TITLE: "Dorothy"
LENGTH: 30 seconds
AIRING: Iowa
SCRIPT: Dorothy Rodham, Hillary Rodham Clinton's mother: "What I would like people to know about Hillary is what a good person she is. She never was envious of anybody. She was helpful. And she's continued that with her adult life with helping other women. She has empathy for other people's unfortunate circumstances. I've always admired that because it isn't always true of people. I think she ought to be elected even if she weren't my daughter." Hillary Clinton: "I'm Hillary Clinton and I approved this message."
KEY IMAGES: Ad opens with a black-and-white photo of a young Dorothy Rodham holding the hand of 2-year-old Hillary, who is seated on a blanket and wearing a dress and bonnet. Image switches to a present-day Rodham speaking directly to the camera, intercut with video of Clinton and Rodham chatting in a kitchen and Rodham appearing with Clinton at a rally in Iowa last weekend. Daughter and granddaughter Chelsea Clinton also appears on the stage with her arm around Rodham.
ANALYSIS: The introduction of Clinton's mother and daughter comes amid a rough period for the candidate, who is locked in a tight three-way race in Iowa with Barack Obama and John Edwards. With just three weeks left until the state's Jan. 3 caucuses, the campaign is still trying to introduce the New York senator to Iowans and to defuse the notion that she is cold, calculating and too polarizing to win a general election. The top candidates are courting female voters, who might be attracted to Hillary Clinton. A recent Obama ad had close-ups of women in the audience, who represent Clinton's base of support but in the Obama spot seemed moved by his words.
Rodham looks younger than her 88 years and appears to be plainspoken, genuine and apolitical. Her description of her daughter comes off as heartfelt and unscripted.
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Analysis by Associated Press Writer Beth Fouhy