Kucinich and Kerry Airing New Television Ads

Democratic presidential longshot Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich will debut his first televised advertisements early next year, the campaign announced Tuesday. Sen. John F. Kerry, also competing for the Democratic presidential nomination, premieres a new ad today promoting his energy platform.

Kucinich’s television spots, created by prominent adman George Lois (responsible for the “I Want My MTV” campaign), will feature voice-overs by actor Danny Glover. The nine 15- to 30-second commercials, titled “Fear ends. Hope begins,” are slated to run in Iowa, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., beginning Jan. 4.

“We want viewers to be made aware that there is an alternative to the positions that many of the candidates and President Bush share,” said campaign Press Secretary David Swanson.

One ad, which criticizes the United States’ military occupation of Iraq, describes the Ohio congressman as having “the eyes that see through the lies!” Glover did the narration free.

Swanson said the campaign didn’t know how much the initial advertising push would cost. The campaign Web site started soliciting contributions from supporters Tuesday to fund the broadcast of the ads in more markets more frequently, eventually expanding to other states.

The Kucinich campaign has aired radio ads in Iowa featuring country music star Willie Nelson, as well as print ads.

Residents of Iowa and New Hampshire are experiencing a political advertising blitz as the nine Democratic presidential contenders stump before the Iowa caucuses Jan. 19 and the New Hampshire primary Jan. 27.

Kerry’s 30-second ad features images of children playing as he advocates a plan “to [free] our nation from the grip of Mideast oil.” Kerry says he would seek to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil through tax incentives for using and manufacturing fuel-saving vehicles, a conversion to renewable resources by 2020, and making buildings more energy-efficient.

The Massachusetts senator’s campaign spent $178,000 to run the ad in Iowa, and $154,000 to broadcast it in New Hampshire.