Post 4: Analyze a Political Ad
This is the season for campaign ads. Find a campaign ad to analyze. Places you can search for ads include Youtube, candidate webpages, or news articles about campaign ads. Include a link to the ad you analyzed and answer the following questions:
1. What techniques is the ad using to try to persuade voters to vote for the candidate?
2. Are these techniques successful in the ad?
3. Fact check at least 1 piece of information in the ad. Does this ad accurately or inaccurately reflect the candidate or their opponents' record?
You will need sources for the third point at a minimum.
You can analyze any current campaign ad you want. It has to be from 2015 but it can be for any local, state, or national race. It can be from a candidate or from an interest group, Super PAC, or PAC.
Have fun with this! Due Saturday, 10/31st. And Happy Halloween!
1. What techniques is the ad using to try to persuade voters to vote for the candidate?
2. Are these techniques successful in the ad?
3. Fact check at least 1 piece of information in the ad. Does this ad accurately or inaccurately reflect the candidate or their opponents' record?
You will need sources for the third point at a minimum.
You can analyze any current campaign ad you want. It has to be from 2015 but it can be for any local, state, or national race. It can be from a candidate or from an interest group, Super PAC, or PAC.
Have fun with this! Due Saturday, 10/31st. And Happy Halloween!
Labels: campaign, media, presidential campaign
posted by Ms. Aby @ 11:44 AM
22 Comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfjqdpfXPVA&list=PL_VK_44aXKFSnIO4svLuEu1Yq1SUt5Hm3
Some of the techniques used by Ben Carson in this political advertisement is the use of personal appeal. In this advertisement, Ben Carson looks and sounds kind (with his calming and smooth voice). Additionally, the music in the background is happy and upbeat, making the advertisement lift up moods and give voters the idea that Ben Carson is a good idea, and that they should vote for him. One final technique that they used is the plain background so that the listener/viewer can really just focus on Mr. Carson and what he has to say.
I think that these techniques worked well and are a good way to make an advertisement: short and simple. His voice, and the simple music in the background, makes the political advertisement easy to listen to, and makes the viewer really think of Ben Carson as a people’s person. The plain background works well to keep viewers focused on the topics that Mr. Carson is speaking about and nothing else. Also, the fact that Mr. Carson did not say anything negative about any other opponents in this advertisement is a plus, as it makes him seem even more relatable and personable.
I fact checked the fact of whether or not Ben Carson is actually working to decrease spending and lower the debt (which he spoke about in the video). On his website, one of his three main topics is debt, and how he wants to deal with it. He is in agreement with the Balanced Budget Amendment, which deals with the evermore-increasing debt. He wants to deal with this now so that, “America will be better for generations to come” (1). Another way that Carson is shown to avoid debt is by setting a debt ceiling and not to raise it at all. He is now well known for the fact that he “vows to not raise the debt ceiling” which is a miracle at this point of infinite debt (2).
https://www.bencarson.com/issues/balanced-budget-amendment (1)
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/10/27/ben-carson-vows-not-raise-debt-ceiling-president-will-address-budget-immediately/ (2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtZLnpW7FX4
Rubio uses techniques in his New American Century ad campaign by starting drawing sympathy and nostalgia by bringing up the Depression and those we've lost during war. He also relies heavily on American dream tactic by bringing up his past with immigrant parents. Using Obama/Clinton and Congress as his scapegoat he blames all problems on the policies they created and how bad it has been for the country. A final technique that was used is repetition, at least twice he mentions our children inheriting a debt ridden and diminishing country which not only guilt's the audience but also motivates them.
Personally, his American dream technique is very successful, with him being Latino it is almost guaranteed that he will gain some votes and the story of him growing up from nothing relates to a lot of immigrants and families. Repetition is one of the best techniques because it is so effective, he is very successful in the ad because he repeats his points about the generation below us in the beginning of the video and the end leaving us with a greater chance of remembering that main point. I do not like it when candidates blame a single person for the nations problems cause there is no way its true, with that being said I believe that his scapegoat technique was weak in the fact he only said it was their fault and never explained how.
