Barack Obama's 30-minute primetime ad buy will be seen on almost all major networks nationwide, allowing Texans a rare opportunity during the general election -- an Obama campaign ad on Texas broadcast television.

"Here in Texas we don't get to see anybody," said Paul Stekler, UT Center for Politics and Governance professor. "So if nothing else we finally get to see something about the campaign on television."

Since Texas is securely "red" -- or Republican -- neither presidential campaign has spent money buying commercial airtime on broadcast TV in Texas markets. That's not the case in swing states like Colorado, New Mexico and Missouri, where Obama and McCain ads appear during every commercial break.

Republican John McCain blasted Obama for his 30-minute ad buy on the stump, calling it a premature self-coronation.

"He's measuring the drapes, and he's planned his first address to the nation before the election," McCain said.

Stekler says the "infomercial" is unusual, but not unheard of. Ross Perot used his personal wealth to buy primetime television time in 1992, and the tradition goes back to the 1960's, when airtime was cheaper.

"If you go back to the 1960's, maybe the early 70s, candidates would buy large amounts of time at the very end of the campaign to make their final push," said Stekler.