Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama commanded unprecedented dominance of American television in a 30-minute multi-million dollar commercial broadcast last night on by three major networks.
The half-hour campaign advertisement was seen by 21.7 per cent of households who were watching television in the biggest US markets last night, according to ratings from Nielsen. That compares with a 38.3 per cent rating for the final presidential debate, Nielsen added.
H. Ross Perot, the last presidential candidate to air a paid simulcast, received a national rating of 16.8 per cent in 1996.
During the broadcast, Mr Obama highlighted the difficulties facing millions of American families coping with job losses, health care costs, as well as his own relationship with his parents, and his wife and two young children.
Further, he outlined his determination to cut the costs facing the US from the ongoing conflict in Iraq, as he insisted that he would expect the Iraqi government to use some of its $80 billion surplus to pay for the bill.
Outlining what he called "a rescue plan" for the middle-class, the Illinois senator said he would introduce new health care rules to cut costs and widen the numbers enjoying medical insurance.
The US automotive industry, he said, would be "retooled" to produce better, and more fuel-efficient cars and motorists would be given financial encouragements to change their existing heavy fuel consumption cars for them.
In the 30-minute 'informercial', shown on FOX, CBS and NBC and FOX, and some English and Spanish-language cable networks, Mr Obama said he would not be able to be a "perfect" president.
"I'm reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man. I will not be a perfect president. But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand.
"I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And, most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again," he said.
Near its end, Sen. Obama appeared live from a rally in Florida to declare: "In six days we can come together as one nation and one people and once more choose our better history. That's what's at stake, that's what we're fighting for."
His candidature for the White House was given an added boost when he received a number of testimonials from influential American political and business figures, including Google's chief executive officer, Eric Schmidt.
It concluded with a plea to million of American voters to volunteer to join his campaign in its final days, and urging voters to inform themselves about the location of their local polling station.
At the end, a message flashed on the screen advising anyone who wanted to volunteer, find their polling location or get more information to go to Mr Obama's campaign web site, barackobama.com
The broadcast aired on Fox just before the final instalment of the World Series baseball final, which television industry executives say could have added millions to the numbers who viewed all, or part of it.
His Republican opponent, John McCain, who is being considerably outspent in the campaign by the Democratic responded with a 30-second commercial shown on some networks.
Mr McCain's spokesman, Tucker Bounds, told voters: "As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product. Buyer beware.''
The network broadcasts cost the Obama campaign a minimum of $3.5 million and delivered millions of people in audience, but, equally if not more importantly, it dominated television news coverage for much of the day, denying Mr McCain space.