He mentioned the fact of the 1 trillion dollar ceiling and how every dollar the government is borrowing wasn't helping anything if it isn't being invested to create jobs. He is a high advocate of the Balanced Budget Amendment "The real cause of our debt is that our government has been spending $1 trillion more than it takes in every year. That's why we need a balanced budget amendment." He also bring up the fact that the loom of debt is the reason why businesses are failing today. This ad although is great at portraying his childhood, doesn't really support his ideas, he has no real support behind what he is going to do only things he wants to do.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/us/politics/marco-rubio-finances-debt-loans-credit.html?_r=0
http://www.ontheissues.org/Economic/Marco_Rubio_Budget_+_Economy.htm
In this ad Ben Carson is attempting to reinforce his image as an outsider to the corrupt and inefficient government. He doesn’t actually have any substance in this ad other than that. To be honest his whole campaign is basically without substance. He’s the anti-Trump, soft spoken, gentle, seemingly erudite, but he has failed to lay out any serious proposals, other than his tithing like tax plan, which I struggle to call serious. His website consists of feel good messages such as “protect life,” “balance the budget,” “Stand up to Russia,” and “Keep faith in our country” [1]. It appears to me that Ben Carson just simply doesn’t have any knowledge on any political or economic issue that goes beyond a surface level understanding. On some issues it seems that he’s misguided on even the most basic principles. He remarked during the debate that his tax plan would work out because “You just take 15% of GDP and then add on corporate tax and capital gains” [2]. It’s as though he honestly believes that taxes just take a lump percentage of total GDP and then some. He never even considers the fact that three trillion dollars of our GDP is through government spending, which Ben Carson would drastically cut [2]. This ad, even with its uncomfortably stiff acting, does a mediocre job of portraying Carson as an outsider. That being said, it doesn’t put to rest concerns that he just simply doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to governance. In the ad Carson laments the fact that the government can’t balance the budget. While this seems like a serious issue on paper, economists resolutely reject the notion of forcing the government to cut spending and raise taxes, both of which would need to be done to balance the budget [3]. Furthermore nobel prize winning economists sent a letter to leaders of our government warning them that attempting to balance a budget, especially in times of economic downturn, would only worsen the problems that the economy was already facing and introduce new problems into the mix[4].
To conclude, I view this ad from Ben Carson as doing little more than validating what most people already know, Ben Carson is not a career politician. What this ad fails to do however, is portray Ben Carson as likeable, experienced, or at all knowledgeable about the US government or economy.
Ad:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2015/oct/27/ben-carson-new-outside-the-box-campaign-ad-video
[1]https://www.bencarson.com/issues
[2]http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/29/gop-debate-comes-up-short-on-tax-budget-solutions.html
[3]http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/a-bad-idea-returns-the-balanced-budget-amendment
[4]http://www.cbpp.org/press/press-releases/press-release-nobel-laureates-and-leading-economists-oppose-constitutional
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gze5cqk2O5U (Ben Carson Wants to Heal, Inspire, Revive America)
This ad for Ben Carson uses visual and audible techniques that help affirm that Ben Carson is legitimate candidate that has had a struggling rise to power and has good ideas and good sense. As the ad starts it appears to the viewer that they have arrived in heaven or something and Ben Carson is there telling you about his campaign. Harmonious music plays as Dr. Carson seems to struggle to stay awake and his soft, soothing and barely audible voice tells you about his past and how he is uncorrupted, unlike the “career politicians”. As the video progresses the camera gets closer and closer to him and he starts to ask deeper and deeper questions. His legitimacy is shown through his formal attire and through his patriotism which is shown through his small emblem of an american flag and how he recites the pledge of allegiance. Although these tactics seemingly couldn’t be anymore transparent I think they do work to unconsciously convince the viewer of his legitimacy, patriotism, corruptness, and dedication to America. Ultimately it almost doesn’t even matter what he says or believes in this ad, but as long as he says it in the right way and the music and aesthetics are right, the ad will work.
Ben Carson claims that the country is in shambles because of career politicians and their corruptness. This is where he tries to get his credibility from because so far he hasn’t been a politician. While this is a difficult fact to check it seems clear that with power and money comes corruption, so it is inevitable. [1] To say all politicians are corrupt is unfair yet many people will argue that the issue is that black and white. [2]
[1]http://capitolhilldaily.com/2013/08/career-politician/
[2]http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/04/jon-stewart-reminds-us-all-politicians-are-corrupt-always/359953/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_GYGsIpP54 (Fighter- Hillary Clinton)
This ad is all about how Hillary Clinton stands up for the American people and fights to give them the rights that they deserve. Hillary for America, the group that made the ad, uses differing and bold techniques to show how Mrs. Clinton is the “fighter” that Americans need. They use a timeline of what Clinton has done in the past to improve the lives of the people she touches, dating all the way back to 1973 and expanding up until now. The ad shows pictures and videos of Clinton playing with and teaching children, talking to senior citizens, and addressing crowds in speeches to illustrate her daily life and how wonderful she is. The makers also interview ordinary people who say they support what Clinton did for them, making her sound genuine and caring. The ad uses the soundtrack style one would use in a battle to put listeners in the mindset of a long and grueling fight that Clinton shows she can overcome. While the ad glamorizes what Clinton did and is doing, it does point out her failed universal health care initiative, using integrity and honesty. It only lingers on it a second, however, when it shows that she did pass universal health care for children. These are the main techniques that the ad used to promote Clinton’s campaign.
