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Despite all the hoopla over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) “3 a.m.” ad, political insiders say she suffers from a lack of credibility in the spot, and independents were not swayed by her message, according to a new survey.
The ad, which questions whom people would want to answer a phone ringing in the White House during the early morning hours when “something’s happening in the world,” has crystallized Clinton’s argument that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) lacks experience.
A survey of 220 political insiders by Wilson Research Strategies, however, shows reviewers gave the ad a 4.3 out of 10 for its credibility and a 4.5 for its appeal. Independents were especially harsh, giving it a 4.4 overall.
Some observers have argued that such attacks on Obama might backfire in the general election.
A Zogby poll this week showed Americans, by a wide margin, would rather have GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) answer the 3 a.m. call than either Democrat. McCain led Clinton 55-37 and Obama 56-35 in that category, while Clinton and Obama were virtually tied.
Republicans and Democrats rated the ad highly for strength of message and memorability, and each gave it a 5.6 overall.
Obama’s response ad, in which he lays out his foreign-policy credentials and his vote against the Iraq war over the sound of the ringing phone, earned slightly higher marks, including a 5.8 overall from Democrats and a 5.3 from independents.
“Clinton’s 3 a.m. ad is not as effective as media coverage made it out to be,” said Wilson political director Tyler Harber.
While Clinton and Obama battle it out, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other groups are devoting resources to going after McCain.
An ad by the Campaign to Defend America tries to link McCain to President Bush by replacing McCain’s head with Bush’s. It got rave reviews from Democrats and shoddy marks from Republicans.
Independents, the ostensible target of the ad, gave it a 5.8 overall.
In congressional races, an ad by former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R-Texas) trying to paint her primary runoff opponent as a Washington insider who still owns a house in the D.C. area earned a 5.6 overall from Republicans, who will decide between Sekula Gibbs and former Senate aide Pete Olson on April 8.
Mississippi primary runoff candidate Glenn McCullough’s (R) ad animating the U.S. Capitol building as a balloon full of “hot air” got a 6.3 from GOPers. McCullough, a former Tupelo mayor, faces Southaven Mayor Greg Davis on April 1. The winner will run for Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) former House seat.
Working with The Hill for its Air War feature, Wilson Research Strategies e-mails campaign or issue ads to survey participants who view the ads and rate their effectiveness on several criteria.
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