Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama used a 30-minute advertisement in primetime television to make his case for the presidency, outlining his middle-class ``rescue plan'' and policies for health care, energy and the war in Iraq.

Obama, 47, spoke directly to the camera in prerecorded sections and in a live shot as he addressed 20,000 people tonight at a rally in Sunrise, Florida. The ad also featured testimonials from supporters including Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Google Inc. Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt.

``America, the time for change has come,'' the Democratic nominee said during a two-minute live portion at the end of the broadcast. ``In six days we can choose hope over fear and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.''

The ad amounted to a closing argument for Obama's bid to defeat John McCain, though the Republican nominee's name was never uttered.

The Illinois senator's campaign spent more than $3 million to run the infomercial on the CBS Corp. network, General Electric Co.'s NBC, News Corp.'s Fox, the Spanish-language network Univision as well as two cable networks targeted to black audiences, BET and TV One.

Obama didn't offer any new policies during the ad, most of which featured him narrating the stories of everyday people who are struggling with economic hardship. The spot also used clips from the campaign trail, including a debate against McCain and Obama's August convention speech in Denver.

Obama's Web Site

At the end, a message flashed on the screen advising anyone who wanted to volunteer, find their polling location or get more information to go to Obama's campaign Web site.

The commercial aired just ahead of a World Series baseball game on Fox and may well have drawn in viewers who had expected to tune in for their favorite prime-time program.

Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for Arizona Senator McCain, responded afterward by cautioning voters.

``As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product,'' Bounds said in a statement e-mailed to reporters. ``Buyer beware.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net; Julianna Goldman in Florida at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 29, 2008 21:15 EDT