Hillary Invents Three New R's

(CBS)  The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Francesca Gessner looks at 'Six R's,' the newest ad from Hillary Clinton.

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The Ad:
New York Democratic Senate candidate Hillary Clinton has released a new TV ad on education. The 30-second ad titled Six R's highlights Clinton's commitment to the traditional "Three R's" - reading, writing arithmetic - plus her own additional three: "responsibility, respect and results." The ad is running statewide in New York.

Audio:
Announcer: "What if along with reading, writing and arithmetic, we added three more R's: responsibility, respect and results? That's what Hillary believes in - a return to values and discipline. She's fighting for high standards for students and teachers, more parental involvement, smaller classes, safer schools, and a $10,000 college tuition tax deduction so more children can pursue their dreams. Who'll be a strong voice for our children's education? Hillary. Always has been, always will be."

Visual:
The ad features various shots of Clinton interacting with parents and children.

Fact check:
No inaccuracies.

The Strategy:
Six R's signals a temporary truce in the recent negative ad war between Clinton and her GOP rival, Congressman Rick Lazio. With Six R's, Clinton's campaign makes a return to the issues, focusing on education, an issue particularly appealing to moderate and swing voters. The ad's emphasis on "a return to values and discipline" echoes Republican themes, and suggests Clinton is distancing herself from the traditional Democratic platform that tends to steer clear of issues of character and values in the classroom. With recent polls showing Lazio holding an unusually weak lead in the traditionally Republican upstate region, Clinton is making a serious bid for upstate and suburban voters. Finally, the ad's tag-line "Always has been, always will be" seeks to remind voters of Clinton's past work as a child advocate and reinforce her credibility on children's issues.