Bradley: <i>Not</i> The 'Only One'
The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the campaign commercials of the presidential hopefuls. Sean Richardson tackles the latest ad from the Bill Bradley camp.
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The Ad: The Bill Bradley for President campaign has launched a new ad in Washington state called Only Bill Bradley. The new 30-second spot claims that Bradley is the only candidate running for president who wants a qualified teacher in every classroom and access to health care for all Americans. The ad also states that he's the only candidate who has fought for gun control and against the NRA, and the only one who has consistently supported a woman's right to choose.
Audio: Voice Over: "Of the five men running for president, only one is for a qualified teacher in every classroom. Only one is for access to health care for all Americans. Only Bill Bradley. Only Bill Bradley fought to protect our salmon on the Elwha River. Only Bill Bradley has always fought for gun control and against the NRA. And only Bill Bradley has consistently supported a woman's right to choose - always. On Tuesday, vote for the only candidate who has always been there fighting for us: Bill Bradley."
Video: While the concept is familiar, the video is very different from previous ads the Bradley campaign has run. The ad opens with still photographs of all five candidates who are running for president, and then cuts to a blank screen with text reading, "Only 1." The spot then shows a still photo of Bradley meeting with voters and text emphasizing "Qualified teacher in every classroom." This is followed again by photos of all five candidates and text reading, "Only 1." We then see Bradley sitting at a desk on the telephone with text on the screen stating, "Health care for all Americans." The spot then shows Bradley interacting with voters and text on the screen stating, "Only Bill Bradley."
The ad cuts to Bradley sitting at a desk and text emphasizing that he's the only candidate who "fought to save salmon on the Elwha river." He's then seen interacting with voters at a bowling alley, with text stating that he "fought for gun control and against the NRA." The ad cuts again to Bradley sitting at a desk with text stating that he’s the only candidate who's "consistently supported a woman's right to choose." The spot then cuts to a black screen with the word "Always." The ad closes with an informal shot of the candidate and his wife, Ernestine.
Fact Check: Several "inaccuracies" and "incompletes." Bill Bradley is not the only candidate who supports placing a qualified teacher in every classroom. Al Gore supports testing all new teachers for subject matter knowledge and teaching proficiency. Under Gore's plan, new teachers would have to pass rigorous tests and have major in their subject area or demonstrate other competency. For teachers already in the classroom, Gore has adopted the administration's ESEA proposal that requires states to ensure that, within four years, at least 95 percent of their teachers are fully-certified or participating in a certification program. This proposal also requires states to ensure that at least 95 percent of secondary school teachers have had academic training or demonstrated competence in the subject area in which they teach.
While Gore may have been more conservative on gun control issues early in his career, he has been a strong advocate of gun control in the nineties. In 1991, Gore was an original cosponsor of the Bradley Handgun Violence Protection Act. In 1994, Gore was a strong supporter of the 1994 Crime Bill, which included a provision banning nineteen types of assault weapons. In May of last year, Gore cast the tie-breaking vote that enabled a gun-control amendment to prevail. The amendment closed the loophole in existing law that has allowed gun shows to be exempt from the Brady Law, and to require background checks with the sale of firearms at gun shows.
Strategy: Bill Bradley has put all his eggs in one basket. He's hoping that a win in Washington's Democratic primary, which will award no delegates, will provide some momentum for the March 7th primaries. This new spot, Bradley's most aggressive ad to date, is directly in line with the campaign's recent criticism of Gore. They are attempting to portray Gore as the "conservative congressman from Tennessee." In doing so, they are trying to portray Bradley as the "true" liberal.