Could Tigers baseball influence races for Senate and governor?

Based on information received from those who selectively
buy campaign ad space on future TV broadcasts, Roll Call makes the case that
baseball games are an ideal purchase if the home team is competing for a spot
in the playoffs. Even better is a TV market where the home team is in the
playoffs, hoping for an appearance in the World Series – all at the same time
in October as political candidates are scrambling to make that one, big last
push.

And the ad buyers say the one market that is a “slam dunk”
(talk about mixing metaphors) is Detroit, where the Tigers are chasing Kansas
City for the Central Division title and also have a shot at a Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, Michigan has two high-profile, highly
competitive races at the top of the ticket, for governor and senator, and the
parties and candidates seem poised to spend many millions between now and
Election Day. That means Tigers fans may see the faces of Mark Schauer, Rick
Snyder, Gary Peters and Terri Lynn Land on their TV screens in the next few
weeks as much as Miggy and V-Mart.

Here’s how Roll Call explains the premise:

“Televised sports make for a desirable market for
political advertisers because viewers are less likely to record and
fast-forward through commercials.

What’s more, the target audience watching these sports —
mostly white and male — comprise one of the most reliable voting blocs in
a mid-term. For Republicans, baseball viewing marks an opportunity to motivate
their base. Democrats gear their baseball game ads towards improving their
numbers with this demographic.”

As for the two top political contests, Roll Call labels
the gubernatorial race between Schauer and Snyder as the most-watched campaign.
The Senate race between Peters and Land is “on
the cusp of being competitive,” but a GOP media buyer seemed skeptical that
Land can remain competitive: “I don’t know if, by the time when the playoffs
roll around, that race will still be on people’s radar.”