New Ads Aim to Bring Kerry to the People

[kskiska]

$25 Million Invested in Spots Airing In Expanded Battleground States

By Howard Kurtz and Jim VandeHei
Tuesday, May 4, 2004; Page A01

Faced with mounting evidence that voters do not know much about him, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) launched two new biographical ads yesterday, including testimonials from his wife, daughter and Vietnam crewmates, in a $25 million roll of the dice that aides described as unprecedented for a challenger.

(snip)

The commercials are designed in part to counter a $60 million advertising barrage by President Bush, much of which has depicted the Massachusetts Democrat as weak on defense and devoted to higher taxes. The dramatic highlight comes when one crewmate, Del Sandusky, says "the decisions that he made saved our lives," and the man whom Kerry rescued from a swift boat under fire, Jim Rassmann, says: "When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine."

(snip)

Kerry notes that he was born in an Army hospital while his father was serving, and tries to defuse criticism of his wealth by discussing his reason for enlisting: "I thought it was important if you had a lot of privileges as I had had, to go to a great university like Yale, to give something back to your country." He also points out his work on the POW issue with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a Kerry friend who is backing Bush.

One ad features Kerry's wife, Teresa, and daughter Vanessa. The other trumpets his Senate support for children's health care, his decision to back a balanced-budget amendment in 1985 and his 1993 vote for President Bill Clinton's deficit-reduction measure, which most financial analysts credit with boosting the economy.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64171-2004May3.html

[avenueb]

1. howie kurtz

media whore