By Jeremy W. Peters

Chris Christie Makes Big Advertising Splash on Fox News

By
Jeremy W. Peters
Gov. Chris Christie had his microphone adjusted and makeup done for his appearance on "The Five" on Fox News in New York on Wednesday. Richard Drew/Associated Press

In the race to crack the top 10 threshold that will determine which candidates can be in the first Republican presidential debate Aug. 6 on Fox News, there is more than one approach to getting your poll numbers up.

Some, like Carly Fiorina and former Senator Rick Santorum, have been seeking as much free media attention as they can, making the rounds on cable television and talk radio. Others, like Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Rand Paul, have made the news by sparring with Secretary of State John Kerry over the Iran nuclear deal.

Or, you could also try to buy your way to a higher standing in the polls. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, in essence, is trying to do just that. His campaign has purchased $250,000 of advertising time — on Fox News.

The ad buy starts on Friday and goes through Aug. 9. Because Fox will use the candidates’ standing in national polls to whittle down a field of 16 Republican candidates, the exposure that comes from a national cable television buy is extremely valuable.

And while Mr. Christie’s standing in the top 10 is fairly sturdy — but not guaranteed — this ad buy is aimed to help buttress his standing.