For the first time MTV's networks have decided to accept political advertising, and Barack Obama has taken them up on the offer, buying ad time [1] on Comedy Central, VH1, and Spike. While Obama has many fans among musicians and celebrities [2] featured on MTV's networks, he also has won over consumers of that culture. According to a recent USA Today/MTV poll [3], Obama has a 2-1 lead among 18-29 year-olds.

Obama didn't get the first shot of the campaign season, as the first national political ad to ever air on MTV [4] came in July from a conservative group, attacking Barack as a flip-flopper. Even so he had the advantage in the MTV demographic, and the ads could help solidify the crucial steps of voter registration and turnout among young voters.