Marketplace: What does Whitman's spending buy?

California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is on track to spend the most money on a state election campaign in U.S. history. She's already shelled out $100 million. Her Democratic opponent has spent less than a million. What exactly is she getting with all that money? April Dembosy reports.

Kai Ryssdal: The governor's race here in California is essentially a dead heat. A poll out this past Friday shows the difference between former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and attorney general Jerry Brown is within the margin of error for that poll -- about 2 percent. That's about the only thing that's even in this race. Whitman, the Republican candidate, has already shelled out almost $100 million -- she's on track to spend the most money ever in a state election campaign. Her opponent, former Democratic governor Jerry Brown, has spent less than a million dollars. So, what is Whitman getting for her money?

April Dembosky reports.
 

Music from a Meg Whitman ad
April Dembosky: Meg Whitman is everywhere. She's on the web...

Meg Whitman on a Web ad: Hi, I'm Meg Whitman.
 

She's on the radio...

She's on Spanish radio...
 

And she's all over television -- 16 separate spots and counting.

According to Whitman's most recent financial disclosure, she's spent about $62 million on media buys. She's paid another $8 million for fliers, mailers and printed materials. And the National Institute on Money in State Politics says nearly 80 percent of Whitman's spending has come from her own personal fortune, estimated in the billions.

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