This campaign ad did many things correctly. The ad’s techniques mesh and work well, making for an ad that promotes Clinton and makes her look strong. The pictures and videos used in the ad show Clinton being a warm person and open to talk to anytime, and it’s been this way since she was a student in 1973. The ordinary people talking about Clinton’s positive impact works as well, although these opinions seemed a little Clinton-biased in their talk of her work. The soundtrack is a fabulous addition to the ad: the flashing pictures of Clinton at work to the sound of a heroic fight brands Clinton as a worthy president. The fact that the ad is also honest about how Clinton failed to get universal healthcare for citizens shows a tender side of her, which comes out when she fights for universal healthcare for children. This technique does not seem like it will work since they are illustrating what Clinton did wrong, but this honesty is well-weighted by her willingness to fight even when things go wrong.
To see if the ad was honest about the fact that Mrs. Clinton pushed for universal health care for children, I decided to fact-check that point in her run. The Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, was passed with the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, and gave $20 billion over 10 years to states for getting quality, affordable healthcare to low-income children (1). The act has been renewed again and again, and is still in effect to this day. Some Republicans have stated that Mrs. Clinton had nothing to do with the passing of CHIP, but it has been shown that Mrs. Clinton was a crucial advocator for the program (2). Also, not only did she give a very big push to get the bill passed, she also was the one who made sure that the act was following through and doing what it was supposed to do: help children. This piece of information from the ad is valid.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/childrens-health-insurance-program-overview.aspx (1)
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/giving-hillary-credit-for-schip/ (2)
Advertisment : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdKsA4q-FFA
This advertisement of Hillary Clinton on youtube displays her as a gentle, “caring” woman who cares for children and families. The video starts out by giving background information on Clinton’s mother, Dorothy Howell, and how she had an impact on her beliefs. Hillary’s mom was 8 years old when her parents left her in 1927. This ad uses Clinton’s mom’s story to appeal to the viewers emotions by attempting to show how Clinton connects to families and young children. “ Dorothy’s story is forming the emotional foundation of her daughter’s campaign for president, and will be a central theme in her big kickoff speech”. (NYtimes).
The rest of the advertisement talked about the ways in which Clinton has reached out to young kids. The first being that she fought for school reform in Arkansas, and the second being that as first lady, Clinton helped get healthcare for 8 million kids. The advertisement attempted to appeal to families by talking about how Clinton made sure that the heros and families of 9/11 got the care they needed. The video concludes with Hillary saying, “When families are strong, America is strong” (FamilyStrong). The advertisement does not once mention Hillary’s stances on climate change, campaign finance reform, health care or national security.
Overall, while the advertisement had good intentions it overplays Clinton as a “family” woman and without much evidence on any of her accomplishments it makes it hard to take the advertisement seriously.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/13/us/politics/story-of-hillary-clintons-mother-forms-emotional-core-of-campaign.html?_r=0 (NYtimes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdKsA4q-FFA (FamilyStrong)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzxM-kw27mk
In his ad entitled, “The Only One With A Plan,” Republican hopeful Chris Christie talks about how he is the only candidate in the Republican field that has a plan dealing with the issue of Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. In his video, Christie opens with the statement that there are only 6,642 days until funding for Social Security runs out. This statement is jarring, though when days are converted into years, we get just over 18 years. While this may seem like a long time, based on how Congress has been acting in recent years, it may possibly take that long just to reach a solution about this issue. Christie also utilizes news clips, videos from various press conferences, dramatic music, and personal appeals. His closing statement, that he trusts the American people, also helps to support him while accusing his fellow candidates by making the statement that they do not trust the public.
I do think his techniques were all successful in the ad. The opening image being a very alarming statistic on first glance does work to create a sense of panic and urgency. This idea is supported by the dramatic music and the claim by various news anchors and financial experts. The direct appeals to the people in attending his press conferences and rallies work to solidify him as an open and honest individual. By setting himself apart from the other candidates, he presents a unique image that appeals to moderates.
In one news clip, Christie states that “71% of spending is on debt service and entitlement,” and yet politicians mostly discuss the other 29% of federal spending. This is a true statement, though according to the Center on Budget and Priorities, the percentage is closer to the high sixties (1). Also, Christie claims that he is the only one out of a field of 15 candidates for the Republican nomination for president that has a plan for Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and other security net programs. While this isn’t completely true (candidates like Jeb Bush and Ben Carson have sections dealing with balanced budgets on their respective websites), Christie is the only candidate that does have a comprehensive plan for these specific issues (2).
