Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/2008-campaign-ads-saturate-the-air-waves-in-iowa Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript As the 2008 presidential primary season draws closer, candidates are pouring money into television ads to court voters in key states. A political advertising analyst and an Iowa broadcaster discuss the ads and how much the campaigns are spending on them. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JEFFREY BROWN: In Iowa, the TV ad blitz is on, as candidates try to reach voters ahead of the January 3rd caucuses. So far, Democrats have set the pace, spending money on ads in record numbers with several different themes. A new ad from Barack Obama, who began running ads back in June, features a retired general.GEN. MERRILL A. MCPEAK (Ret.), Former Member, Joint Chiefs of Staff: Barack Obama opposed this war in Iraq from the start, showing insight and courage others did not. AD NARRATOR: When George Bush threatened to privatize Social Security, Hillary was there. JEFFREY BROWN: Hillary Clinton, with a slim lead in Iowa polls, is currently running an issues ad called "There For You" about her work on behalf of the elderly.John Edwards has spent more time than anyone in Iowa, but only recently joined the ad wars. He's now running one called "Heroes."FORMER SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), Presidential Candidate: It is time for our party, the Democratic Party, to show a little backbone, to have a little guts, to stand up for working men and women. JEFFREY BROWN: By contrast, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson are emphasizing bringing both parties together. DODD SUPPORTERS: Why not Dodd? DODD SUPPORTER: After all, Dodd brought both parties together to pass the Family Medical Leave Act.GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), New Mexico: If you're wondering if anyone can really do all this, just look at what I've done in my life and how I've done it, not by dividing people, but by earning their trust. And that's really where we need to begin in Iraq: There is a way out. JEFFREY BROWN: Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich are not currently airing TV ads in Iowa.For their part, Republicans have generally been slower to take to the Iowa airwaves. John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are not currently running ads. Rudy Giuliani is running radio ads only.Mitt Romney, the frontrunner and biggest TV ad spender among Republicans in Iowa, is now running one called "Our Home," featuring his wife.ANN ROMNEY, Wife of Mitt Romney: Mitt says there's no work more important than what goes on within the four walls of the American home. And that's the way it was in our home. JEFFREY BROWN: Fred Thompson, the last to enter the race, calls his latest ad "Consistent Conservative."FORMER SEN. FRED THOMPSON (R), Tennessee: And if we stick to our basic conservative principles, we will win next November, and the United States of America will be better for it. JEFFREY BROWN: And Ron Paul, flush with money raised online, has produced a new ad focusing on Iraq and the budget.REP. RON PAUL (R), Texas: Once we stop wasting trillions overseas, we can cut the budget and still help people who need it.