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Chapter 6
Advertising allows candidates to reach uninterested and unmotivated citizens
TV ads reach people, for example, who happen to be watching a preferred TV program
While some or many people may be apolitical and not really interested in various campaigns, research shows that they are often profoundly affected by the political advertisements to which they are exposed
Our book’s author contends that political advertising is the most important genre of advertising
This because our decisions about who we vote for play a crucial role in determining what laws will be passed and how we will lead our lives
He offers insights into the methods used by political advertisers, thus helping us make more informed and more intelligent decisions when we vote
Name Identification Spots- shown early in the campaign
Argument Spots- present candidate positions on issues
Attack Spots- focus on the opponent Positive Visionary Appeals- used at the
end of a campaign to give voters a reason to vote for the candidate
Time in Campaign Kind of Ad Function Early Name ID Ads Identity
Later Argument Ads Ideology
Later Still Attack Ads Insult
End of Campaign Positive Visionary Ads Image
NIKKY HALEY VINCENT SHEEHEN Name Identification-
“Better” Ad Arguments/Positions-
“Possible” Ad “Vision” Ad
“Movement” Ad Attack/Negatives “Own backyard” Ad “Mirror” Ad “Plan” Ad
Positive Visionary Appeals- Pending…
Also, Jenny Sanford Endorses Haley
Name Identification- “Find Out” Ad
Arguments/Positions- “Moving” Ad
“Crossroads” Ad Attack/Negatives-
“Says” Ad “Thinks” Ad Positive Visionary
Appeals- Pending…
HALEY HOMEPAGE SHEEHEN HOMEPAGE
“Latest Attack on Haley” (May 2010)
Haley called a “raghead” (June 2010)
Haley Rocky Job Departure (Oct. 2010)
Poll: Haley Leads by Nine Points (Oct. 2010)
Blogger Details Tryst (Oct. 2010)
Sheehen Ads Link Haley, Sanford (Sept. 2010)
Sheehen/Haley Launch Attack Ads (Sept. 2010)
State Paid Thousands to Sheehen Law Firm (Oct. 2010)
Are people no longer affected by negative campaigns? In polls, people will say they don’t like negative campaigns but voting
records seem to indicate that they are affected for influenced by them Numerous case studies of elections show that negative campaigns, full of
attack commercials, are effective One theory is that negative campaigns turn off voters who then will not
vote, playing into the hands of conservative Republican candidates who rely on the minority of conservative GOP who DO vote- in contrast to the majority of generally liberally Democrats, who don’t vote
Is it the number or the quality of the advertisements that counts? Depends! In California example, Gray Davis’s advertising push came at
the end of the campaign after his two higher spending opponents had hurt each other with attack ads earlier in the campaign
Is it the advertising or the record of the candidate that is crucial? Again it depends. In California, Lt. Gov. Davis’ slogan “Experience Money
Can’t Buy” worked because he had two wealthy opponents with little or no government experience. Voters seemed to reject the notion that experience in government is bad and less experience a politician has, the better- a position made popular by Ronald Reagan and many other conservative Republicans– including California’s current governor, Arnold Schwarenegger
Political ads use symbols, as best they can, that try to generate positive appeals like these: Hope (for the future) Compassion (for those in need) Ambition (to do what’s needed) Trust Nostalgia (for the mythic past) Intimacy Reassurance Local Pride National Pride
Who reassure us Who give us hope Who are compassionate toward the poor
and disadvantaged Who make us feel proud about where we
live and about America We like to feel our candidates are like us
and are aware of people like us Even though they may be quite far
removed- in distance and socio-economic status- from us
Use of the American flag Candidate wearing a hard hat, thus
identifying with the blue-collar worker) A “visionary” look over the horizon The all-American family All to generate the emotional response that
lead to instant and powerful identification with the candidate and hopefully, as a consequence, votes for the candidate
Not that language and words aren’t important, but in commercials a great deal of the communication burden is carried by physical symbols