The ad presents itself very well by presenting a problem and using Christie’s credentials to make an argument that he is the best candidate for the Republican field.
http://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go (1)
http://www.nextavenue.org/at-gop-debate-social-security-has-a-moment/ (2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfjqdpfXPVA&list=PL_VK_44aXKFSnIO4svLuEu1Yq1SUt5Hm3
In Ben Carson’s campaign advertisement, he is sending a ‘message to America’. He is using a plain folks technique that calls on the average American to vote for him. His voice throughout the video is calm and soothing, which causes the viewer to feel at peace and relaxed. Carson starts the video by talking about the concern for the future and how people want to have a government that they can trust. He puts himself in the shoes of the people and not the government, which shows that he wants to help the people. He quotes the Constitution by saying that the country was built “by and for the people”. This invokes a sense of patriotism and tells viewers that the government should not be ruling. There is an appeal to patriotism with a flag in the background when clips of the video show Carson talking to his supporters. The muted colors, along with the calm, twinkling music in the background, are relaxing and give viewers the feeling that there is nothing to be worried about if Carson were to be president. The techniques that Carson uses in this ad are successful, especially since the advertisement is only a minute long. The calm and relaxed feeling that comes from the video helps viewers to feel like they would be in good hands if Carson were to become the president. He notes that he does not have much, if any, political experience, but he has brought up his political opinions in the past. In 2013, some were saying that he was destined for political success because of that (1).
It makes sense that Carson is appealing to the people so much, especially given his background. He was raised in Detroit by a single mother who worked a minimal income and eventually came to be a pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins (2). This rags-to-riches aspect of Carson appeals to voters in a way that other candidates would not.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/02/meet-dr-ben-carson-the-new-conservative-folk-hero/273240/ (1)
http://nypost.com/2015/10/30/the-ben-carson-secret-that-democrats-cant-bear-to-face/ (2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEOKJRkhpxg
Ted Cruz, who is currently polling in fourth place, tries to evoke a sense of patriotism throughout his video with an audio and visual aids to appeal to conservatives and portrays himself as the average American. While Cruz’s parents had to overcome adversity, because his mom was such a successful computer scientist, Cruz likely had a comfortable upbringing and did not have to face many of the challenges his parents and the average American did. Beyond that, Cruz’s ad successfully paints his family as a traditional Christian family by showing clips of him spending time with his family. In the background of the video there’s suspenseful and thought provoking music playing in the background at just the right volume. The music’s volume is soft enough to be heard during the whole video and makes Cruz’s voice sound like the lone voice of reason. Several times in the video there’s images of the American flag, monuments, and colors along with a clip of ISIS meant to make the viewer believe that Ted Cruz is the most patriotic candidate. Which it does a pretty good job of, but the video’s main goal is to make people believe Ted Cruz believes he can make life better for most Americans; which, at a glance, it does. Looking further into it, Cruz only addresses conservatives at the end of the video and asks for conservative support. So Cruz is asking for support only from conservatives and says he will represent conservatives and their values well, which is a hard buy for most people who want a candidate who is electable and are closer to the middle of the political spectrum.
Cruz claims “it’s a time for truth” and yet he pulls statistics out of a hat for many of the issues he argues for (Farley). Cruz has claimed that the government wants to completely ban ammunition when it only wanted to ban armor piercing bullets; and that Obamacare has caused millions to lose their healthcare, when the number of Americans who have it has gone up by 10 million since the bill’s passage.
Overall, Cruz’s political ad appeals to conservatives very well, but how well it appeals to most Americans depends on what parts of the video they pay attention to and what they know about Ted Cruz and politics.
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/03/factchecking-ted-cruz/ (Farley)
Commercial: Making a Difference - Jeb Bush
First off, the demographic Jeb Bush is trying to appeal to in this commercial is very clear. All of the Floridians testifying to Bush’s success as a governor were working class Americans who have difficulties in their lives from being minorities. The campaign commercial featured a young African American woman who credits her success in school to the voucher program instituted by Bush, a mother who appreciates that Bush cares about people like her daughter who has autism, and a victim of domestic violence who believes Jeb Bush fights for women’s well-being. The main argument and point of persuasion in the commercial was that Jeb Bush and his policies improved Florida, therefore he is qualified to be the next president in the United States. The ad also plays to people’s emotions and tries to portray Bush as a simple, understanding, and sympathetic man who cares about the people from the bottom of his heart, wants to help the people who need it most, and can deliver on his promises.
