Planned Parenthood Votes Announces Colorado TV Ad Buy Targeting Women Voters
For Immediate Release: Jan. 27, 2013
Planned Parenthood Votes Announces Colorado TV Ad Buy Targeting Women Voters
Ad Comes on the Heels of Widespread “ASK MITT” Pre-Debate Campaign
WASHINGTON — On the heels of the first presidential debate in Denver, Planned Parenthood Votes is expanding its campaign effort in Colorado to educate voters about Mitt Romney’s agenda for women, women’s health and women’s economic security. Today the group announced an $800,000 TV ad buy in Colorado — spanning two weeks on Denver TV (October 8-21). The ad buy is part of the organization’s campaign targeting women voters in key battleground states.
The ad “Romney Would Turn Back the Clock on Women’s Health” highlights Mitt Romney’s extreme positions on issues of importance to Colorado women and their health, including his stance to overturn Roe v. Wade and his pledge to “get rid” of Planned Parenthood.
The strategy behind the ad comes from two key findings from an August 9-13 poll of women voters in six battleground states, including Colorado:
1. The record and views of Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan on women’s health issues have a measurable and dramatic impact — making women voters less likely to vote for the Romney/Ryan ticket in November. Specifically, 57 percent of women in battleground states and 61 percent of undecided voters said that Romney’s repeated pledge to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood gives them very major doubts about Romney.
2. An overwhelming majority of women voters, a critical swing population who will determine the outcome of this year’s election, trust Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Votes when it comes to issues affecting the health of women and teens in America. Women surveyed place a premium on Planned Parenthood Action Fund's voice in sorting out and advocating important health care-related issues.
In advance of the presidential debate, Planned Parenthood advocacy organizations launched a Colorado campaign to educate voters about how much is at stake for women and families this November. As part of that campaign, they ran ads on TV, online, and on mobile/tablet devices in Colorado.
“The Republican ticket needs to be held accountable for their out-of-touch policy positions that would have a disastrous and measurable impact on women and their families,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president for Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “One in five women visits a Planned Parenthood health center in her lifetime, and women know they can count on Planned Parenthood health centers for professional, nonjudgmental, and confidential care. That’s why women are so appalled to hear that Mitt Romney has pledged to ‘get rid’ of Planned Parenthood. Politics has no place in a woman’s personal medical decisions. Women voters believe that, and in November their votes will reflect it.”
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have vowed to overturn Roe v. Wade and end safe and legal abortion; have said they support extreme “personhood” measures that would give full constitutional rights to fertilized eggs; would defund Planned Parenthood, cutting off women’s access to preventive care including cancer screenings and birth control; and have promised to shut down the nation’s family planning program that more than five million people a year rely on for birth control, cancer screenings, and other care.
In 2011, the 24 Planned Parenthood health centers in Colorado saw 69,599 clients, providing them with a wide range of preventive health care services including birth control, breast exams, Pap tests and STD testing and treatment. It is these preventive services that would be threatened under a Romney/Ryan administration.
Nearly three million patients come to Planned Parenthood health centers every year — not to make a political statement, but to get high-quality, affordable health care. Planned Parenthood health centers see more than two million patients for birth control every year, and provide nearly 750,000 breast cancer screenings and more than four million STD tests/treatments. Preventive care and birth control are economic issues for women and families, and supporting family planning is smart fiscal policy for the country.
The ad script is as follows:
Voice Over: Mitt Romney would turn back the clock for women.
Romney: "Do I believe the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade? Yes."
Romney: "Planned Parenthood - we're going to get rid of that."
Voice Over: Today, millions of women rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for basic health care, including lifesaving cancer screenings. And millions more know we should be making our personal medical decisions, NOT Mitt Romney.
Disclaimer: Planned Parenthood Votes is responsible for the content of this advertising.
The ad ends with: “Because Mitt Romney is wrong for women’s health.”