Bradley ad seeks to keep campaign hopes afloat

March 2, 2000
Web posted at: 6:08 p.m. EST (2308 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley plans an all-out pitch to the nation Thursday night -- a five-minute campaign commercial on CBS pleading for Super Tuesday votes March 7 to keep his candidacy alive.

"I am running for president for a very simple reason: because I want to improve the prospects and quality of life for you and your family," the former senator from New Jersey declares. "What my campaign is about is asking good people to join me so that our voices will be heard."

The advertisement is to air at 10:54 p.m. EST, following the news magazine show "48 Hours." The Bradley campaign would not say how much it paid for the spot.

The ad comes at a time when Bradley -- stung by his 36-point loss in the non-binding Washington state primary -- needs a remarkable change of events to turn the tide against Vice President Al Gore, who has the momentum heading into the March 7 primaries and caucuses in 16 states.

"I knew when I got into this race that it wouldn't be easy. Anything worth fighting for in life rarely is," Bradley says in the ad.

"But my convictions of where we are as a country and where we can go are so deep that I made the decision to take on the establishment and run."

Bradley strikes up many of his core campaign themes, saying he will fight to eliminate child poverty, make health care available to everyone and work to push through tough gun legislation.

"I want to be president of the United States to use the power of that office to do good," he says. "And that's why I need and ask for your vote on March 7."