There were aspects of the commercial that made it a little less effective than it could have been. Bush talks very vaguely about the things he had done in Florida to the people of that state. For example, a man says he went from collecting garbage to becoming an account manager because “Jeb Bush allowed companies... to grow [and] create high paying jobs,” without any word on how Bush did that. Another instance was when a woman said Bush helped women who were victims of domestic violence without citing any evidence at all. Bush’s policies were also really unspecific. For example, he claims “so many people could do so much better if we just fixed a few things,” without saying what he would fix other than saying he would use “conservative principles and apply them so that people can rise up.” However, I felt like if this commercial was viewed only once or twice, the impact would be more profound. My initial reaction to the commercial was probably what the Bush campaign was looking for. I was impressed by the ad because of how well it toyed with my feelings; there was a particular scene where Bush was comforting a young girl with a developmental disability that made me a little emotional, in all honesty. But after watching it again I realized that there really wasn’t any substance in what Bush, or anyone else in the ad, was saying; it was a lot of optimistic rhetoric with very few citations of actual benefits to the state of Florida. Another successful technique used was ending on a very hopeful and patriotic tone declaring that America is going to lead the world and avoiding saying anything negative about any other candidate running for the election, Democrat or Republican. The overall mood is very light, optimistic, and inspirational. Rather than pointing out problems, Bush emphasizes apparent triumphs in Florida that he thinks can be implemented in the federal government.
It’s not accurate to portray Jeb Bush as someone who did a lot for the working class in Florida. It is true that there was job growth in Florida under Bush, and the former governor left office with Florida’s unemployment rate below the national average at the time (CNN Money), however Bush eliminated over 10% of government jobs in the state of Florida by privatizing many public services and provided tax cuts to benefit the wealthiest in the state (Think Progress). Jeb Bush’s time as governor resulted in Florida’s debt rising from $15 billion to $23 billion and it has become among the country’s most unequal states when it comes to the income gap (Think Progress).
Sources:
Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQt_E4acnWo
http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/15/news/economy/jeb-bush-2016-economy-florida/ (CNN Money
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/06/15/3668379/jeb-bush-running-president-ran-florida/ (Think Progress)
In his campaign ad, Bernie Sanders uses multiple techniques in attempt to persuade voters. For one, he shows himself talking, interacting with, and taking photographs with people of all age groups. Then, he talks about his family as well as about his childhood and the hardships that went along with it. Further, he is shown in small clips speaking to a large crowd about his stance on certain issues. Finally, he uses other politicians in his ad to boost himself.
Although I do not agree with him completely, I do think his techniques are successful. For example, interacting with common people shows the audience that he, himself, is a common man. This appeals to people who want to feel like a candidate is on their side and is someone they can relate to. Talking about his family implies to the viewer that he is caring and family oriented, which appeals to a large portion of the electorate who can identify with that. Speaking of his hardships, Sanders shows that even he overcame obstacles, and others can, too, but also it reveals to the audience the reason behind his views. The fact that he talks to a large crowd while commenting on different issues kills two birds with one stone. First, the large crowd shows that people support him, and the bandwagon effect comes into play. Second, he gets to inform the public of his views on things and appeal to specific groups. For example, when Bernie Sanders mentioned free college tuition, that appeals to the younger generation. Likewise, when he mentioned veterans’ affairs, that appeals to veterans and their families. Finally, his use of other politicians to gain support allows people to form an opinion of the candidate based off of others, as well. An example of this was when Sanders commented that him and John McCain put a large sum of money toward strengthening the VA. Even though McCain was Republican, those who identify with him and his views are more likely to support Bernie Sanders after hearing that because of the fact that the two worked together on something significant. Another example of this was when Sanders said that he “had serious doubts about what Bush and Cheney were telling us” regarding the Iraq war. He also mentioned that he had voted against the war, which according to the October 2002 voting report from Congress on whether or not to authorize the president to use military force in Iraq, is true. On this fact, the ad does accurately represent Bernie Sanders’ record. This helps Sanders because, in the aftermath, many people agreed that the Iraq war was a bad decision. Also, it can result in those who disagree with Bush or Cheney to support Sanders simply because he, too, opposed them. Overall, I think the techniques used in the ad were beneficial towards the candidate, regardless of my personal feelings towards him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyee_sxJpXc
http://usiraq.procon.org/view.additional-resource.php?resourceID=001987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgKWPcpwFDs
If you had asked a high ranking member of the Republican party who would be the Republican nominee in 2016 back in June, chances are they would have said Jeb Bush. In October however, Jeb has slipped to four percent, and all because of Donald Trump (Slate). From planting faux-feminists at Trump’s conferences, to mocking the presidencies of Jeb’s brother, to mutual accusations of incompetence and liberalism, no feud in the 2016 election has been as heated as the Trump Bush one.
This ad on Jeb Bush’s youtube channel then serves to delegitimize Trump’s campaign by attacking his loyalty to the Republican party and accusing Trump of being a liberal disguised as a Republican, a RINO. Using news clips from the late nineties to the first Republican debate of the 2016 campaign, the ad shows Trump’s more liberal feelings about health care, abortion, stimulus, and higher minimum wage. Mentioning Trump’s positive relationship with the Clinton’s and quoting him as saying “My views are a little bit different than if I lived in Iowa,” are designed to make Bush’s greatest political foe appear off base with the Republican base, and someone who is sympathetic to Democrats.
