I have quoted before the blunt response Bert Bennett always gave when people started analyzing election wins and losses. Bert, who was Terry Sanford’s campaign manager in 1960 and Jim Hunt’s political mentor, would say: “When you win, everything you did was right. When you lose, everything you did was wrong.”

This year, Democrats are piling on and accusing Bev Perdue’s campaign of doing everything wrong. And there are still 32 days to go.

One criticism should especially gall Perdue’s campaign: that she’s falling behind even though she has been outspending McCrory on TV.

But a Perdue defender says that’s not so. Yes, Perdue’s buy has been bigger than McCrory’s. Perdue ran 800 points in the Raleigh media market last week, compared to McCrory’s 300 points, according to one analysis. But the analysis says the Republican Governors Association ran 800 points attacking Perdue the same week.

The analysis did not include however much the Alliance for North Carolina has spent attacking McCrory. But the Perdue defender says that, even with the Alliance’s buy thrown in, McCrory and the Republicans have been outspending Perdue and the Democrats.

My gut says he’s probably right. I have seen more Republican ads in the race – positive and negative – than Democratic.

Democrats say Perdue is outspending the other side this week. She has a new ad that mentions her “Main Street” jobs plan and “Green Initiative.” Are these the positive message ads she needs?

It is striking that in a year of economic crisis – like John McCain, McCrory “suspended” his campaign when Wachovia was bought – neither candidate has a compelling economic message. This is what happens when campaigns hunker down in their bunkers.

Note: Here is what the analysis said was spent on statewide TV in the three weeks from September 9-29:

Perdue: $1.24 million

McCrory: $600,000

RGA: $1.03 million.

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