NEWS
Political ads to invade Wisconsin TVs
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Ryan Masse:
Related Stories:
- Candidates spend $28 million on ads (October 9, 2008)
- Democratic presidential nominee purchases 3 times more air time than Republican rival (November 3, 2008)
- Wisconsin primary grabs national spotlight (February 12, 2004)
- Democratic nominee has 10-point lead in Badger election poll (November 3, 2008)
- Minority votes to play pivotal role (October 31, 2008)
Share This:
by Ryan Masse
Thursday, September 9, 2004
The airwaves in Wisconsin will be inundated with political ads in the next two months as candidates fight to get their messages out to all potential voters in a tight battleground state.
After a self-imposed moratorium on television ads during the month of August, Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., last week announced a $50 million dollar ad buy in battleground states from now through Nov. 2.
The newest ad, “Wrong Choices,” which has been airing in Wisconsin, claims President George W. Bush’s decisions concerning the economy and Iraq have led the United States down the wrong path.
A narrator condemns Bush for rising health care costs, lost jobs and $200 billion in expenses in Iraq, while claiming Kerry will be “stronger at home. Respected in the world.”
Kerry’s ad-free August, coupled with the Republican National Convention Aug. 30-Sept. 2, has left the Democrat lagging behind Bush in national polls. To make up ground, Kerry launched the ad campaign and hit the campaign trail with the message that Bush’s policies are taking America in the wrong direction.
Jessi Schober, co-chair of Students for Bush, says it’s ironic Kerry would base his campaign argument on America’s direction under Bush, since Kerry himself does not know in what direction he would lead the country.
“Bush has made very clear what he’s offering,” Schober said. “But Kerry says ‘follow me, follow me,’ and nobody knows what path he wants to lead us down.”
Some political observers have noted that Kerry’s ad-buy may tip his hand concerning where he is targeting campaign funds. But Schober admitted that everybody already knew where the money would go, so it is unlikely to be a strategic miscue for Kerry.
However, Schober said Kerry’s message of a “wrong war” brings to mind a similar message Howard Dean used during the Democratic primaries. Schober said Kerry’s adaptation of the message, even though he had previously criticized Dean for using it, is an indication Kerry is desperate for support.
Bringing Dean’s name into the equation, though, is just an example of Republican name calling used to divert attention from Bush’s record, says Kerry’s Wisconsin campaign spokesman George Twigg.
“These attacks by Republicans distract the public from the fact that George Bush has been a total failure in Iraq and in the economy,” Twigg said. “The Bush campaign can call John Kerry names all they want but that won’t change the fact their record has been a failure for America.”
Bush has launched several ads of his own in recent weeks.
In “Agenda,” Bush outlines several of his proposed initiatives, such as tort reform and letting small businesses pool resources to buy health insurance.
Rachel Donald, co-chair of Students for Kerry, believes Kerry would benefit by addressing other concerns in his ads, such as civil rights for women and minorities, along with Iraq and national security.
No matter which issues are addressed, both Schober and Donald agree that advertisements will be of vital importance for the candidates between now and November.
“By this point people know Bush, and they know Kerry’s name,” Schober said. “So ads try to give the positives and negatives of each candidate to make people realize how important it is to vote.”