All of the facts in the ad check out. Donald trump was a registered Democrat in 2001 and has expressed his beliefs in downsizing the military, looser laws for drug offenders, and most shockingly, a nearly 15% tax rate of the top one percent of Americans. However, Trump ha since reversed many of those policies and became a registered Republican after the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009 (Washington Post). So although everything Bush quotes about Trump is true, the quotations are out of date and do not reflect his current political affiliation.
This ad ultimately fails at it’s attempt to destroy Trump’s momentum for an incalculable reason, Trump and his supporters are simply too self-confident to be burned. When his opponents try to diss him, Trump is so stubbornly self assured that he can quickly dismiss the attacks by calling it disrespectful before shamelessly striking the largest chinks in their armor. Pointing out Rand Paul’s insignificance, accusing Kasich of responsibility for the great recession, and calling Jeb Bush’s brother a failure are just some of his extremely popular scathing remarks (NPR). Trump simply radiates an energy of being the most confident, self-assured guy in a room, even when he may be dead wrong. Bush’s quest is rendered futile because it appears to be impossible to stump the Trump.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/10/jeb_bush_sinks_to_4_percent_thanks_to_donald_trump.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/09/ths-many-ways-in-which-donald-trump-was-once-a-liberals-liberal/
http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/28/452670883/all-eyes-on-carson-trump-as-republicans-begin-third-debate
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Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7L9V7oGRv8
For this blog post, I watched a presidential campaign ad made by the grassroots organization for Bernie Sanders. It should be known that the creators of this video are not affiliated with the official Sanders campaign. Throughout the video, a classical music piece is playing underneath the talking. Music can invoke any feeling, and the creators of this advertisement knew that while they were creating it. The piece of music they choose leads you to feel as if what is being said is very important. I believe that this technique is very successful by being able to capture a viewer’s attention to pay attention to some of the things that Bernie Sanders has said, as well as by the things news reporters have said about him.
Another technique that the creator of this video employed, was by including news clips of reporters positively talking about Bernie Sanders. For example, they show a clip of a reporter saying that Sanders “has a set of consistent principles that he has run on his entire life.” They also show a reporter saying that Sanders is “truly an honest man.” These clips of established news reporters and anchors establish Sanders’ credibility as an real politician and as someone who is good enough to run for president. These two techniques help to persuade voters to vote for Bernie Sanders.
In this video, Bernie Sanders says that he has never run a negative advertisement in his career as a politician. I decided to fact check this piece of information. Sanders has indeed never run a negative advertisement in his campaign, according to MSNBC (1). However, Sanders could potentially do it in the future, as he has been quoted saying, regarding negative advertisements, “I never have after all these years. But I - we’ll see” (1). This quote implies that perhaps in the future, if in a really tight race against another candidate, he may decide to start running negative advertisements.
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/could-bernie-sanders-run-negative-ads-after-all-well-see (1)
Ben Carson comes across in the ad I watched as a likable, calm, presidential candidate. In the ad Ben Carson highlights the fact that he is not part of the establishment. He uses a simple background to put more emphasis on what he is saying, which makes the ad seem less cluttered. He then uses upbeat music to put a positive spin on what he is saying, making the viewer feel as though the ad is positive even though he is insulting Washington, and their inability to solve many of the big problems that face our nation.
I believe that his techniques are effective. The acting was mediocre, but I wouldn’t trust a person who is running for President of the United States that was a good actor. It shows that they could be more two faced about issues that he do and do not support. We are choosing a president, not an actor. Carson should not be judged on how well he can act in a campaign ad.
I fact checked whether or not he plans on balancing the budget. I found that one of his major issues is balancing the budget, which I also support. The ad does reflect his position on that topic. It would not make any sense to insult a group of people about something, and not offer a solution.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/27/is-ben-carsons-new-campaign-ad-so-bad-its-good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc3qtfUkOKs (Carly Fiorina Ad)
This advertisement is less an ad for Carly Fiorina as it is an attack on Hillary Clinton. The ad, paid for by the Carly for America Committee, uses the well-established campaign technique of criticizing a candidate’s opponent. The ad uses clips from some of Ms. Fiorina’s speeches in which she attacks Hillary Clinton for touting her travel as an accomplishment, when she says “Like Mrs. Clinton, I too have traveled the globe. But unlike her I have actually accomplished something. Flying is not an accomplishment, it is an activity.” The ad also takes clips from TV spots in which anchors ask everyday Americans to identify some of Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments as Secretary of State. None of them can think of anything, except one young man who says “Definitely not that whole Benghazi scandal.”
