinion joining us now the assistant managing editor of the Wall Street Journal John -- are -- -- company owns the journal.

It is astounding.

To know what Ohio is in Virginians and pennsylvanians are going through that the rest of us you know we'll have what's happened.

They're getting swamped any swamped with pads Obama has more of them on the air though Romney has spent board to get his on the -- it's the way that that the funding works and which you have to pay for -- had.

And it is literally just kind of pouring over these nine.

Battleground states.

And so why is that a new 15 of the US population over the years.

What's happened is that.

Some states have coalesced into Republican zones others at the Democrat.

People love similar affinity similar beliefs similar kind of work.

Go into certain places in the country to live.

And that's left fewer and fewer states over the years.

That our diverse enough to be called up for grabs and that's we have now we have this very tiny it's this sort of one.

Fifth of the population.

That's ultimately get to decide this election every election cycle we sit around from time to time and talk about how dated this Electoral College thing is and wonder.

Why do we still do this but what it was still -- that -- -- lets lets think about that again it does seem dated doesn't it it is problematic.

And you would you would wish for a majority votes in in this case in this particular election if -- were to be a majority vote.

We're in the same we're in the same situation of that Wall Street Journal NBC poll today has been a point apart on a national level.

And that's 2.5.

Percent.

Margin of error so it's it's very very much within the margin of where you don't know whether Obama's ahead or -- bombers in our stats one point ahead.

But that's essentially a dead heat between what one thing that strikes me -- is a bit different this cycle than the others I've covered for the past 45 cycles it is.

That it seems.

If you're 41 guy you simply cannot imagine how anyone would vote for the other way.

It is as polarized as anything I've ever seen each side seems to think that the others guys just -- rule in the world yet that's right in and the the studies of this show that in fact the populace has gotten more polarized so those states that are viewed as Republican.

Have gotten even more Republican over those cycles that you've covered.

Those states that are Democrat have gotten even more.

Democrat.

But -- -- -- -- -- we're gonna be now and election this year.

That like 2002004.

And now 2012.

Is gonna go right down the wire -- May be -- very very late night -- the next thing you know I'm anticipating it.

We have lots of coffee -- on the ready.

-- -- Smart move the -- policy thank you but must more ahead from.

Load More