The Associated Press
In Forbes' New Ad, Regular People Aren't So Regular
By SALLY BUZBEE - Associated Press Writer,01/17/96
>
> WASHINGTON (AP) - In Steve Forbes' latest TV ad, a whole crowd of
> regular New Hampshire citizens enthuse over his proposed flat tax.
>
> But just how regular are they?
>
> The four men and two women appearing in "man-on-the-street" interviews
> are actually all close supporters actively campaigning on Forbes'
> behalf. The campaign said Tuesday it sees nothing wrong with that.
>
> "I am a man on the street," said Wallace Stickney, a former state
> transportation agency director and longtime Republican activist
> supporting Forbes. "I have my rights as a New Hampshire citizen. And
> as a matter of fact I had been totally tuned out until I heard Steve."
>
>
> Campaign consultants - even for rival Democrats - called the practice
> of seeking out a candidate's strongest and most articulate supporters
> for such ads nothing unusual.
>
> "If they're New Hampshire people, that's not misleading," said John
> Franzen, a frequent producer of Democratic candidates' ads. "As long
> as you're not trying to convey the impression they're somebody they're
> not."
>
> Added fellow Democratic ad producer Gary Nordlinger: "It's done a lot.
> Otherwise you'd have to talk to 10 zillion people before you actually
> found one who knew who any candidate was."
>
> But aides to GOP front-runner Bob Dole, the Senate majority leader,
> called the ad bogus.
>
> "The poor fellow couldn't even scare up enough people to say good
> things about him," Dole spokesman Nelson Warfield said of Forbes.
>
> More seriously, Dole campaign aides said casual TV viewers could
> misunderstand the ad - assuming the speakers were randomly approached
> on the street, instead of people with strong links to Forbes'
> campaign.
>
> Why would a candidate care to make that impression? Because "regular
> people" trust other "regular people" more than they do political
> activists, analysts believe.
>
> "It just tends to lend credibility to a candidate if you create the
> impression that a whole lot of people support him," Franzen said.
>
> The ad is one of four that Forbes, a multimillionaire publisher
> spending his own money, began airing in recent days. The other three
> attack Dole as a Washington insider deceiving voters.
>
> One ad, airing Tuesday in New Hampshire, accuses Dole of denying that
> 1989 and 1991 votes of his led to higher pensions for Congress.
>
> Dole did vote to raise salaries for Congress, but points out that he
> never voted directly to raise pensions. Forbes contends the two votes
> in effect increased pensions, because the pensions are based on the
> congressman's salary and years in office.
>
> Dole also worked last year to change pensions, Warfield pointed out.
>
> "Bob Dole has been fighting for conservative change for a long time,"
> Warfield said. "Finally with Republican majorities in both houses (of
> Congress), he has the ability to make that battle a winning one."
>
> A second ad, aired first Monday in Iowa, accuses Dole of misstating
> Forbes' views on a "three strikes, you're out" prison sentencing
> measure. Dole denies that.
>
> And the third Forbes ad, running in South Carolina and Arizona - and
> briefly last week in Boston - criticizes Dole for using federal
> matching funds to finance his campaign.
>
> But Warfield said the system of federal matching funds is designed to
> ensure that candidates who lack Forbes' personal wealth still can
> compete.
>
> At a debate Saturday in Iowa, several GOP rivals questioned whether
> Forbes was trying to buy the election. Before the latest four ads,
> Forbes had spent at least $12 million.
>
> Campaign manager Bill Dal Col would not say how much the latest ads
> cost. He contended that, in the end, Forbes will spend less than Dole.
>
>
> But Dal Col quipped, "I guess it's safe to say we've gotten
> everybody's attention."
>
> Details of Steve Forbes' television ad on Bob Dole and congressional
> pensions.
>
> Time: 30 seconds.
>
> Title: "Orlando."
>
> Producer: Forbes' campaign.
>
> Text: (Announcer): "The official Congressional Record documents Bob
> Dole's vote that increased his million-dollar, tax-paid pension. But
> now he denies it. (Dole, on TV news program): I never voted to
> increase pensions.
>
> (Announcer): "Bob Dole must have forgotten. The Orlando Sentinel
> reported the Senate pay raise that Bob Dole voted for increased
> senators' pensions by $26 million.
>
> (Dole): "I never voted to increase pensions. (Announcer): Bob Dole - a
> Washington politician."
>
> Goals: To raise voter mistrust of Dole; to cast Dole as a Washington
> insider pushing perks for Congress.
>
> Analysis: Dole is correct when he says he never voted directly to
> raise congressional pensions.
