The upfront is the buying period when advertisers make commitments to buy commercials in the new season shows.

Mr. Montini said that if the group had enough money, it would buy commercials in the final days of the race.

And they pursued the unusual media strategy of buying commercials mostly on Sunday.

What would stop candidates from buying commercials beyond their free time - and continuing to raise gobs of money to do so?

Why don't we just figure out who's got the most money, who can buy the most commercials, and give it to them?

However, advertisers who had planned for some time to buy commercials during the game are producing special spots.

Even if they did, that proposal alone would do nothing to reduce the candidates' need for money to buy commercials.

They persuaded candidates to speak at conservative religious schools and to buy early commercials on Christian radio.

But the parties have found ways to channel the money to help candidates, usually by buying commercials.

That, in turn, could cause some advertisers to stop buying commercials in it.