THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 5, 1994 TAG: 9410050395
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
DATELINE: FALLS CHURCH, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Candidate: Marshall Coleman
Title: ``Picture''
When: Starting today
Text: A narrator speaks over video images of the candidates: ``This is a picture of a Virginia senator who wants to be re-elected. He's a Clinton clone, been investigaed by a grand jury, and admits to improper social conduct.
``Here's a picture of a man who wants to replace him: convicted felon, confessed liar and, according to Sen. John Warner, unfit to serve in any public office.
``This is a much brighter picture. Marshall Coleman. When you think about the others, you know he's the one for Virginia.''
Video: Text is printed over an image of Chuck Robb. ``Votes with Clinton 94 percent of the time. Target of Grand Jury Probe. Associated with Drug Crowd in Virginia Beach while Governor.'' Text over an image of Oliver North: ``Took Illegal $13,000 Gratuity. Falsified Government Documents. Misled Congress. Destroyed Evidence. Outsmarted by Iranians.'' Finally, by contrast, an image of Marshall Coleman appears, unsullied by a list of demerits.
What's the message: In Coleman's first use of TV in the campaign, he offers up a rap sheet for each of his opponents rather than a resume for himself. The obvious goal is to depict Coleman as the one candidate in the race without significant character flaws. This is consistent with Coleman's passive strategy of being the ``Other Guy'' and not supplying any other specific reasons to vote for him. As the third-place candidate in a three-way race, Coleman can't afford leisurely sparring. He has to hit hard and quickly, because he doesn't have enough money for a prolonged attack.
Factual matters: Robb has voted with the leader of his party; whether that makes him a clone, voters must decide. Though investigated by a grand jury, Robb was not charged with any crime. Robb did socialize with people later discovered to be drug users, but ``associated with drug crowd'' implies considerably more than that.
North was convicted of felonies, though the ad fails to note that the convictions were overturned on appeal. Whether North was outsmarted by the Iranians will long be debated. It is true that when the dust settled, they had the arms they'd sought, their friends in Beirut had the same number of hostages as when they started and the Reagan administration had a public relations black eye.
Title: ``The Only''
When: Starting today
Text: Narrator speaks over images of the candidate. ``Virginia, here's your only candidate for Senate who doesn't have to defend his past. His only concern is our future.
``Marshall Coleman wins because Virginians know and trust him - as a great attorney general, a crime fighter, a champion of lower taxes.
``He wins because integrity still counts in Virginia, and so does the endorsement of Sen. John Warner.
``He wins because there is a Robb and a North. And when you think about those others, you know that Marshall Coleman is the one for Virginia.''
Video: Coleman appears in bright sunlight in typical campaign poses: shaking hands, working a crowd, meeting and greeting on a hillside, accompanied by his wife, Patty.
What's the message: Once again, Coleman hopes to position himself as the only candidate in the race worthy of a vote, without skeletons in his closet, and with the traits it takes to win - integrity, trustworthiness, a desire to fight crime and bust taxes.
Factual matters: It is true that Coleman is toting less baggage into this race than the other candidates, but saying ``he wins'' raises an interesting point.
In recent contests - two battles for the governorship and one fight for his party's nomination for lieutenant governor - Coleman has consistently not won. Virginians have, in fact, not entrusted him with any offices since he won as state attorney general in 1977. Whether he was ``great'' in that post is a matter of opinion.
The endorsement of John Warner should theoretically count for something, because Warner has consistently been the most popular politician in the state. But recent polls show Warner slipping in appeal, mostly because of his tiff with the GOP over Coleman.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN
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