TITLE: "Service"
LENGTH: 30 seconds.
AIRING: South Carolina
SCRIPT: McCain: "I've served our country all my adult life. I've never lived a day in good times or bad I wasn't grateful for the privilege. Now I ask to serve as your president. As thousands of South Carolinians risk their lives to defend us, our purpose can't be ours alone. America is our cause, her greatness our hope, her strength our protection, her goodness the hope of mankind. That's why I run for president, and ask for your support. I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
KEY IMAGES: McCain speaks directly to the camera throughout the ad, an American flag in the background.
ANALYSIS: McCain, a veteran and former prisoner of war, touches on those elements of his resume in this pitch laden with lofty, unassailable ideals. It could be especially meaningful in South Carolina, where earlier this campaign season McCain traveled for his "No Surrender" tour to talk about the Iraq War. About 413,000 veterans are estimated to be living in South Carolina and hundreds more residents are among the military's active duty and reserves. The state also is in the midst of its largest, single-unit deployment of National Guard troops since World War II.
While the Arizona senator is trying to turn veterans into a political force in the Republican race, the ad also appeals to a broader audience and could be especially effective with post 9-11 national security conservatives.
The new ad hits on the same day as the Michigan presidential primary where McCain and Romney are locked in a tight contest. McCain and Romney will pivot from Michigan to South Carolina where they will face Mike Huckabee, who holds a lead in some polls in the state. Romney renewed his advertising campaign in South Carolina on Tuesday after halting it last week to concentrate on Michigan. Republican Fred Thompson is also campaigning in South Carolina where polls show him in fourth place.
McCain's South Carolina ad is running statewide through Saturday at a cost of more than $300,000, according to estimates from another presidential campaign.
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On the Net:
http://www.johnmccain.com/tvads/
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Analysis by Associated Press Writer Evan Berland.