Friday, November 30, 2007
Giuliani Ad Paints Dems As Tax Hikers
TITLE: "Promise."
LENGTH:30 seconds.
AIRING: New Hampshire.
SCRIPT: Giuliani: "When I became mayor of New York City things were out of control. I lowered taxes. I reduced the growth of government. Made government more accountable. And New York City boomed. I would do these things for America because I know they work. I know that reducing taxes produces more revenues. Democrats don't know that. They don't believe it. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, here's a promise I assure you they'll keep. They are making the promise to raise taxes. The only thing I can tell you in addition to that is they'll raise taxes even more than they promise. I'm Rudy Giuliani, and I approve this message."
KEY IMAGES: The ad features Romney in suit and tie talking to the camera. He smiles, he gestures, he scoffs and he laughs. The spot is interspersed with images from previous Giuliani ads _ a couple moving into a brownstone, a jogger in Central Park, a couple looking out over the cityscape.
ANALYSIS: Giuliani takes on Democratic front-runners Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards and casts their pledges to roll back some of the tax cuts enacted during the past six years as tax increases.
To be sure, all three Democrats have said they would pay for their policy initiatives, especially their health care plans, largely by allowing Bush's tax cuts to expire on schedule in 2010. That would result in higher tax rates and higher taxes, especially for high-income taxpayers.
But the Democrats also have proposals for their own tax cuts, while increasing those of the wealthy. Edwards' $25 billion per year plan would cut taxes for the middle class and raise the capital gains rate on individuals who make more than $250,000 per year. Obama would provide tax relief to workers and the elderly by raising the capital gains rate and closing some corporate tax loopholes.
Giuliani's anti-tax message could have special resonance in New Hampshire, a state that prides itself on not having a sales tax or a state income tax. By casting the top Democrats as tax raisers, Giuliani also appeals to the vast number of independent New Hampshire voters, who can vote in either the Democratic or the Republican primaries.
Giuliani and Mitt Romney have sparred over who was responsible for more tax cuts and who was the better fiscal steward _ Giuliani as mayor of New York or Romney as governor of Massachusetts. The two went after each other during Wednesday night's CNN/YouTube debate, particularly on the subject of immigration.
But neither Giuliani nor Romney, who aired a new ad this week as well, are using commercials to criticize each other directly. Tobe Berkovitz, interim dean at Boston University's college of communication and a former political media consultant, said the candidates are still not ready to run attack ads for fear of angering the public.
"Overall, you tend to get less blowback from the media and from the voters when it comes to these fights at a debate rather than in attack ads," he said. Still, he predicted that in the final weeks before New Hampshire's Jan. 8 primary "the gloves will come off."
"It will be like one of those caged death matches."
Giuliani, as he has in previous ads, emphasizes New York's resurgence while he was mayor. He did indeed cut taxes, though he lays claim to $9 billion in cuts during his eight-year tenure, while the city's independent Citizens Budget Commission gives him credit for about $5.8 billion. He also reduced welfare rolls by more than 50 percent. But he inherited a $2.3 billion budget deficit when he became mayor and left an even bigger gap when he left.
Romney is leading in New Hampshire polls, but Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are in a virtual tie behind him.
The Giuliani campaign has significantly increased its spending on advertising in New Hampshire and Boston markets. For the period from Thursday through Tuesday he is outspending Romney, according to data compiled by other presidential campaigns. By some estimates, Giuliani is spending between $570,000 and $650,000. Romney, who has spent about $5.2 million in ads throughout the year in New Hampshire and Boston markets, is spending about $350,000 for his current buy, according to one estimate.
TITLE: "Promise."
LENGTH:30 seconds.
AIRING: New Hampshire.
SCRIPT: Giuliani: "When I became mayor of New York City things were out of control. I lowered taxes. I reduced the growth of government. Made government more accountable. And New York City boomed. I would do these things for America because I know they work. I know that reducing taxes produces more revenues. Democrats don't know that. They don't believe it. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, here's a promise I assure you they'll keep. They are making the promise to raise taxes. The only thing I can tell you in addition to that is they'll raise taxes even more than they promise. I'm Rudy Giuliani, and I approve this message."
KEY IMAGES: The ad features Romney in suit and tie talking to the camera. He smiles, he gestures, he scoffs and he laughs. The spot is interspersed with images from previous Giuliani ads _ a couple moving into a brownstone, a jogger in Central Park, a couple looking out over the cityscape.
ANALYSIS: Giuliani takes on Democratic front-runners Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards and casts their pledges to roll back some of the tax cuts enacted during the past six years as tax increases.
To be sure, all three Democrats have said they would pay for their policy initiatives, especially their health care plans, largely by allowing Bush's tax cuts to expire on schedule in 2010. That would result in higher tax rates and higher taxes, especially for high-income taxpayers.
But the Democrats also have proposals for their own tax cuts, while increasing those of the wealthy. Edwards' $25 billion per year plan would cut taxes for the middle class and raise the capital gains rate on individuals who make more than $250,000 per year. Obama would provide tax relief to workers and the elderly by raising the capital gains rate and closing some corporate tax loopholes.
Giuliani's anti-tax message could have special resonance in New Hampshire, a state that prides itself on not having a sales tax or a state income tax. By casting the top Democrats as tax raisers, Giuliani also appeals to the vast number of independent New Hampshire voters, who can vote in either the Democratic or the Republican primaries.
Giuliani and Mitt Romney have sparred over who was responsible for more tax cuts and who was the better fiscal steward _ Giuliani as mayor of New York or Romney as governor of Massachusetts. The two went after each other during Wednesday night's CNN/YouTube debate, particularly on the subject of immigration.
But neither Giuliani nor Romney, who aired a new ad this week as well, are using commercials to criticize each other directly. Tobe Berkovitz, interim dean at Boston University's college of communication and a former political media consultant, said the candidates are still not ready to run attack ads for fear of angering the public.
"Overall, you tend to get less blowback from the media and from the voters when it comes to these fights at a debate rather than in attack ads," he said. Still, he predicted that in the final weeks before New Hampshire's Jan. 8 primary "the gloves will come off."
"It will be like one of those caged death matches."
Giuliani, as he has in previous ads, emphasizes New York's resurgence while he was mayor. He did indeed cut taxes, though he lays claim to $9 billion in cuts during his eight-year tenure, while the city's independent Citizens Budget Commission gives him credit for about $5.8 billion. He also reduced welfare rolls by more than 50 percent. But he inherited a $2.3 billion budget deficit when he became mayor and left an even bigger gap when he left.
Romney is leading in New Hampshire polls, but Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are in a virtual tie behind him.
The Giuliani campaign has significantly increased its spending on advertising in New Hampshire and Boston markets. For the period from Thursday through Tuesday he is outspending Romney, according to data compiled by other presidential campaigns. By some estimates, Giuliani is spending between $570,000 and $650,000. Romney, who has spent about $5.2 million in ads throughout the year in New Hampshire and Boston markets, is spending about $350,000 for his current buy, according to one estimate.
