Disorganized, unaligned opposition to Obama’s health-care bill contrasts Perotistas’ push against Hillarycare

Glover said the U.S Chamber of Commerce, which in combination with other groups are reportedly underwriting $4 million to $10 million in television ad buys against the bill, has stepped up its opposition efforts.

In fact, as Roll Call reported this week, more than $200 million worth of health-care-related advocacy ads were purchased last year, making it the largest advocacy ad campaign ever for one issue. Despite all the money spent, Sabato said, “we’re in a completely different structure” now than the “three network plus CNN” environment of the ’90s.

“It’s so diluted and diversified when you have a 400-channel universe.”

He mentioned the yearlong television the series of Harry and Louise ads paid for by the Health Insurance Association of America during HillaryCare that showed a fictional suburban middle-class married couple discouraged by the prospects of universal health-care — ads that really turned the tide against Clinton’s health-care proposal. “You have far more ads on, but I haven’t seen any ad that grabbed me like Harry and Louise did,” Sabato said.

Roll Call reporter Bennett Roth listed a number of health-care opposition groups engaged in recent ad buys: America’s Health Insurance Plans is spending $1 million on a campaign, while the League of American Voters is spending $700,000 and is asking donors on its Web site for $5 million in donations to air ads in 40 districts conservative Democrats districts. Americans for Prosperity is also running a $750,000 ad buy.