MANCHESTER – Buoyed by a new poll showing him in a tie for first place in the New Hampshire Republican presidential race, John McCain's campaign yesterday added to the barrage of candidate Christmas television ads with a 30-second spot his spokesman says sets it apart from the others.

McCain tells a shortened version of a story he first told in his latest book, "Character is Destiny," drawing from his more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp to convey the Christmas theme of "good will toward men."

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As the camera shows his broken body in a wooden bed, circa 1967-1973, a voice-over of the present day McCain says, "One night after being mistreated as a POW, a guard loosened the ropes binding me, easing my pain."

He continues, "On Christmas, that same guard approached me, and without saying a word, he drew a cross in the sand."

Viewers see a broken stick drawing a cross in sand.

"We stood wordlessly looking at the cross, remembering the true light of Christmas. I will never forget that no matter where you are, no matter how difficult the circumstances, there will always be someone who will pick you up," McCain says.

State campaign manager Jim Barnett said the ad was shot quickly and put up on the air yesterday as a result of positive response the campaign received from a mailer telling the same story that arrived in mail boxes this week.

In the mailer, McCain gives further details, saying that the "Good Samaritan" used "a sandaled foot to draw a cross in the dirt ... After a minute, he rubbed it out and walked away.

"I will never forget that man and I will never forget that moment," he writes. An even longer account is in his book.

Campaign officials were unable to say what year the exchange between McCain and the guard took place. McCain does not give a date in the book, either.

But Paul Chevalier of Hudson, inspector general of the VFW and a retired sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps, who now chairs McCain's veterans coalition, called it a "powerful" ad and "a good example of him being able to forgive and look for a light at the end of the tunnel."

Chevalier said it "highlights the unwavering faith and courage John McCain has shown throughout his lifetime of service to his country. It tells an important story of a man whose courage in the face of adversity was lifted by a good samaritan during one of his darkest hours in that prison."

The ad was unveiled before a group of McCain supporters at a meeting in downtown Manchester. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Fortnam, 85, of Hooksett, who spent 19 months in a German prison camp during World War II, said he liked the ad and expected it will help McCain.

Campaign spokesman Barry Flynn said the ad is "a chance to bring statewide a message of compassion in a way that highlights his personal story.

"This ad sets itself apart among the so-called campaign Christmas ads because of the substance of it, because of the overwhelming story it delivers," Flynn said. "It's something that resonates for all people. It's above the political fray, the discourse that we've been seeing."

Other campaigns are airing more traditional Christmas ads.

Mike Huckabee looks into the camera and issues a reminder that Christmas is a "celebration of the birth of Christ."

Mitt Romney's ad has a former co-worker at Bain Corp. speak emotionally about how Romney helped find his missing daughter on the streets of New York City.

Rudy Giuliani takes a lighter tack. In a red sweater vest, he talks about delivering "a safe America," and then, tongue-in-cheek, fruit cakes, for Christmas. Santa Claus sits at his side.

Barack Obama is joined by his wife and daughters and says the holidays serve as a reminder that "the things that unite us as a people are more powerful and enduring than anything that sets us apart."

John Edwards talks about the homeless and poor, while Hillary Clinton wraps Christmas gifts with labels promising, among other things, "Universal Health Care"; "Bring Troops Home"; and "Middle Class Tax Breaks."

McCain's ad was unveiled shortly after a new poll was released showing he has pulled into a tie with Romney for the lead in the New Hampshire GOP race. The American Research Group poll also showed Democrat Clinton keeping a strong lead over Obama.

ARG polled 600 likely Republican primary voters Dec. 16-19 and found McCain and Romney each with 26 percent, Giuliani at 16 percent and Huckabee at 11 percent. Ten percent of those polled said they were undecided. The margin of error is 4 percent.

An earlier ARG poll, conducted Nov. 26-29, showed McCain with 11 percent, in a distant third place to Romney, with 36 percent, and Giuliani, with 22 percent. McCain last led the GOP field in the Granite State in May, according to ARG's polls.

The new Democratic poll surveyed 600 likely Democratic primary voters and has a margin of error of 4 percent. It shows Clinton with 38 percent, Obama with 24 percent, John Edwards at 15 percent, undecided at 9 percent and Bill Richardson at 5 percent.

In November, Clinton polled at 34 percent, Obama at 23 percent, Edwards at 17 percent and Richardson at 10 percent.

Pollster Dick Bennett said that while Huckabee has not drawn broad support, GOP primary voters have taken an interest in him.

"He has forced some Republicans to re-assess," Bennet added "and what Republicans have told us consistently for the past year is that they don't think this is a stellar field. And many of them have gone back to where they were a year ago, which was McCain.

"People who go see McCain tell us they like him. They say that even if they don't agree with him, they believe he tells them honestly what he thinks, and that's important."

Clinton continues to poll strongly among women, Bennett said. Among men and women independents, Obama is winning, 33 to 35 percent, which, Bennett said, is not strong enough to overtake her 43 to 20 percent bulge among Democrats.

In the GOP polls, ARG has Romney leading McCain among self-identified Republicans, 28 to 24 percent, but McCain out-polling Romney 36 to 20 percent among independents. That differs from a CNN/WMUR poll earlier this week that showed Romney leading among independents with 30 percent, Giuliani with 25 percent and McCain with 23 percent.

Overall, the CNN/WMUR poll had Romney with 34 percent, McCain with 22 percent, Giuliani with 16 percent and Huckabee with 10 percent.

Romney spokesman Craig Stevens said, "The vast majority of polls have shown Governor Romney's message resonating very well among undeclared voters and that he is leading the other Republicans among that group by a three-to-two margin."