The Republican National Committee is helping John McCain narrow the gap.
As previously noted, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is outspending McCain 8-to-1 in North Carolina on advertising.
But the GOP is also spending money on McCain's behalf.
According to the Washington Post, the combined spending of McCain and the RNC here was $1.8 million during the week of Oct. 7-13, compared to Obama's $2.1 million.
That's a difference of about $310,000 — a much narrower gap in spending.
Still, many political observers say the two kinds of spending are not directly comparable. To satisfy federal regulations, jointly produced ads must mention Obama and Congress, diluting the message.
And since they are not as centrally coordinated, joint ad campaigns are not as well organized.
