Planned Parenthood Targets GOP Women

New Ads Aim To Sway Pro-Choice Republicans & Independents

(CBS)  The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Jane Ruvelson analyzes two new ads from Planned Parenthood.

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The Ad: Planned Parenthood has launched two ads criticizing George W. Bush’s record on abortion rights. Disappointed Women and Real Doctor are part of a $10 million public education campaign Planned Parenthood is waging in the last five weeks of the general election. The ads are running in seven battleground states: Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington.

Audio for Disappointed Women:
Woman One: "I'm a Republican. I support a woman's right to choose. And I hoped George W. Bush would too."

Woman Two: "Bush says he wants to take away a woman's right to choose and to cut funding for family planning."

Woman Three: "Bush is willing to appoint Supreme Court Justices who oppose the decision that gave women the right to choose and who want to overturn it. That's a risk I don't want to take."

Woman Four: "I don't want government in my private life, telling me what to do. And that's why I have a problem with George W. Bush."

Announcer: "Get the facts at www.plannedparenthoodvotes.com."

Audio for Real Doctor:
Female physician: "My patients trust me to give them all the fact. And the fact is, George W. Bush does not trust women to make their own choices. Bush supports a gag rule that would let the government limit what doctors can tell their patients. And as governor of Texas Bush tried to restrict family planning and sex education. Bush could appoint Supreme Court Justices who agree with him on taking away our right to choose. Get Planned Parenthood’s voter guide. See for yourself."

Visual: Disappointed Women features four apparently upper-class women in their forties and fifties speaking directly to the camera. All are identified on-screen as Republicans.

Real Doctor opens with a female physician speaking with a patient in her office lobby. The physician turns to the camera to discuss Bush’s positions on abortion rights issues; on the screen is key text from the audio and a picture of Bush.

Fact Check: Mostly accurate. Though Bush opposes abortion rights, he’s said that he doesn’t prioritize making abortion illegal and, if elected, wouldn’t push to do so.

The Strategy: Planned Parenthood hopes that Bush’s anti-abortion rights record will alienate some of those who would otherwise vote for him. The organization has identified Republican and Independent women who support abortion rights but plan to vote for Bush. Disappointed Women and Real Doctor attempt to convince this group that "November 7th will decide the future of reproducive choice in America" and that they can’t afford to cast a vote for Bush.