A new study confirms what most of us felt during this year's presidential campaign: that far, far more campaign ads aired this year than in previous elections.

According to the Wesleyan Media Project, the two major candidates, along with their respective party organizations and supporting interest groups, sponsored 1,015,615 presidential ad airings on local broadcast and national cable between June 1 and Oct. 29. That's an increase of more than 39% over the 2008 election and a 41% rise compared with 2004's.

 

Americans of all political stripes can breathe a sigh of relief Tuesday as the torrent of presidential campaign ads finally fades away.

The onslaught of television and radio advertising has been relentless, and new numbers show that ad spending from the campaigns and external groups has totaled nearly $1 billion. A new study from NBC News and SMG Delta put the total at $968 million at last count.

Ad spending hit a new record in the last full week before the campaign, when $143 million poured into the airwaves and other sources.

It's pretty easy to guess which state is getting the most ad spending: Ohio, according to NBC. That's followed by Florida, Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina. 

Who would have thought that the words "epistemological watershed" would be used to describe the 2012 presidential election? 

That's the phrase Nate Silver of The New York Times' 538 blog used to describe the contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, and it's on the money largely because of him.

By the way, Merriam-Webster defines "epistemology" as "the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity."  (Don't feel bad if you didn't know the word, because I had to look it up, too. ) 

While New York continues to tally personal and economic losses in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the city finally put an end Friday to what was literally a running controversy: Should the the New York City Marathon continue as scheduled on Sunday?

After a day of would-they-or-wouldn​'t-they speculation, city officials decided late Friday to cancel the event. The decision directly addressed very vocal outrage about whether New York should divert essential funds and resources to a race when parts of the city remain torn apart, without power and other essential utilities. There was also the issue of holding what's usually a festive event in the midst of an ongoing tragedy. 

It's a full-on sprint to the finish for President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney as polling in battleground states remains within the margin of error. It's going to be a photo finish after months of negative attack ads, heated political discourse on the direction of the country and wildcards like curiously strong jobs numbers and the aftermath of Sandy.

 

Here are three things to watch for starting Wednesday morning after the president for the next four years -- save some unforeseen Election Day fracas or contentious recount -- is unveiled. 

 

By Brett Arends for MarketWatch

 

A friend of mine bumped into two acquaintances earlier this week. They are die-hard Republicans. They are serenely confident. “Mitt Romney has this in the bag,” they said. Other friends of mine, also Republicans, are in a similar zone.

 

Meanwhile, oddly enough, my Democratic friends are also confident. “Obama’s going to win,” they keep telling me. Liberals tend to be a pessimistic bunch, but not this time. Apparently they are sleeping easily.

 

It’s surreal. Normally, with an election this close, everyone’s on edge. This time everyone has already ordered champagne. Half of the country is going to wake up next Wednesday is a state of total shock.

 

If you think the amateurs are confused, look at the professionals. The election nerds. The numbers guys. For them, it’s spreadsheets at dawn. But they shouldn't just offer an opinion. They should offer a bet.

 

By Karen Aho, MSN Money contributor

 

For Diane Simpson, this presidential campaign has been almost too tough to watch.

Simpson, 53, lost her job three years ago when KB Toys, the company where she spent half her life, shut its doors for good. The toy chain had slid into bankruptcy in 2004 after being acquired by Bain Capital.

 

"It just brings it all back," she said. "It's still emotional."

 

Bain Capital is the famous -- critics say infamous -- investment giant founded and run so successfully by Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney.

 

By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

 

President Barack Obama never fully delivered on the expectations set by his groundbreaking 2008 victory. It's a disappointment that Republican rival Mitt Romney constantly reminds voters about at campaign rallies this year.

 

Less than a week before the Nov. 6 election, the president was defending his record in Wisconsin.