Carly Fiorina’s direct comparison of herself with Mrs. Clinton, who is the only other female candidate, is a strategic move for her campaign. It provides a distinct contrast between Ms. Fiorina and Mrs. Clinton, showing that even Clinton’s supporters don’t know what she has done for the country. Her strategy makes Hillary Clinton seem like someone who claims to have accomplished a lot, but in reality hasn’t achieved anything. Even being a Democrat and relatively supportive of Hillary Clinton, I have to admit that this ad is extremely successful, and while she is not responsible for the ad itself, Carly Fiorina is using a good strategy in attacking Hillary Clinton the way she is.
Embedded in this ad is a clip from an interview Carly Fiorina gave at some point on the campaign trail. In the clip, Fiorina accuses Hillary Clinton of taking donations from countries that withhold the most rights from women while at the same time claiming to be a proponent of women’s rights. Fiorina’s claim is partially correct. According to the researchers at Politifact.com, the Clinton Foundation has received donations from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. However, the Clinton Foundation is a separate entity from Mrs. Clinton and she and her campaign can choose whether or not to use these funds.
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/apr/20/reince-priebus/hillary-clinton-took-money-kings-four-countries-go/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/politics/hillary-clinton-stand-for-reality--campaign-2016/2015/07/27/acb072b2-3458-11e5-b835-61ddaa99c73e_video.html
Hillary Clinton uses many techniques that appeal to the viewer in this political ad. Her face never appears in the video, it is only her voice over that connects her to the issue. So the primary focus of the ad is not Hillary Clinton, but the issue of climate change and renewable energy itself. This would appeal to democrats who feel a strong urgency in climate change but don’t align with Hillary Clinton at face value. Here she appeals to people based on the issues she stands for rather than political attraction. She also quotes what other candidates have said on the issue of global warming, making them look almost idiotic compared to the rhetoric of the video. Here she sets herself apart as a candidate willing to stand up for the climate. The video also has an emotional appeal, as she repeats that the change we need to make is for the children, our children and their future. This enlists the protective feelings of parents to support her plan for improving the environment.
Her techniques listed above are successful, I felt that the emotions evoked in the short advertisement were what the ad aimed to do. She set a story in her ad, one that made viewers anxious about the climate and the future and at the end it made it seem that only her plan would be able to appease those worries. Hillary Clinton humbles herself through this ad, calling herself “only a grandmother with two eyes and a brain.” This not only made her more emotionally vulnerable to those who watched, but also made it seem like common sense to support her climate change platform.
Though she outlines the goals of her climate change plan, she doesn’t go into the specifics of her financial plan to fund the task of building that many solar panels or any details at all. However, when I looked into her plan I saw that it reaches beyond the terms of her presidency. She would be serving at a maximum of until 2024, but she sets the long term goal of thirty-three percent of electricity coming from renewable sources for 2027 (New York Times). I think it’s difficult for an effective plan to be set for a candidate not elected president to be making a energy plan twelve years into the future. Some policy analysts call her plan unrealistic, but she says that she is just being ambitious. I believe she might actually be able to do it, the cost of the initiatives is estimated to be about sixty billion dollars until she reaches her primary goal (of 500 million solar panels) by 2020. However, I do believe she may be too ambitious in terms of passing the legislation through Congress. Considering most Conservative Republicans deem global warming to be false, they would never approve of an initiative to combat it using government spending.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/us/politics/hillary-clinton-lays-out-climate-change-plan.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6R-wTLQYew
In the ad “Ben Carson’s Message to America,” Carson uses an appeal to the emotions. He does not use any facts or statistics, but instead, by his overrall idea of “we the people,” he reaches out to the idea of unity. He uses the basis of this saying, “we the people,” to show that he wants to unite the citizens of America, rather than keep us seperated, especially in the current divide and war between the Republicans and Democrats. This technique is successful because it shows Carson caring for the people, and “ignoring” the government, unlike a normal career politician whom would only pay attention to his party and to the groups funding him or her. Carson shows in the ad that he knows that the government has not been doing it’s job, and that America needs the government to be used to bring people together, and pay attention to our problems we face as a whole. This ad is short and to the point. Carson does not promise anything that would be too ridiculous to carry out in his time in office if he is elected. I think that this technique of being honest and modest works very well for him in this ad. Voters will not feel the need to vote for him because of false promises made, but instead on the basis that he is an honest man willing to try and change America and bring the citizens of America together.
