Daschle on ads: It's the first thing that pops into my mind

DVT discusses a piece that appeared in Roll Call today headlined "South Dakota Reality TV;
Daschle Has Advertised Steadily While Thune Stays off the Airwaves." Excerpt from the Roll Call piece:

Daschle has been on television almost continually since July 2003; in that time he has run 11 different campaign commercials, an effort that has cost him roughly $1 million. Daschle has spent nearly $10 million total on his re-election effort since 1999.

Thune has yet to run a single ad since formally entering the race at the beginning of the year, and his campaign said no immediate plans are in the works to take to the airwaves.

Interestingly, a 1991 Washington Post piece reveals how Tom Daschle thinks primarily in terms of political ads. The piece, dated November 26, 1991, and headlined "On Capitol Hill, Symbols Triumph;
Substance Suffers Amid Frustrating Fiscal Pressures, Political Fears" contains the following quote from Tom Daschle:

"I dare say the first thing that comes to my mind in a vote is: Can it [the issue] pass the 30-second test, how successful will my opponent be in applying it to a 30-second ad? It's a screen that comes up whenever there is a vote," said Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.).