>
> But Dole did vote in 1989 and 1991 to raise the salaries of members of
> Congress. And Forbes argues, correctly, that those votes in effect
> increased pensions because the pensions are based on a congressman's
> salary level and years in office.
>
> But Forbes fails to mention Dole's role last year in efforts to make
> pensions less lucrative in the future - the first such effort in
> Congress in decades.
>
> The measure was included in the budget-balancing bill approved by both
> the House and Senate but vetoed by President Clinton.
>
> Dole didn't lead the effort to cut pensions. But he didn't block it
> either, as he easily could have as majority leader. And he voted for
> the change.
> _________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Details of Steve Forbes' man-on-the-street ad on the flat tax.
>
> Time: 30 seconds.
>
> Title: "Flat."
>
> Producer: Forbes' campaign.
>
> Text:
>
> (First man): "Steve Forbes' flat tax is going to be good for the
> people of New Hampshire - we're ready for it."
>
> (Second man): "The flat tax is extremely fair. It's simple."
>
> (Third man): "A family of four earning an income of $36,000 doesn't
> pay any tax."
>
> (First woman): "I think it means stimulating business, having more of
> our own money to do what we want with it."
>
> (Fourth man): "He's got a message that he can win, that he's a real
> credible candidate."
>
> (Second woman): "There's no doubt Steve Forbes can win."
>
> (Announcer): "Steve Forbes - conservative for president."
>
> Key Images: This ad begins with a graphic that says, "People are
> talking about Steve Forbes' flat tax." It then switches to
> on-the-street interviews with unidentified people. It ends with an
> American flag.
>
> Goals: To give Forbes more credibility as a candidate; to make it
> appear people are excited by his ideas.
>
> Analysis: None of the people in this ad are identified, making them
> appear to be randomly selected people approached on the street.
>
> But in fact, all are supporters actively campaigning for Forbes. Make
> no mistake - the producers sought them out specifically because they
> are articulate, strong supporters.
>
> This is often done in campaign ads, and it's neither unethical nor
> necessarily misleading. These are, after all, real New Hampshire
> citizens expressing their views.
>
> But such an ad is subtly manipulative. A casual viewer who sees it
> might easily assume these are randomly selected people with no link to
> Forbes.
>
> Why would a candidate want that? Because "regular people" trust other
> "regular people" more than they do political activists. Such an ad can
> thus have a powerful impact.
>
> Forbes, dismissed by many GOP faithful as unelectable because he has
> little political experience, has a keen interest in appearing to be a
> credible competitor. That's why this ad ends with a woman on the
> street, who's actually a Forbes' alternate state delegate, saying,
> "There's no doubt Steve Forbes can win."
> _________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Details of Steve Forbes' television ad rebutting Bob Dole's previous
> ad on Forbes and "three strikes, you're out" policy.
>
> Time: 30 seconds.
>
> Title: "Strike."
>
> Producer: Forbes' campaign.
>
> Text: (Announcer): "Bob Dole, slipping in the polls, is desperate,
> running negative ads claiming conservative Steve Forbes opposes three
> strikes and you're out for criminals. But Bob Dole deceptively left
> out part of Steve Forbes' statement.
>
> "Here's what Steve Forbes really said: "I don't believe in three
> strikes and you're out. I believe in one strike and you're out.'
>
> "Bob Dole, deceiving voters. A Washington politician. It's time for a
> change."
>
> Key Images: Unflattering photos of Dole are paired with newspaper
> stories about Dole's ad; then the words "It's time for a change" flash
> on screen.
>
> Goals: To raise voter mistrust of Dole.
>
> Analysis: Once candidates start a cycle of attack, hit back, attack,
> hit back, it can be downright bewildering for voters to keep up.
>
> In this case, Forbes is correct to say that Dole's previous commercial
> misstated his position on three strikes, you're out. In a newspaper
> interview, Forbes did say: "I don't believe in three strikes and
> you're out. I believe in one strike and you're out."
>
> But Forbes doesn't address Dole's other points - that Forbes would
> keep some benefits for illegal immigrants, such as public schools, and
> that Forbes has written critically of a balanced budget amendment.
>
> Forbes also misleads when he says Dole is "slipping in the polls."
> Dole's level of support has stayed fairly steady. Forbes is apparently
> gaining support among previously undecided voters, pushing him closer
> to Dole.
>
> Forbes calls himself conservative. But he doesn't support a
> constitutional amendment banning abortion, nor is he a strong
> supporter of the balanced budget amendment. Forbes is more of a
> supply-sider, with a mostly hands-off attitude toward social issues.
>
> Yet this attack on Dole may well resonate with voters. "It's time for
> a change," has proved a very effective line in recent years.
> _________________________________________________________________
>
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