CAMPAIGN ’88 : Haig Image in TV Spots: Tough but Not Bellicose
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Republican presidential candidate Alexander M. Haig Jr. kicked off his television campaign this week with advertisements that promise “tough leadership” from an experienced leader who says he would not start a war.
“I’ve led troops in battle, seen the horror of war. I know the imperative of peace,” the former NATO commander, White House chief of staff and secretary of state says in a 30-second spot that is set against stately, patriotic background music.
The purpose is to counter some people’s perceptions that “a person with a military background might be more likely to turn to a military solution of problems,” Haig’s media adviser, Jay Bryant, said at a Washington news conference.
Another advertisement focuses on last month’s market crash and promises “tough leadership for a brighter economy.” The third spot features tanks, soldiers and shots of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev and warns the nation to be wary of Soviet intentions.
Bryant said the campaign has bought time on television stations in Boston, Manchester, N.H., and Portland, Me. He said the Haig campaign plans to buy television time in Iowa and the South starting next year.
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