Perot Ads Echo Theme of Earlier Program

Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot unveiled three, low-key 60-second television commercials Wednesday that portray the Texas billionaire as “not a business-as-usual politician” who will restore the economic health of the nation by cutting the federal debt.

Perot’s television ads, which were scheduled to begin running today on most cable television networks, were designed to repeat the theme that the candidate outlined on Tuesday night in a 30-minute paid program on CBS.

While each of the 60-second commercials approached the subject of the national debt in a different way, they all ended with a similar characterization of the candidate himself:

“A candidate who is not a business-as-usual politician, but a business leader with the know-how to balance the budget, rebuild the job base and restore the meaning of ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ ”

In all three 60-second ads, the narrative rolls slowly across the screen as it is read by a deep-voiced announcer. Perot’s face is not seen, nor is his voice heard in the ads. . But at the end of each of the commercials, his name flashes on the screen in red.

In one ad, there is a ticking sound in the background and a clock face appears behind the words as they roll across the screen. “It is a time when the threat of unemployment is greater than the threat of war. It is a time when the national debt demands as much attention as the national security. It is a time when the barriers to a better life are rising and the barriers between nations are falling.”

In another, as a red flag waves behind the words, the narrator warns that “while the Cold War is ending, another war is now upon us. The casualties of this war are counted in lost jobs and lost dreams.”

The third ad asks what the nation’s children would say “if they knew that, by the year 2000, we will have left them with a national debt of $8 trillion?” The dimly lit faces of children and the sounds of their laughter provide the background.

All three ads end with the words: “The candidate is Ross Perot. . . . The choice is yours.” Perot’s 30-minute political ad broadcast Tuesday night on CBS was seen by more than 16 1/2 million viewers, with a rating slightly higher than the opening game of baseball’s National League championship series, according to figures released Wednesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co.

“It’s quite impressive considering that the average prime-time television rating is a 12,” David Poltrack, CBS’ senior vice president for planning and research, said of Perot’s 12.2 showing. Each point represents 931,000 households.

Nationwide, it trailed ABC’s popular youth comedy, “Full House,” which had a 16.8 rating.

“We’re thrilled with the response,” said Sharon Holman, Perot’s spokeswoman.

Orson G. Swindle III, who heads Perot’s national volunteer organization, said the candidate’s unorthodox style was suited to his message.

“We’re not selling a can for cat food here, folks,” Swindle said. “We’re selling the American people on the problems we face.”

Perot reportedly paid CBS over $360,000 for the time. The Texas businessman’s next infomercial is scheduled to air at 9:30 p.m. Friday on ABC and will cost close to $600,000.

Times staff writer Steven Herbert in Los Angeles contributed to this story.