• December 15, 2006

After drawing a big crowd for his first-ever trip to New Hampshire over the weekend, the first TV ad for Sen. Barack Obama will break in the Granite State next week, reports the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester. It will run on WMUR and some cable outlets.

The 60-second spot is the work of Maryland-based draftObama.org, and features a collage of photos of the Democratic presidential contender while he speaks about raising the minimum wage, improving education and the lives of seniors, and a new direction for foreign policy.

The ad begins with the written words, "We can replace fear," superimposed over a photo of President George W. Bush, "with hope." It ends with the written words, "Believe again." The ad was produced by Bud Jackson and John Hlinko, who produced an effective ad for a draft Wesley Clark movement in 2003. (To view the spot, go to www.draftobama.org/believeagain. The video is also on You Tube.)