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Kerry, John

Independent Advertising Campaigns Target President Bush Ahead of 2004 Election

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the 2004 presidential election heats up, three advertising campaigns backed by political groups critical of President Bush are launching in 17 states, aiming to counter Republican commercials and challenge the president's policies. The largest campaign, led by Harold M. Ickes, a former deputy White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, is launching on Wednesday with $5 million in unlimited donations, paid for with "soft money" that is now prohibited for political parties.

These groups, part of a handful of committees known as "shadow" political parties, are stepping in to help Senator John Kerry's campaign offset President Bush's significant fund-raising advantage. The campaign finance laws prohibit coordination between these groups and the Kerry campaign, but despite the potential risks, the groups are pushing forward with their efforts. Mr. Ickes's group, the Media Fund, is calling the accusations of illegal coordination "baseless," saying they are focused on raising issues, not electing or defeating candidates.

The Media Fund is just one of several groups helping to fund the campaigns, including America Coming Together (ACT), which has become a household name thanks to its association with financier George Soros and his $10 million pledge. ACT has brought in experienced organizers like Ellen Malcolm and Steve Rosenthal, who are working together to build a vast voter outreach network in the 17 battleground states. This network aims to identify voters' concerns and tailor outreach efforts accordingly, with a database of potential voters being fed into computers to create targeted messages.

Key Takeaways:

  • Three advertising campaigns, backed by political groups critical of President Bush, are launching in 17 states with a combined $5 million in unlimited donations.
  • The Media Fund, led by Harold M. Ickes, is launching the largest campaign with 30-second spots criticizing the president's policies.
  • America Coming Together (ACT), a principal group helping to fund these campaigns, has brought together experienced organizers like Ellen Malcolm and Steve Rosenthal.
  • ACT's voter outreach network aims to identify voters' concerns and tailor outreach efforts accordingly, with a database of potential voters being fed into computers.
  • Republican groups are accusing these campaigns of violating campaign finance laws, but critics argue that the groups are merely raising issues, not directly supporting Senator Kerry.
  • Other campaigns, like the MoveOn.org Voter Fund and the New Democrat Network, are also running ads against President Bush.

Statistics:

  • $70 million in pledges have been made to ACT and the Media Fund, exceeding campaign finance reports from December.
  • The Media Fund has spent $5 million on Spanish-language advertisements in 5 key battleground states.
  • America Coming Together (ACT) is running a campaign in 17 battleground states, targeting potential voters with a vast voter outreach network.
  • President Bush has more than $100 million banked in his campaign, a significant advantage over Senator Kerry.
  • 527 committees, the organizations behind these campaigns, are raising money with unlimited donations, prohibited for political parties.

Sources:

  • "Independent Groups Launch Ads in 17 States," The New York Times, April 11, 2004.
  • "Bush Campaign Files Complaint on Media Fund Ads," The New York Times, April 12, 2004.
  • "ACLU Sues F.C.C. on Election Finance Rules," The New York Times, April 13, 2004.

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