Bush Ad: 'Trust Me To Trust You'

(CBS)  The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Francesca Gessner analyzes a new ad from George W. Bush that targets swing voters in Illinois and California.

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The Ad:
The Bush campaign has released a new TV ad airing in California and Illinois featuring Gov. George W. Bush touting the “big difference in philosophy between my opponent and me.” In the 30-second commercial titled Trust, Bush proclaims that while Vice President Al Gore trusts government, “I trust people” to invest portions of their social security money, run local schools and benefit from the budget surplus. This is the first time the Bush campaign has aired TV ads in California – though this $1 million ad buy supplements the $6.5 million worth of ads the Republican National Committee has aired for Bush in California since Labor Day. As for Illinois, the Bush campaign advertised in the state earlier in the campaign but pulled out in September.

Audio:
Governor Bush: "I believe we need to encourage personal responsibility so people are accountable for their actions. And I believe in government that is responsible to the people. There's a big difference in philosophy between my opponent and me. He trusts government. I trust you. I trust you to invest some of your own Social Security money for higher returns. I trust local people to run their own schools. I trust you with some of the budget surplus. We should help people live their lives, but not run them. I'm asking for your vote."

Visual:
The 30-second ad features George W. Bush speaking directly to the camera.

Fact Check:
No inaccuracies.

The Strategy:
With Trust, the Bush campaign aims to appeal to undecided and swing voters who have concerns about Gore's trustworthiness and commitment to "Big Government." In recent weeks Bush has repeatedly sought to paint Gore as a “Big Government” Democrat whose budget plan would create the largest increase in federal spending since President Lyndon Johnson (a claim vigorously repudiated by the Gore campaign).

Moreover, the ads are targeting two Democratic-leaning states – California and Illinois – which became increasingly close following the debates. Up until this point, the Bush campaign had not aired ads in California (though the RNC has spent heavily in the state) and Bush stopped advertising in Illinois in September. Now that Gore’s poll numbers seem to be rising in Illinois, the Bush campaign has decided to see if it can reverse the momentum with a new ad campaign.