Dear MoveOn member,

This week, Republicans in New York will try to distract America from their dismal track record using slick politicians, September 11th, and truckloads of spin. Together, we can air a perfect contrast, spoken by real Americans who previously supported Bush, but who have turned away.

Starting today, we want to air five of our Real People ads -- featuring real Americans who voted for Bush in 2000 but are supporting Kerry this year -- with our biggest ad buy ever. The campaign will cost over $3 million, but it'll make sure that most TV viewers in 9 critical swing states see them during the Republican Convention.

MoveOn members helped make these spots and chose the best ones, and have contributed over $600,000 to put them on TV. Now, we need your help to get them in front of swing state voters, and we're trying to raise $1 million TODAY to make that happen. Can you help? To contribute securely by credit card or check, go to:

https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/switchad_winners.html

In July, we recruited MoveOn members who supported Bush in 2000 to tell director Errol Morris why they're not going to make the same mistake again. These personal stories of disappointment and betrayal cut at the heart of Bush's failed presidency. And through testing we know that they're among the most powerful and convincing ads we've made -- for folks across the political spectrum.

Republicans at the convention will claim that their party is unified behind President Bush. But our ads speak to a larger trend: under the weight of a losing economy, skyrocketing deficits, and a disastrous war in Iraq, the Republican base is crumbling. Polls now show that Republicans are less passionate about Bush than they were even a few months ago. And there are hundreds of news reports of moderate Republicans who are going to vote for Kerry.

When we asked MoveOn members to vote on which Real People ad they liked most, the clear winner was an ad featuring Lee Buttrill, a soldier and weapons inspector in Iraq. Lee's ad focuses on President Bush's signature failure:

"We were given the idea that there were weapons of mass destruction, but where are they? They said they were so sure. When I was over there I looked. I was on an intelligence gathering team, we all looked. We found nothing. It was just a lie. That wasn't a proper use of American troops. It wasn't a proper use of my life, my friends' lives, or the Marines I saw die around me."
-- Lee Buttrill, Sergeant, USMC, Iraq War Veteran

Another of the Real People ads that MoveOn members liked most was by a financial advisor and Marine Corps veteran, Kim Mecklenberg. In her ad, Kim explains why so many Republicans feel sold out:

"I've been a lifelong Republican since I was old enough to vote and I though that Bush would be fiscally conservative. I feel betrayed. I don't believe that a government should be engaging in reckless spending, recklessly stretching the military to the point of breaking, and recklessly trying to alter the constitution that this country is built upon. That's why I'm voting for John Kerry."
-- Kim Mecklenburg, Financial Consultant; Sergeant, USMC, Veteran

Our testing shows that the MoveOn members featured in these ads are genuine, compelling, and different enough to cut through the noise. Let's put them in front of swing-state voters during the Republican National Convention.

To give now, just go to:

https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/switchad_winners.html

Thanks for everything you do,

--Eli Pariser, Executive Director
  MoveOn.org Political Action
  Monday, August 30, 2004

P.S. We're also running a New York Times ad featuring these folks today, in the special "Convention" section of the paper. Check it out online at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/content/pdfs/FinalMOPACErrolMorrisAd.pdf

PAID FOR BY MoveOn.org Political Action www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.