Thursday, January 10, 2008

GIULIANI AD FACTS “Super Bowl”

AD FACT:

Voice Over: “With pundits and politicos handicapping the campaign like the Super Bowl, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s at stake. An economy in peril.”

BACKGROUND:

Fortune’s Geoff Colvin: “The U.S. Economy Will Most Likely Be In A Deep Slowdown Or A Recession By Spring, Leaving Americans Feeling Financially Insecure.” (Geoff Colvin, Op-Ed, “AmEx Gets CEO Pay Right,” Fortune, 1/21/08)

U.S. Facing “Severe Housing Crisis.” “The Bush administration is working to combat the country’s severe housing crisis but there is no simple solution, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday, adding that a correction in the housing market is ‘inevitable and necessary.’ Paulson said the country was facing an unprecedented wave of 1.8 million subprime mortgages that are scheduled to reset to sharply higher rates over the next two years. He said this raised the threat of a market failure and was the reason the administration brokered a deal with the mortgage industry to freeze certain subprime mortgage rates for five years to allow the housing market to recover.” (Martin Crutsinger, “Paulson Says There Is No Simple Solution To Housing And Mortgage Crisis,” The Associated Press, 1/7/08)

Economists View Increasing Unemployment Rate As Sign U.S. Economy Could Be Approaching A Recession. “The unemployment rate surged to 5 percent in December as the economy added a meager 18,000 jobs, the smallest monthly increase in four years, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Economists viewed the report as the most powerful indication to date that the United States could well be falling into a recessionary downturn.” (Peter Goodman and Michael Grynbaum, “Unemployment Sounds Warning About Economy,” The New York Times, 1/5/08)

The U.S. Dollar Is The Weakest It’s Been In A Decade. “In November, the dollar fell to a record low against the euro, a 26-year nadir against the British pound and a level not seen in a century versus the Canadian dollar. In 2007, the dollar lost 7.5% of its value against a group of 26 currencies, according to a Federal Reserve trade-weighted index. The currency now stands at its lowest in a decade, according to the index. The dollar finished the year 9.6% weaker versus the euro and 6.4% lower against the Japanese yen.” (Joanna Slater, “Time For Dollar To Turn The Corner?” The Wall Street Journal, 1/2/08)

AD FACT:

Voice Over: “A country at war.”

BACKGROUND:

In December, Congress Approved Funding To Continue Fighting The U.S. Wars In Iraq And Afghanistan. “After weeks of tough talk, Democrats in the U.S. Congress appear resigned to back down again on providing money for the Iraq war. …Democrats now are expected to allow Senate Republicans to attach tens of billions of dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an at least $500 billion government-wide spending bill. That move would be in exchange for Republican support on the huge spending measure.” (Anne Flaherty, “After Weeks Of Tough Talk, US Congressional Democrats To Back Down On Iraq War Money,” The Associated Press, 12/9/07)

At A Speech On January 7, President Bush Cited The U.S. Wars In Iraq And Afghanistan As Some Reasons For The Unease Concerning The U.S. Economy. “‘A lot of Americans are anxious about the economy,’ the president told business leaders in Chicago. ‘This frankly is not unprecedented,’ he said, pointing to … wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ….” (Jennifer Loven, “Bush: Predicting Economy’s Course Not Easy, Says US Economy Resilient,” The Associated Press, 1/7/08)

On January 7, Iranian Ships Threatened U.S. Warships In The Persian Gulf. “President Bush warned Iran of ‘serious consequences’ if it meddles again with U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, opening a Mideast peacemaking mission Wednesday on an ominous note. … Already a troubling issue for Bush, Iran jumped back into the spotlight Sunday when Iranian boats harassed and provoked three American Navy ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials said Iran threatened to explode the vessels, but the incident ended peacefully. Bush said ‘all options are on the table’ to protect U.S. ships. He said the Iranian boats ‘were very provocative and it was a dangerous gesture on their part. … And they know our position, and that is: There will be serious consequences if they attack our ships, pure and simple. And my advice to them is don’t do it.’” (Terrence Hunt, “Bush Strongly Warns Iran on Naval Clash” The Associated Press, 1/10/08)

AD FACT:

Voice Over: “A future uncertain.”

BACKGROUND:

According To A Diageo/Hotline Poll Conducted In December, 67% Of Registered Voters Surveyed Believe The United States Is On The “Wrong Track.” (Diageo/Hotline, 812 registered voters, Conducted 12/10-14, Margin Of Error +/- 3.4%)

According To An NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll Conducted In December, 63% Of Registered Voters Believe The United States Is Headed “Off On The Wrong Track.” (NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 1,008 adults nationwide, Conducted 12/14-17, Margin Of Error +/- 3.1%)

According To Gallup Poll’s December 2007 Survey, 70% Of Adults Are Dissatisfied With The Way Things Are Going In The United States. (The Gallup Poll, 1,027 adults nationwide, Conducted 12/6/07-12/9/07, Margin Of Error +/- 3%)

According To The Associated Press/Ipsos Poll From December 2007, 66% Of Adults Thought The Country Was Headed On The Wrong Track. (The Associated Press/Ipsos Poll, 1,001 adults nationwide, Conducted 12/3/07-12/5/07, Margin of Error +/- 3.1%)

AD FACT:

Voice Over: “The media loves process. Talking heads love chatter. But Florida has a chance to turn down the noise. And show the world that leadership is what really matters.”

Mayor Giuliani: “I’m Rudy Giuliani and I approved this message.”

BACKGROUND:

“If Republicans Have Any Chance Of Having Their Lease Renewed On The White House They Must Adopt And Develop Leaders Like Giuliani — Someone Who Raised One Of The World’s Great Cities Out Of Despair And Returned It To The Pride It Earned Over More Than Two Centuries.” (Editorial, “Rudy Giuliani Is Out Choice In The GOP,” Foster’s Daily Democrat, 12/20/07)

Mayor Giuliani Believes America Should Choose Optimism And Strength Over Pessimism And Weakness. “But as I travel across our land, I’ve begun to hear a murmur that America somehow has lost the ability to achieve great goals. Some good people have come to believe that our country is on the wrong track. Middle class families feel that the American dream may be slipping away. They’re worried about the future. They’re worried that the future may not be as bright as the past. They’re worried that this may be the time where the next generation of Americans doesn’t do as well as the last generation. It doesn’t have to be that way. We — we, you and I — can decide America’s direction. We can determine America’s future. After all, that’s what an election is all about. So let’s decide for optimism, not pessimism; for hope, not despair; for strength, not weakness; for victory, not defeat.” (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Remarks In Tampa, FL. 12/15/07)

No comments: