AD WARS: Republican Ad Has Mysterious Message

In a strange twist, a "run-of-the-mill" Republican advertisement attacking Vice President Al Gore's prescription drug plan appears to contain a hidden message -- quickly flashing the word "rats" as a part of the larger word "bureaucrats," the New York Times reports. The ad begins by "lauding" Texas Gov. George W. Bush's prescription drug plan and criticizing Gore's plan with the words "bureaucrats decide" appearing on screen. If "the viewer watches very closely," the word "rats" pops up in one frame, the Times reports. The image is in "huge white capital letters, larger than any other word on the commercial," but lasts only one-thirtieth of a second. The ad concludes: "The Gore prescription plan: bureaucrats decide." The 30-second ad has been airing in 33 markets nationwide since August. Gore aides examined the ad "frame by frame," spotted the "suspicious" word and then handed over a copy to the Times. Instead of commenting, the aides said they "preferred that the advertisement ... speak for itself." Alex Castellanos, who produced the commercial for the Republican National Committee, said that the use of the word was "purely accidental," adding, "We don't play ball that way. I'm not that clever." Bush's chief media consultant Mark McKinnon said, "'Rats' is not a message. 'Bad plan' or 'seniors lose' might be, but 'rats?' We're just not that clever. I just watched it five times in a row. Hard as I looked, couldn't see 'rats.'" But Ray Strother, president of the American Association of Political Consultants and a veteran Democratic advertising consultant, said, "There is absolutely no way this can be an accident. I'd be stunned if it was a mistake. If that's an accident, it's counter to everything I know about political consulting. When you're running a presidential race, you're really, really super sensitive to every frame of that spot" (Berke, 9/11). To view the ad, go to http://tm.intervu.net/template/s2/iv/g2_vod.ram?stream=s3/repnatc on/rnc_media/current_media/video/Priority.rm;xtn=.ram. Note: You must have RealPlayer G2 to view the ad.

Republicans Following Democrats' Example
Taking a stance seemingly contrary to traditional Republican views, many "endangered GOP incumbents" have been running ads on "traditionally Democratic issues," including managed care reform, the Washington Post reports. For example:

In a recent ad, Rep. James Rogan (R-Calif.) said, "I fight for things like ... HMO reform and prescription drug coverage for seniors."
Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark.) has been running ads that say, "No matter what you've seen or heard on TV, I can assure you that I am working hard to provide prescription drug coverage to all seniors. ... In fact, I voted for a bill that provides prescription drug benefits for all seniors -- something that's never been done before."
Rep. Anne Northup's (R-Ky.) ad features pharmacist Clay Sledge saying that Northup's drug plan "will make a big difference for seniors."
Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.) says in an ad, "As a family physician, I cared for too many seniors who had to choose between food and medicine. And I vowed to change that."

While the "battle" to win control of the House "is still too close to call," Republicans "are clearly playing a defensive game, trying to protect themselves on popular issues largely advanced by congressional Democrats," the Post reports. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication, said, "The Democrats have an advantage because voters tend to trust them on these issues." For their part, Republicans maintain they "have little choice given the clear public interest in topics such as prescription drugs and HMO reform." GOP pollster David Winston added that the message shift "embodies the kind of 'compassionate conservatism' GOP nominee George W. Bush has highlighted" on the campaign trail. Winston said, "This is the American people's agenda and if you don't address it you lose, and if you do, you have a chance of winning." But Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Patrick Kennedy (R.I.) said, "Even though [Republicans] have managed to pass themselves off as Democrats in the past, they really won't be able to this election because they won't have enough money to create the illusion. Obviously, we have the credibility when it comes to these issues, because they're issues identified with an activist federal role in government" (Eilperin, 9/9). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.