All Smiles From Hillary
The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Francesca Gessner analyzes a new effort from New York Senate hopeful Hillary Clinton.
The Ad: The Clinton campaign has released its second official campaign TV ad, called Betty Lowe. The 30-second ad emphasizes Hillary Clinton's commitment to children and families, and features Dr. Betty Lowe, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The ad begins airing this week in upstate New York.
Audio: Betty Lowe: "I have seen her go through the hospital and talk to children. The next thing you know all the kids would come sit by her. If you're a sincere caring person, children will respond to you. If you're not, they won't."
Announcer: "Hillary Clinton has spent 30 years fighting for children and families. All the proceeds from her book - nearly a million dollars - donated to help children. As New York's senator, she'll fight for better health coverage, modern schools, higher standards. Hillary Clinton. Put her to work for all of us."
Visual: The ad opens with a still photo of Hillary Clinton with a child. The photo has a dark brown and cream tone, not quite black and white. The ad then shifts to color video, with Dr. Betty Lowe speaking to the camera. Next we see slow-motion footage of Clinton interacting with children, followed by various still photos, including one of her with a school group and another of a child hugging her. Text on the screen matches the audio. The ad concludes with a still shot of Hillary waving, with her campaign logo displayed in the upper right corner.
Fact check: No inaccuracies.
The Strategy: Released in the midst of great uncertainty about the political fate of her presumed rival - Mayor Rudy Giuliani – Clinton's latest ad seeks to accentuate the positive. Similar to the ad her campaign released two weeks earlier, Betty Lowe aims to educate voters about the first lady's commitment to issues concerning children and families. Focusing on health care and education, the ad hones in on two concerns voters consistently rank as among their highest priorities. Clinton hopes to makes these two issues central to the campaign, regardless of who her Republican opponent turns out to be.