A new survey of 1,000 voters in 19 battleground states shows that nearly 6 in 10 had heard of the commercial. Among those, about half said the ad so far hadn't influenced their vote. Nineteen percent said it made them more likely to vote for Kerry, and 27 percent said it made them less likely, according to Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates, a Republican polling firm in Alexandria, Va.

"In a close race where every little bit counts, Kerry can't afford to sustain too many minor hits like this," said Tony Fabrizio, who was chief pollster for Bob Dole in 1996.

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