Blog Buzz: Barack Obama's Ad Spending, John McCain and Voter Fraud, Debate Over Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:

Obama 1,342, McCain 8

A Politico article on how Barack Obama is "drowning" John McCain in terms of TV ads has bloggers saying "yowza" about the massive ad advantage the Democratic candidate has gained recently. (For example, in the Washington, D.C., market in the first three weeks of September, Obama ran 1,342 TV spots to McCain's eight.) "Shocking" numbers like the $32 million Obama spent in battleground states between September 30 and October 6 are the reason he decided to forgo public financing, says Political Animal. Chris Cillizza explains how Obama's fundraising has allowed him to "alter the traditional red state/blue state divide." Noam Scheiber at the New Republic wonders when Obama will announce his record-setting September money total.

McCain Jumps on the Voter Fraud Bandwagon

Conservative bloggers give props to CNN for its report this morning on the ACORN voter-registration fraud accusations. (Matthew Yglesias calls the CNN journalists "willing accomplices in this farce.") Conservatives also criticize ACORN's defense (on CNN and during a press conference yesterday), and warn about the consequences if Obama is elected in a close election. Michelle Malkin alerts readers to another group of Democratic activists that she thinks reeks of voter fraud. Liberal and centrist bloggers ridicule John McCain for saying that voter fraud could cost him Florida.

The Wright Thing to Do

Politico reports that John McCain and his advisers are divided over whether or not to hit Obama on his ties to his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Allahpundit urges McCain to "do his duty and alert the public" about Wright. Ann Althouse says an attack on Wright would not be worth the attacks on McCain that would inevitably follow. Liberal bloggers can't believe that conservatives are saying the situation is another example of how McCain is "unwilling to play tough enough with the Obama juggernaut." Other bloggers consider the possibility of a third-party campaign against Obama over Wright.

—Gretchen Hannes