Clinton-Gore Ad Targets Middle America : Democrats: It touts the candidates as representing mainstream values and supporting such policies as welfare reform and the death penalty.

If it had not been obvious before, the latest campaign commercial aired by Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore, illuminates the strategy they are pursuing with less than a month until Election Day. It is to convince voters that these are two conservative guys.

They want to reform welfare. They support the death penalty. They can balance the budget and cut government spending, or so their commercial says.

If this does not sound exactly like typical Democratic fare, if it sounds a little--well, Republican--that is intentional. Clinton and Gore are, in the words of their communications director, George Stephanopoulos, “reaching into the middle,” as in Middle America, to represent “the new Democratic Party.”

The 30-second ad began running in 20 states Wednesday night. Campaign officials refused to say precisely where it would be aired or how much they spent to purchase air time. At this point, the campaign does not plan to run the ad in California, where the Arkansas governor enjoys a huge lead in public opinion polls.

With its thematic pitch to Republican and independent voters, the ad dovetails with Clinton’s increasing effort along the campaign trail to broaden his appeal beyond his secure Democratic base.

The commercial also is meant to take advantage of what Democrats see as an opening among moderate voters created by the virulently conservative tone of the Republican Convention.

“We’d like . . . to make sure they understand where the Democrats are right now,” Stephanopoulos said. “We do have a moderate Democratic Party even as the Republicans are moving to the far right and being taken over by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and Pat Buchanan. The Democrats represent mainstream America.”

Robertson, the religious broadcaster who ran for President in 1988, and Buchanan, a 1992 contender, delivered strongly conservative and controversial addresses at the August Republican Convention. Falwell is, like Robertson, a stalwart of the so-called “religious right.”

The contention that Clinton is a “different kind of Democrat,” as he regularly says while campaigning, can be expected to be a large part of the message he tries to get across as a series of three presidential debates begins Sunday night in St. Louis, at 4 p.m. PDT.

Clinton spent a low-key day in Little Rock, resting his sightly hoarse voice and continuing to prepare for the contest with President Bush and independent candidate Ross Perot.

Stephanopoulos, who briefed reporters in the campaign’s downtown headquarters, said the governor has two goals in mind as he heads into the three debates, which will conclude Oct. 19.

“Make sure people understand Gov. Clinton’s plans for the country and make sure they understand the truth about the Bush record on the economy,” he said.

Another element that may come up in the debate was broached by Stephanopoulos on Wednesday, when he accused the Administration of taking part in a cover-up of information relating to an Atlanta bank fraud case involving billions of dollars in loans to Iraq that were against bank policy. The money was used to help build Saddam Hussein’s military machine.

The federal court judge hearing the case sparked publicity three days ago when, in a 15-page judgment, he said that “grave questions” had been raised by the government’s handling of the case, which centers on the BNL bank in Rome and Atlanta.

Judge Marvin H. Shoob said there were indications that “top levels” of the Administration may have withheld information central to the case from local prosecutors.

Stephanopoulos said he was raising the issue in response to recent questions raised by Republicans about Clinton’s anti-Vietnam War activities.

“There’s evidence that a cover-up has existed and the Administration has to explain . . . ,” he said. “They are bringing up side issues. This is an issue of government involvement.”

Clinton refused to comment on his campaign aide’s charges, saying, “I don’t know what George said.”

The new Clinton commercial could have been cut whole cloth from the GOP lineup. Although it mentions spending cuts, it specifically does not mention Clinton’s plan to spend $200 billion in the next four years on government work programs.

Shortly before it went on the air, the ad was revised to include a line attesting to the Arkansas governor’s fiscal discipline.

“Clinton’s balanced 12 budgets,” the ad says. But the commercial does not add crucial context to that statement: Under state law, Clinton has been required to balance the Arkansas budget.

Asked whether the ad’s reference was honest, Stephanopoulos responded, “Sure.”

“He balanced the budget. He was required to and he did,” he said.

The stiffest shot fired by the ad is indicative of the image the advertisement tries to trace for Clinton and Gore. It’s aimed at the Democratic Party whose standard the two men are carrying.

“They’re a new generation of Democrats,” it says of Clinton and Gore. “And they don’t think the way the old Democratic Party did.”

Later, it dismisses “the old tax-and-spend politics.”

Clinton’s press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, said Clinton is drawing a deliberate distinction between himself and previous Democratic nominees.

“In 1988 and 1984, the Democratic candidates for President could not have run that commercial,” she said.

Although campaign officials refused to say where they are targeting the ad, it is reasonable to assume that it will show up in states that have been GOP territory for years--until now.

Recent polls have shown the Democratic ticket to be competitive with or beating the Republicans in places such as California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois and across the South, where the GOP has long been strong.

Confident of his Democratic base, Clinton in recent days has increasingly geared his appeal directly to Republicans and independents.

“I’m coming back here today to ask the people of Florida without regard to their party to support Bill Clinton and Al Gore,” Clinton said Monday in Leesburg, Fla.

Clinton and his chief campaign aides will leave Little Rock today for Kansas City, where he will prepare for Sunday’s debate.