Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernard Sanders’ first TV ad of the campaign heralded him as “an honest leader,” as his campaign enters a new phase and begins taking subtle swipes at front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The ad hints at a major vulnerability for Mrs. Clinton, who suffered a steep drop in the polls as voters increasingly question her honesty and trustworthiness because of the email scandal from her tenure as secretary of state.
The ad began airing Sunday in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. In the ad, a video clip of Mr. Sanders on the stump declaring that “people are sick and tired of establishment politics and they want real change” is followed by a homespun description of the senator.
“Bernie Sanders. Husband. Father. Grandfather. An honest leader — building a movement with you, to give us a future to believe in,” says a female narrator.
Mrs. Clinton is not mentioned in the ad. But the description of Mr. Sanders was reminiscent of Mrs. Clinton at campaign events routinely referring to her status as a grandmother, and the focus on his honesty begs for a comparison to Mrs. Clinton.
Recent polls showed that a majority of Americans doubt Mrs. Clinton’s integrity after it was revealed that she exclusively used a private email account for official business at the State Department, raising questions about transparency and whether she handled classified information in accordance with federal laws.
Mr. Sanders has boasted that he has never run a negative campaign ad and will not do so now. But he has said that he will draw distinctions with Mrs. Clinton, and those efforts have become more pronounced after he surge in the polls and posted impressive fund-raising totals.
The 60-second spot also highlights Mr. Sanders’ long and consistent record as a champion of left-wing causes and the liberal agenda propelling his run.
Mr. Sanders, a Vermont independent who calls himself a Democratic socialist, has emerged as the chief rival to Mrs. Clinton with an agenda the includes fighting Wall Street, climate change and America’s politically powerful billionaire class.
“Thousands of Americans have come out to see Bernie speak and we’ve seen a great response to his message,” said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver. “This ad marks the next phase of this campaign. We’re bringing that message directly to the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire.”
It was part of an advertising buy of more than $2 million, according to the campaign.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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