Does TV Still Persuade?

Fifteen years ago, there really wasn't much of a question: If you wanted to persuade large segments of the American public to vote for this politician or buy that can of tuna, you bought 30-second spots on network television. A well crafted ad on "Home Improvement" could sell a lot of pizzas. But in the current debate over health care reform, the large drug companies have spent money on TV ads, but maybe not quite as much as you would expect. It makes this humble blogger wonder: Is the 30-second TV ad as powerful as it used to be?

We based our discussion on this NPR story.