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Ron Paul ad airing on Arkansas TV stations Wednesday, Jan 30, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has begun airing ads on Arkansas television stations, becoming the first candidate to advertise in the state in advance of the Feb. 5 primary election. The 30-second ad, which began airing Monday and is scheduled to run through Feb. 4 on stations in Arkansas and Tennessee, opens with photos of Paul and fellow Republican candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Mike Huckabee. An off-screen announcers says, "Who among these men has never supported a tax increase? Never supported an unbalanced budget? Never supported wasteful government spending? Congressman Ron Paul, the taxpayer's best friend." As the questions are asked, each candidate's photo fades out until only Paul is left. A quote from Ronald Reagan then appears on the screen: "We need to keep him fighting for our country." The ad ends with Paul's voice saying, "I'm Ron Paul, and I approved this message." Station managers at several Arkansas stations contacted Tuesday said Paul is the only candidate to have bought airtime so far. "I think everybody is a little dumbfounded that there hasn't been more political advertising," said Jim Prestwood, general manager of ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG in Fort Smith and Rogers. Van Comer, general manager of CBS affiliate KFSM in Fort Smith, said the absence of most of the candidates on Arkansas' airwaves is "highly unusual." "I remember we had John Kerry ads running months in advance" of Arkansas' 2004 presidential primary, he said. Arkansas is one of two dozen states scheduled to hold primaries or caucuses next Tuesday. Comer said this year's accelerated primary calendar clearly has had an impact on the candidates' ad buys. That does not necessarily mean the candidates would buy more airtime in Arkansas if the state had kept its primary in May, however, Comer said. "It looks like this thing, with the other states moving forward, it's going to be decided pretty early, so I'd rather be involved earlier as opposed to later," he said. |
