Dianne Feinstein for Gray Davis

Producer: Doak, Carrier, O’Donnell & Associates

The Script: (For the first ad, titled “Keep Working”) Feinstein: “I hope you’ll vote against this recall. With 135 candidates, someone could win with 15% of the vote. Will they be qualified? Where will they stand on the issues? What will the uncertainty do to our economy? This recall is bad for California. The governor deserves the chance to keep working on issues we care about: education, health care, important new privacy legislation. On the recall, just say no.”

(For the second ad, titled “Outcome”) Feinstein: “This governor was reelected just last November. Within three months, this recall effort began. It was started by people who were unhappy with the results of a legitimate election, in which 8 million Californians voted. It’s producing uncertainty and instability. It’s bad for the economy, bad for jobs and bad for California. That’s why I’m voting no. I hope you will, too.”

Pictures: Hands clasped at her waist, Feinstein looks directly at the viewer as she speaks. She is wearing a pearl necklace and a cherry red blazer, creating a bright image against the drab backdrop of a bookcase. There is no music.

Accuracy: Feinstein begins both ads by stating basic facts. It’s true that if Davis is recalled, his successor could be elected with 15% of the vote. And Davis was indeed reelected in November, only to face a recall movement by February. But then Feinstein veers into the realm of opinion by labeling the recall as “bad.” She also slightly exaggerates the number of Californians who voted in November. According to the secretary of state, 7,738,821 cast ballots, not 8 million.

Analysis: As a long-serving Democratic senator, Feinstein enjoys a bond with voters that Davis cannot claim. With her straightforward gaze and simple words, she attempts to project a sense of calm authority over a recall election she has previously called “a carnival.” In keeping with this above-the-fray approach, Feinstein refrains from calling any of the recall players by name. Instead, she raises questions about the 135 candidates’ credentials, their platforms and the potential damage they could cause the state’s economy. Feinstein’s just-say-no message, although lacking the usual music and campaign footage of a political ad, nonetheless employs a classic campaign ploy: inspiring fear. The “uncertainty” surrounding the recall, she suggests, makes it too risky to pursue.

Reported by Times staff writers Sue Fox and Miguel Bustillo

Los Angeles Times