New research indicates that the new Kerry-McCain "Shame" counter ad falls flat in its ability to change independent voters' minds.

Nearly 600 independent voters participated in an on-line political ad testing survey of the new counter ad, conducted yesterday by Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) and HCD Research.

The ad which featured a clip of John McCain admonishing Bush for his comments about Vietnam veterans during a 2000 primary campaign debate had no effect on persuading independents to change their voting preference.

The study reveals that among Independent voters who viewed the ad:

• They were no more or less likely to vote for either Senator John Kerry or President George Bush, based on viewing the "Shame" advertisement.
• The likelihood of independents voting for Kerry today appears higher now than it was prior to the first Swiftboat Vets ad aired.
• Just over 200 independent voters (206) indicated they would vote for John Kerry if the election were held today, as opposed to 211 for George Bush.
• The percentage of independent voters indicating support for Kerry is at 42% versus 29% after viewing the first Swiftboat Ad.
• There were no shifts in those independent voters who viewed the second Swiftboat Ad (61% Definitely voting for Kerry pre-ad, 63% Definitely voting for Kerry post-ad).
• Notably, none of the three ads tested (Swiftboat 1 and 2, and McCain/Kerry "Shame" ad), had any impact on the likelihood of Independent voters leaning toward Bush to Definitely vote for him.

This on-going advertising study is being conducted by ReadMyLipz.com, a joint effort by HCD Research and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO). The two organizations are conducting non-partisan advertising research throughout the election to measure voter reactions to the candidates' advertisements.

The participants are asked to view advertisements supporting one of the two major candidates and provide feedback using various methods, including real-time interest and believability tracking and the Ayer Emotional Battery Scale. For more information on the survey methodology and testing results, access www.ReadMyLipz.com.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Arthur Kover, Ph.D., Senior Consultant, HCD Research or Chris Borick, Ph.D., Associate Political Science Professor, Muhlenberg College, please contact Vince McGourty, M&M Communications, Inc., at 908-713-1267 or vinmcg@earthlink.net.