Editor's note: This is one in a series of stories examining political advertisements for the Nov. 7 general election.

By STEVE TERRELL | The New Mexican

Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:19 am

Gov. Bill Richardson's latest television commercial is an apparent appeal to conservative voters, talking about gun rights, punishing crime and "teaching right from wrong."

Unlike many of his previous re-election campaign spots, the new one doesn't say much about specific policies or concrete accomplishments. Instead, it sticks to generalities.

Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff said Tuesday that he's not surprised Richardson is trying to appeal to political conservatives, noting Richardson in the past has advised fellow Democratic candidates to "not get painted as a liberal."

Indeed, since the early days of his administration, Richardson as portrayed himself as a pro-business, "tax-cutting" Democrat.

"Remember, his first ad in 2002 showed a guy in a military uniform," Sanderoff said. "And that was during the Democratic primary."

Richardson is "trying to hold on to the conservative, Anglo Democrat," Sanderoff said.

"Liberal Democrats are going to vote for Richardson, and conservative Republicans are going to vote for (GOP candidate John) Dendahl," Sanderoff said. "It's the moderate-to-conservative rural and suburban Democrats who decide races."

Richardson stays on politically safe ground, saying "crime should be punished" and backing gun rights. A 2002 poll Sanderoff conducted for The Albuquerque Journal showed that 57 percent of voters surveyed backed a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons, while only 39 were opposed.

Sanderoff said there's no reason to think those numbers would be drastically different today. Since that time, a concealed-carry bill, backed by the governor, has been passed into law, and there has been no public outcry to get rid of it.

Richardson campaign chairman Dave Contarino said Monday that polling by the campaign last year shows continued support in the state for concealed weapons.

Contarino said the TV commercial tries to show Richardson's "affinity for Western values and New Mexico values."

"It's not just about guns," he said. "It's about a love for nature and protecting the environment and our way of life."

u Title: "Only Part"

u Duration: 30 seconds

u Sight and Sound: The ad opens with soft guitar music and aerial shots of New Mexico's landscapes, including White Sands and the Rio Grande Gorge. Richardson serves as narrator. Dressed in a work shirt and leaning against a fence post, the governor is shown talking in front of a backdrop of mountains. Later he is shown in a cowboy hat talking to others in Western garb, then dressed in a suit standing by a window. Some of these shots have been used in previous commercials. When Richardson mentions "Second Amendment rights," the ad shows a trio of hunters carrying rifles.

u Text: This is the New Mexico we're all proud of. ... A place unlike any other ... where 400 years of history are only part of the story.

There are other qualities of New Mexico that aren't as easy to see. Like how we respect each other ... and our Second Amendment rights.

We believe in taking personal responsibility ... and being fiscally responsible, too.

And we believe in teaching right from wrong ... and that crime should be punished.

As governor, those are values I'll never forget.

u Accuracy: In 2003, Richardson backed and signed a long-debated bill to establish licenses to carry concealed weapons. A similar bill was passed and signed into law in 2001 by then Gov. Gary Johnson. However, that bill was struck down by the state Supreme Court on a technical issue.

In 2005, Richardson successfully worked for a bill to lower the age of eligibility for the licenses. Richardson also has called for tougher penalties against criminals who use guns to commit felonies.

Richardson has a history of campaigning as a pro-gun candidate. During his 1994 congressional campaign, Richardson had a full-page newspaper advertisement in Clovis saying his GOP opponent Greg Bemis favored gun registration -- which Bemis denied.

As a congressman, Richardson was a vocal opponent of gun-control proposals for most his career. In 1994, however, he voted for a crime bill pushed by President Clinton that included a ban on assault rifles.

That vote disappointed the National Rifle Association, which refused to endorse his re-election that year.

However, he has apparently worked his way back into the organization's good graces. On June 30, Richardson received a $1,000 contribution from the NRA Victory Fund.

Richardson has made clear he is personally comfortable with guns. In recent months, he applied for a concealed-carry license -- even though a spokesman said the governor, who at all times is protected by a team of state police officers, doesn't actually intend to carry a gun. He also applied for an elk-hunting permit.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.