ORLANDO -- As Republican Party of Florida officials gathered this weekend for their quarterly meeting, Ana Trinque came with a question.

The chairwoman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee said people have been asking her why they were seeing renewable energy ads on television touting the governor ``and not seeing him on ads endorsing McCain.''

The answer: ''I haven't been asked,'' said Gov. Charlie Crist, adding that he is willing to help out the McCain campaign in Florida and would ``do anything they ask me to.''

Crist has been at McCain's side every time the Arizona Republican has traveled to Florida since the governor's surprise endorsement four days before the primary. Crist was with McCain in rallies to Miami and Melbourne Friday and introduced Sarah Palin during her visit to Southwest Florida last week.

But while Florida's popular governor has earned free television time at those campaign events, he hasn't cut a television or radio ad. And while McCain has spent $5 million on television ads in Florida, Democrat Barack Obama has more than quadrupled that: spending $21 million in the state, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group.

McCain campaign official Buzz Jacobs would not comment on whether they have any plans to expand their television presence in Florida.

''Governor Crist has been a steadfast supporter and active campaigner for John McCain,'' Jacobs said. ``We greatly appreciate everything he has done.''

Crist proved decisively in his 2006 election campaign that the candidate who delivers the most effective television campaign early in the race can dominate late in the contest. He went up early with get-to-know-me ads in the primary against former Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, then won an early lead against Democrat Jim Davis, and never lost it.

But if the party faithful gathered at the Shingle Creek Resort on Saturday were worried about McCain losing the advertising war in Florida, they didn't show it. They heard from former McCain rival Fred Thompson who urged them ''not to underestimate'' McCain on Election Day.

Gov. Jeff Kottkamp said McCain will win in Florida not because of his television campaign but because of his ground game. He urged the crowd to ``get out the vote like we always do.

''That's how we won the last two presidential cycles,'' he said. ``That's how we'll win again.''

Carole Jean Jordan, a Vero Beach Republican who was chairman of the party when George W. Bush won reelection in 2004, admits things are different this year with the poor economy and a Republican candidate whose doesn't have a brother as governor.

''Everybody has different campaign styles,'' she said. ``Who would have thought the Florida economy would be what it is when they were putting together the campaign strategy.''

Hillsborough County chairman Greg Truax said that while Obama ``has vastly outspent us, he hasn't moved the needle that much.''

Even Crist acknowledged that the Republican Party, which has traditionally outspent Democrats in Florida during his nearly two decades of public office, will be outspent this year.

'To Sen. Obama's credit, he's raised an enormous amount of funds, and you have to use your resources wisely,' Crist said. ``I think that Sen. McCain is doing that.''

''We've got 17 days to go and it's Florida, Florida, Florida,'' he said. ``We can do anything for 17 days, and we will.''

Crist left the rally to head to his hometown of St. Petersburg, where Saturday night he will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 6 of the American League playoffs.

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