In the ad, Carson mentions that people are not interested in partisan bickering, and he therefore should not be apart of this. Carson does follow through with this fact as he has talked openly about how he has wanted to end partisan bickering in many different speeches or interviews (US News). Carson also ha snever held public office so he truly has not been apart of partisan bickering that would take place in a setting like Congress. Another overall message that Carson is sending to the public is that he is kind and will not denigrate others or be a “wisecrack.” This is compared to many politicians who try to make their opponents look bad by revealing their mistakes or picking on them. Carson has stayed true to this, and especially compared to a candidate like Trump, is also staying on the “nicer” side while campaigning (US News). To prove this fact of Carson’s kindness, even Trump has stated that Carson is very kind when asked why he hasn’t said anything rude about Carson: “He’s been so nice to me, it’s true. I cannot hit him,” (US News).
http://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015/09/04/dr-nice-guy-ben-carsons-gentle-charm-offensive
Link to Ad (Fighter- Hillary Clinton):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_GYGsIpP54
In Fighter a political ad by Hillary Clinton is targeting women, veterans, families, and overall, the working class, promoting them to fight like she has for their needs. She starts off with historical references about the fight women faced, and mixing in education standards, hunger battles for children and goes on to 9/11 and the change in her political views to ‘fight’ for the country she loves. She uses connections to emotions to acknowledge the hurt the country and it’s people face and provide a solution [her] through her triumphs. The american dream is also touched upon in the idea of a fighting nation since that’s honestly what we’ve been doing since the beginning.
Being someone who really does not align with the ideals of Hillary Clinton, overall the ad is successful and makes Hillary seem appealing and worthy of the presidency. It honestly shows her in the best light and highlights the things she has accomplished in office. By pulling on the voters heart strings she relays a sense of connection and caring between the public and her.
She in the ad mentions that she took the job as secretary of state just for the “love of the country” and this is proved by her un answering to the question of “what was your biggest accomplishment as secretary of state?”. Hillary doesn’t Answer with anything but the opinion that she widened the mindsets of the american people (1). Although this does not state a legitimate fact check, it shows that she went into the job thinking fully about the country, not one particular issue. This fully encompasses the ad campaigns ideals of Hillary being pro american sense of pride.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/achievements.asp (1)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODfUOnw2x0g
In this ad by Carly Florina she directly appeals to women. She uses a comment made about her appearance by Trump to instead try and gain woman supporters. Instead of directly attacking Trump, like most politicians would have done, she subtly makes his comment seem ridiculous without having to make herself seem childish. One particularly strong technique she uses is visual effect. Throughout the ad, as her voice is beeing heard the video features faces of many woman, this makes the viewer feel involved and as if they should be defending themselves against the obscene comment about her face. Another factor in this ad to consider, is the music in the background. the rhythmic sound gives off a an energetic sound without being too overwhelming, that makes you want to get up and get involved.
The techniques specific to this ad, are fairly effective. Florina effectively addresses the controversial statement made by Trump, while attempting to rally woman behind her by showing the shallowness of his statement. Overall however, as far as helping her own campaign, the ad doesn’t seem to be too effective. There is nothing substantial said about her own stances or what she plans to do. This ad seems to be more effective towards someone who was already a supporter of her. From the outside, to someone who isn’t very familiar with her or her views, it wouldn’t help her gain any new supporters, so overall it doesn’t seem to be very effective towards gaining new supporters.
Although Florina doesn’t have any specific statistics in her video, the overall ad is based around Trump saying “'Look at that face!' 'Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!' (1) She also says “we are the majority of the nation” referring to the Republican party, however according to Gallup Poll, 29% of people identify themselves as Democrats while only 25% of people identify as Republicans. (2)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/09/10/trump-fiorina-look-face/71992454/
http://www.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/politics/hillary-clinton-stand-for-reality--campaign-2016/2015/07/27/acb072b2-3458-11e5-b835-61ddaa99c73e_video.html
Hillary Clinton focuses on the seriousness of climate change and the negative effects we have already seen. She has an ambitious plan for positive change by switching to renewable energy. Clinton never appears in this commercial, only her voice can be heard. This makes the commercial about the issue at hand instead of centering around herself. She does give herself the credit of being one of the few candidates that is passionate about enacting change. She filled the screen with quotes from the other candidates about how “they aren’t scientists,” climate change is “a hoax,” and “absolutely and utterly untrue.” Her response was, “You don’t have to be a scientist to take on this urgent challenge that threatens us all. You just have to be willing to act.”
I would call this commercial a success. She branded herself an advocate for changes in our handle of climate control, something the candidates don’t even agree exists. As “a grandmother with two eyes and a brain,” she did a great job connecting herself with the viewers on a personal level. She understands the severity of the situation we as a country, and a planet, are in and wants to bring change for the future generations. She shared her plans for change and although she set high goals, she somehow made it seem attainable.
Clinton talked about how renewable energy would help prevent asthma and premature deaths. Looking into the health benefits of renewable energy I found that the air and water pollution emitted by coal and natural gas plants is linked to breathing problems, neurological damage, heart attacks, and cancer. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy has also been found to reduce premature mortality.
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable.html#bf-toc-1
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