Clark to Launch Media Blitz in New Hampshire

Ads Aim to Show He Can Take on Dean

After weeks of internal chaos, personnel battles and an uneven performance by the candidate himself, Wesley K. Clark's presidential campaign will attempt to regain momentum this week with a massive media buy in New Hampshire and by highlighting its ability to raise money at the rate of about $800,000 a week.

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"We weren't just off to a slow start, we stumbled on our knees as we were getting into the race," said Richard Sklar, a senior campaign official. "We had to do in seven weeks what some people did in a year or 18 months. . . . Now we're running with the pack as we go down the final stretch."

Clark has been no small part of the problem, political strategists say. Although he has been in the public arena as an Army officer for 34 years, and as a commentator on CNN, his campaign aides said he was not quite prepared for an environment where his every utterance was scrutinized and challenged. Clark has struggled to be heard over his rivals during debates and was unable to explain how he would have voted on the congressional resolution on Iraq, hurting himself badly with the antiwar Democrats he needs to pry away from Dean. While he is engaged and charming one on one with voters, he comes across stiff during policy speeches and with the media.

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Still, within the campaign there is a sense that time is running out. Said another campaign aide, who asked not to be named: "Do we have a lot of time to make it right? No. We have a couple of weeks to turn around the perception that the campaign lost its focus."

Clark will spend a substantial portion of his resources on paid advertising, launching on Tuesday an ambitious two-month , $1.1 million media buy in New Hampshire that highlights his combat heroism and NATO leadership and keeps him on television through the Jan. 27 primary, with few down days. The ads will be launched with a $220,000 first-week blitz of 60-second spots. Campaign officials hope that the spots will help define Clark for the large percentage of undecided voters in the state who know little about him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46093-2003Nov15.html