December 19, 2007
LENGTH: 30 seconds.
AIRING: Boston and New Hampshire.
SCRIPT: Announcer: "One man warned us we were failing in Iraq and told us how we could turn things around. More troops and a different strategy. He took a lot of heat, but he stood by what he knew was right. Today that strategy is working.''
McCain: "I didn't go to Washington to win Mr. Congeniality. I went there to serve my country.''
Announcer: "One man does what's best for America. Not what's easy.''
McCain: "I'm John McCain and I approve this message.''
KEY IMAGES: McCain on the left of the screen as images of soldiers appear on the right side. the announcer's points are underscored by captions from media accounts: "McCain was dead on in his analysis of what went wrong in Iraq.'' "McCain says U.S. needs more money, troops in Iraq.'' "The evidence is now overwhelming ... a remarkable success.'' McCain, in red-striped tie and suit, before a bank of flags, offers his often repeated line about not seeking to be "Mr. Congeniality.'' Clip of McCain at the White House with Ronald Reagan followed by McCain working at his desk. The closing shot is McCain stepping off his campaign bus to shake a supporter's hand.
ANALYSIS: The ad portrays McCain as a candid, speak-truth-to-power politician who doesn't worry about currying favor. By stressing the war, McCain is capitalizing on recent poll data that show New Hampshire Republicans trust him the most on Iraq. But polls also show that other issues, such as immigration, are surpassing the war as most important in the minds of Republican voters.
Also, while the sizable bloc of independents in New Hampshire were key to McCain's victory in the state in 2000, three out of five now say they will vote for a Democrat, in part because of the war.
McCain was critical of how former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld managed the war and he did call for the administration to send more troops to Iraq. There has been a reduction in violence in Iraq since the troop escalation.
But in a talk with reporters last month, after returning from a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, McCain offered a mixed assessment of the war. He said there were signs of progress, but cautioned that the country remained mired in corruption and that U.S. commanders anticipated increased violence from a desperate al-Qaida.
The weeklong ad is part of McCain's ad rotation aimed at New Hampshire primary voters. He's spending more than $400,000 a week in ads in Boston and New Hampshire markets.
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Analysis by Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn.
AP-ES-12-19-07 1439EST