CAMPAIGN ’88 : Hard-Hitting Dukakis Ads Set for California
Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis’ campaign has put together a new round of hard-hitting television ads to be aired in California.
The most jolting is a depiction of an Orwellian future under what the announcer describes as the Republicans’ “failed environmental policies.”
On the screen is a young couple, shown from behind, sitting on a beach. “In California, ocean pollution closed down the last remaining beach,” announces an imaginary television reporter of the future. “A Republican spokesman said today if you must go outside, use extreme caution and protect yourself from toxic air pollution.”
As the spot ends, the couple turns to the camera and reveals they are wearing gas masks, before they scurry from the beach.
Tony Podesta, Dukakis’ California coordinator, said both sides will be pouring money into television advertising in the final days before the election. He said the Dukakis homestretch television budget in California would be about $1.7 million--buying enough time that the typical viewer can expect to see 16 spots. He predicted that Vice President George Bush would spend more than $2 million.
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