Richardson’s latest ad keeps him on a roll

If any candidate has made an impact with his early presidential campaign advertising, it’s New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D). And his latest installment has again proven a winner among Democrats and independents, according to a survey by Wilson Research Strategies.

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), meanwhile, got solid-but-not-great marks on an ad featuring his wife. And former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) turned in another average ad that plays well to the base.

{mosads}But while other candidates have turned in relatively bland and safe ads early in the campaign, the upwardly mobile Richardson remains strong in his early advertising efforts.

The former Energy secretary’s newest ad, which features him walking in a field and repeating a promise to remove all troops from Iraq, scores above 7 among both Democrats and independents for its strength of message, on a scale of zero to 10.

Independents actually rated Richardson’s ad slightly higher than did Democrats, giving it a 6.9 or above for its effectiveness, appeal and credibility.

Richardson began his campaign with two witty job-interview ads that focused on his extensive résumé. They scored among the top ads in the recent history of the bi-weekly poll.

“Richardson has been on-mark with his ads, which have consistently scored well among both Democrats and independents,” said Chris Wilson, CEO of Wilson Research Strategies. “Richardson’s new Iraq ad references an issue critical to Democrats, and it scores very well with them on all of our measures.”

While advertising appears to be Richardson’s strong suit, Elizabeth Edwards is supposed to be her husband’s ace in the hole. She is seen by insiders as an invaluable part of John Edwards’s campaign.

But playing the usual spousal role as character witness in the candidate’s latest ad, she receives only passing grades.

The ad, in which Elizabeth Edwards calls her husband “the most optimistic person I’ve ever met” and praises his toughness, scored slightly above average among Democrats and independents in most categories.

Democrats gave it a 5.9 for its strength of message, while independents gave it a 5.2.

Romney’s ad was the only one of the three that scored poorly among independents, but it got above-average marks across the board from the GOP.

In the ad, a video of the ocean washing up on a beach is accompanied by Romney talking about the cultural “cesspool” surrounding children today.

Republicans, who on balance rate ads lower than Democrats, gave it a 6.5 for strength of message and a 5.9 for appeal.

Working with The Hill for its Air War feature, Wilson Research Strategies e-mails campaign or issue ads to survey participants who view the ads and rate their effectiveness on several criteria.