Will Allen's Attack Ad Backfire?

The WaPo has an article up about The Reagan ad and the Allen response (or, as I've been calling it: free publicity). "But in attacking the ad so vigorously, the Allen camp might have made a mistake. Trailing in fundraising, Webb had spent very little money on the Reagan ad, paying for it to be seen just a few times in Roanoke and Norfolk and on some Northern Virginia cable stations. Webb's campaign was counting on what consultants call "free media" -- newspapers and news programs on television -- to produce articles about the ad, giving it a broader reach than it would have on its own. That worked initially. The ad got a spate of news reports when the Webb campaign announced it. But that media coverage pales in comparison to the coverage the ad got once Nancy Reagan asked that it be taken down. Suddenly, the ad and the controversy surrounding it was in the newspapers again and on the local news -- for free." So, I say to the Allen camp: thanks for the free pub and increased name recognition. Please feel free to continue using your money to get Jim Webb elected. PS: My post from this morning was elevated to the front page on Raising Kaine, check it out with comments here. Thanks Lowell! UPDATE: Now my post is part of the "Election Race Diary Roundup" at Daily Kos. Pretty sweet. The more people that read it, the better. To contribute to Jim Webb for Senate, click James Webb, VA-Sen, Virginia, Virginia Politics, Politics, Jim Webb, News, 2006, Senate, George Allen, 2006 Races, Democrats, Republicans, Campaigns, Congress, Campaigns-Elections, macaca