Howard Dean Buys First Campaign Ads

The campaign, in a bold move that hints at his success at 2nd Q fundraising, has bought the first television ads of the 2004 race, to air in selected markets in Iowa.

The 30-second ad, scheduled to run in most Iowa markets beginning Tuesday and ending July 2, will cost the campaign more than $300,000, according to Democratic officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. It is an unusually large ad campaign for this early in the election cycle, a risky move for a little-known, low-financed candidate trying to seize the initiative.

The ad features the former Vermont governor looking into the camera while he delivers an abridged version of his stump speech, including criticism of President Bush's foreign policies, a brief description of his health care plan and his assessment that the Democratic Party has abandoned its traditional values, the officials said.
...
The broadcast purchase is large enough to ensure that the average Iowan will see Dean's ad nine times a week through July 2, officials said, adding that the campaign may pour more money into the buy in the next two weeks.
...
The goal is to introduce Dean and his message to Iowans before better-funded candidates get a chance to define themselves or borrow from his campaign themes, said the officials who have seen the ad and were familiar with Dean's strategy.

This is a really aggressive and saavy initiative for the Dean campaign and I think they deserve high praise. Of course, the article mentions that Democratic candidate Babbitt bought early ads in Iowa in 1987, but his campaign fizzled. These ads are not a guarantee of anything, but taken together with Dean's far more comprehensive and grassroots-supported campaign, I think it will definitely play a role in his success. I continue to predict victory in Iowa.