Gore Gets A Kennedy Nod
The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the campaign commercials of the presidential hopefuls. Sean Richardson analyzes the latest effort from Democrat Al Gore.
Care
The Ad: Al Gore's presidential campaign has launched a new ad in New York called Care. This new 30-second spot features Robert F. Kennedy Jr., discussing Gore's history and support of environmental protection.
Audio: "Hi, Im Robert F. Kennedy Jr. There is no American political leader in our history with a greater understanding or commitment to environmental protection than Al Gore. For the past six years he's gone toe-to-toe with the big shots on Capitol Hill who've been trying to dismantle the laws that protect our air and our water, and endangered species and public lands. If you care about your children's future, if you care about the future of America, there is no more important choice that you can make this year than to support Al Gore for president."
Video: The ad opens with Kennedy, casually dressed, talking into the camera. Kennedy is placed in a nautical setting with pylons and a life preserver in the background. The spot then cuts to an outdoor shot of Gore interacting with children. We then see a beautiful shot of a sunrise and a flying shot of wetlands and a body of water. The spot closes with Kennedy talking into the camera.
Fact Check: No Inaccuracies.
Strategy: This ad is an attempt to solidify Gore's support in New York, which once was considered a stronghold for Bradley. Recent polls show Gore leading by a wide margin. The release of this ad coincided with an event that Gore held on the banks of the Hudson River in New York, where he received the endorsement of the nonpartisan New York League of Conservation Voters.
The Bradley campaign responded to this ad by pointing to a recent article in The American Prospect magazine. The article quotes Kennedy as an environmentalist disturbed by the Clinton-Gore administration's support for a federal-state plan to permit construction of a shopping mall, by the Mills Corporation, on 500 acres of wetlands in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Kennedy told the magazine, "It is disappointing to see Al Gore, who I admire, succumb to this kind of mercenary approach." The Gore campaign confirmed that employees of the Mills Corp. and their family members have given Gore $43,000 for his campaign, although they say they have no information on any governmental action which may have occurred. Despite this disagreement, the Gore campaign confirmed that Kennedy still strongly supports Gore.