November 4, 1999
By
Beth Cross
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University
DES MOINES, Iowa-- With the 2000 presidential election a year away and a nomination from the Republican Party almost guaranteed, Texas Gov. George W. Bush began paving the airwaves with his advertising message Oct. 25.
Last week, Iowa and New Hampshire residents began seeing and hearing Bush's message as it permeated the radio and television airwaves. In Iowa, a series of four television ads, in addition to a radio ad in Spanish, began playing, promising voters a clean campaign from Bush and "a fresh start."
"The idea the governor wants to get across is that this ad campaign is exactly the same as the campaign he runs when he's here," said Eric Woolson, Iowa press coordinator for Bush.
Bush's TV ads are appropriately titled "A Fresh Start," "Top Priorities," "A New Type of Campaign" and "No Child Left Behind." Woolson said the ads apply to Iowans even though they are national in subject matter.
"I think as he talks about taxes and leadership and education; these are three real priorities for Iowa voters," he said. "It has been shown in election after election [that Iowa voters] want a good, strong, educated and positive leader."
In "Top Priorities," Bush focuses on what he could do for Americans as a new president in the White House.
"I believe that government should do a few things and do them well," Bush says. As a young man in uniform raises an American flag, Bush says education and military should be strengthened. He goes on to voice over an elderly woman with a walker, saying that Social Security and Medicare should be preserved, because "that's what I've done in Texas." Bush tells his viewers taxes should be cut "to continue economic growth and to broaden prosperity."
"A Fresh Start" hails Bush's accomplishments as Texas governor, citing specifically cuts he made on welfare and his reduction of junk lawsuits. It also notes that Bush cut Texas government spending to its lowest in 40 years while governor and cut juvenile crime by 38 percent. The decrease in juvenile crime was a result of Bush's call to the Texas Legislature to rewrite juvenile justice laws. The law lowered the age at which most violent juveniles can be tried as adults to 14. In addition, it made juvenile records available to law enforcement officials and increased state funding for community programs to prevent juvenile crime, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Bush's ad about children focuses primarily on education reform. Featuring children of all ages, and varying economic and ethnic backgrounds, this spot allows Bush to discuss the importance of making a "solemn commitment that every child be educated."
"As president, I will give states and local school districts more authority and flexibility and encourage them to measure results for every child," Bush says. "... Because there are no second-rate children and no second-rate dreams."
Bush's plan for public schools would consolidate 60 of the elementary and secondary education programs into five main goals: improving achievement of disadvantaged children, promoting English fluency, training and recruiting teachers, supporting character and school safety and promoting informed parental choice.
In addition, Bush has called for an overhaul of the federally funded Head Start program. He wants to move it to the U.S. Department of Education and establish a core curriculum for the program.
Although the other three commercials focus on issues, perhaps the most telling of Bush's political strategy so far is "A New Type of Campaign," in which he pledges not to cut down his opponents. In the race for the 2000 presidency, this slogan has been on the tongues of several candidates, including former Sen. Bill Bradley, Democratic presidential candidate, who said previously a campaign should be run with each candidate pushing each other to do better, not cutting each other down.
"If one candidate on the airwaves runs a negative ad and criticizes other candidates, ... Gov. Bush is not even countering [that] in his ads," Woolson said. "Instead, he is running a positive campaign in Texas. I think that's going to be very telling so far."
As Bush addresses his audience in "A New Type of Campaign," he says there is a lot of cynicism in politics today due to broken promises.
"I believe most people expect the best out of elected officials," Bush says. "When elected officials disappoint them, it creates a cynical environment." He tells voters that too many campaigns result in mud-throwing and name calling. "Americans are sick of that kind of campaign," Bush says.
"[People in Iowa want] a leader with positive results who will run an issue-driven campaign," Woolson said, "Here in Iowa, I think it's very important. ["A New Type of Campaign"] emphasizes the governor's commitment to running a positive campaign."
Woolson said this ad will become even more significant if Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes runs negative ads similar to the ones he ran during the race against Bob Dole in 1996. Forbes has been running advertisements for the 2000 campaign since June.
The percentage of Hispanic and Latino Iowans has almost doubled in the last 10 years, and Bush, who speaks fluent Spanish, has also attempted to target this group through an all-Spanish radio ad. The commercial says: "We're voters, too, and George W. Bush believes that all Iowans should help elect a president. That no one should be left behind." It also promises "a fresh start" and "the beginning of a new day for Latinos."
"Gov. Bush's feeling is that it is important to include Hispanic and Latino voters in the process," Woolson said. "They can't join us in economic prosperity if they can't participate in the political process."
Woolson said Bush recently received 40 percent of the Hispanic vote for governor in Texas. The Hispanic vote there, he said, has typically been more of a Democratic constituency.