Clark Kicks Off Ads Highlighting Military Service
Saturday, November 15, 2003
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark uses his first campaign commercial to showcase his military service and press his case that he is the most qualified candidate to "clean up the mess in Iraq."
The retired Army general and political newcomer will become the sixth Democratic candidate to hit the airwaves when his 60-second television ad begins running Tuesday in New Hampshire.
The ad, titled "Liberate," is almost a combat resume. It uses black-and-white photographs of U.S. soldiers in combat and Clark in fatigues to highlight his leadership in Vietnam, when he took three bullets and won the Silver Star, and in Kosovo, when he lead NATO as the supreme allied commander.
"Now, when we need a leader to clean up the mess in Iraq, he's the one who has done it," an announcer says.
The ad describes Clark as "a man who cares first about the people he leads" and someone who has a "quiet, real American courage." It bolsters his assertion that he is the most qualified to be commander in chief.
Joe Slade White, Clark's media consultant, said the ad starts telling Clark's life story, which will continue to be told in future biographical ads.
"This is a candidate who when you tell his story, people move to him," White said.
The campaign bought about $200,000 worth of airtime in the Manchester media market to run the ad for about a week but did not buy time in the more expensive Boston market that reaches voters in southern New Hampshire.
Clark started his campaign in late September and last month abandoned Iowa's caucuses to focus on New Hampshire, the first state to hold a presidential primary on Jan. 27, and South Carolina and other states with primary contests Feb. 3.
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean leads the polls in New Hampshire by double digits, followed by Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Clark is bunched in a second-tier group in that state that includes Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri. |
