Russian-Funded Ads Behind the Election

Both Facebook and Google have found the evidence of Russia-funded ad spread in the internet. As Facebook announced, lots of accounts that are related Russia spent totally of 100,000 on campaign ads. Google says it founds evidence as well, that Russian operatives spends thousands of dollars on politically divisive advertisements. According to Will Oremus, it’s a big deal. However, from my view, I agree with that it’s significant because it violates the election law and affect the election, but it does not violates the constitution which guarantees the freedom of speech. Since the content of these ads are unrevealed, but it’s described as “amplification of “divisive messages” on issues such as immigration, race and gay rights”. From my perspective, people who wants to persuade others would use amplification as a tool. It is a common strategy to enhance candidate’s support from people. If Russia is not behind these ads, and these ads are posted by American companies, I don’t think these amplifications would cause lots of attention after the election. The States has two parties which lead to different ideas and opinions on different issue. It is the foundation of this country, so what is the problem that people have opposite perspectives on a certain issue.

The trouble from these ads, I personally think is mostly from “fake or discredited content from phony social media accounts posing as US or European citizens”. In the beginning of the school year, we learned the idea of filter bubble. Here, I think these fake news appears another sort of bubble on the internet. People have to learn the ability to distinguish right and wrong, since the information posted online are always mixed with true and false messages. People should not judge the truth of an information base on personal preference. Meanwhile, we need companies to set up regulations on the credibility  of information online.

Image source: http://wvik.org/post/davenport-library-host-rise-fake-news#stream/0

Super PACs aren’t so Super

Political fundraising is one of the most important aspects of the elections process.  This year’s presidential election is shaping up to be the most expensive ever.  The presidential candidates have already accumulated over $330 million, and they are expecting much more to come.  All this money can be attributed to the huge influence Super PACs have had on elections.  Super PACs have the power to potentially define the outcome of elections.    

A PAC, or political action committee,  is an organization that campaigns for or against political candidates by donating at least $1000.  Until recently, outside groups were limited to contribute $100,000 on behalf of one candidate.  However, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the federal government may not ban political spending by outside organizations or corporations.  This resulted in the rise of Super PACs, or “independent-expenditure only committees”.  Although the Super PACs cannot directly contribute to candidate campaigns, they are allowed to engage in independent political spending without any legal limits.

What exactly do these Super PACs do with all this money?  Most of them utilize the ability to solely go on the attack against the opposing candidates.  The most common and effective form of attacking is putting out negative ads against the opponent.

For example, conservative billionaire Joe Ricketts is planning to fund a $10 million campaign to bring down Barack Obama titled, “The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama, the Rickets Plan to End His Spending for Good.” Ricketts primary concern is to end the budget deficit.  The campaign is a 54-page proposal that essentially claims that Obama has misled the American people by portraying himself as a “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln.”  In addition, the plan is to bring up past ties between controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Obama in order to show how Obama’s ideologies have been negatively influenced from the beginning.  This anti-Obama campaign has the potential to destroy his public image, which proves that Super PACs have the potential to define the outcome of elections.

This year’s election has been greatly influenced by a plethora of Super PACs that have already contributed $100 million.  These Super PACs have led to one of the nastiest elections to date because of the flood of negative ads that they have leaked to the public.  The negative ads are actually detrimental to democracy because they deter people from participating in the elections process.  Super PACs undermine the basic principles of political equality because they take the power out of the hands of the people and place it in the deep pockets of an elite group donors.

Don’t Let Your Voice Go to Waste

Throughout this trimester, I have learned a great deal of new material. Some I had no clue even existed or went on in our world, like every little step in the election process, from the Iowa Caucus all the way to voting day. There is so much effort and time that is being put into the campaigns. I now have so much respect for the candidates with the devotion of their time they put into everything. With all the time and effort the candidates put into the elections, the LEAST we could do is go vote on voting day. Besides, not everyone is granted this privilege to have a say, so we need to take advantage of this opportunity.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/images/articles/lg/379.PresidentialElection.jpg

One of the first things the candidates do is the Iowa Caucus. The Iowa caucuses are noteworthy for the amount of media attention they receive during U.S. presidential election years. Since 1972, the Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States. What the candidates do in the caucus is get more familiar with the people in Iowa in hopes to gain their votes. Since Iowa is relatively smaller than other states, this really gives the people the opportunity to really get to know the candidates better. Since they know the candidates on a more personal level, they have a better grasp of what kind of people the candidates really are and have very influential votes. For this reason, makes the Iowa Caucus a very reliable source to predict the future, because eight out of eleven elections, the candidate who won the Caucus ended up winning the whole presidency. The candidates put in a lot of effort, attempting to visit as many cities and make as many speeches and broadcasts as possible in order to get their ideas out in the open.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iowa-StateSeal.svg

Another task the candidates have to go through is advertising. The candidates go from house to house, promoting their ideas and hopes for our country. One important key point the candidates try to accomplish, is promote their ideas to the swing states. By mainly focusing on the swing states, they hope to gain more votes. A swing state is a state in which no single candidate or party has overwhelming support in securing that state’s Electoral College votes. Candidates try to win over the swing states’ Electoral College votes so they can add those votes with the other votes that they normally receive from the strong conservatives or strong liberals. Candidates also have to make campaign commercials, but first they have to raise money in order to make these commercials. The candidates put a lot of time into raising money. Once, they have collected enough, they then have to put effort into actually making the campaign commercials. Campaign commercials are not easy to make, because they have to intrigue the viewers to stay attentive while watching it.

All of these exhausting events finally lead up to the voting day, where we the people voice our opinion on who we think would better our country. After all the candidates’ hard work and effort, only one can ultimately win. Our government taught me the vigorous elections process and all the little steps in between. It has also taught me the importance of our voice and how important it is to use it by voting.

Why Not Vote?

Over the course of the trimester we spent a lot of time discussing elections.  We covered many topics pertaining to the elections process including the Electoral College system, Electoral Strategy, Money and Elections, Voter Participation, and Campaign Commercials.  Of all the topics, the one most striking to me was voter participation.  It’s surprising to me that the voter turnout on Election Day is historically very low. Some people consider voting to be the foundation of all electoral participation, yet they choose not to use their opportunity have a say in democracy.

Election turnout in the early days of our republic never rose above the teens until 1800, when it jumped up to 31%.  This low number rose over time and hovered around 80% in the 1860s, but it fell back down to around 60% a century later.  Currently, voter participation lingers around the 55-65% area.  The societal lack of interest in the Elections Process is baffling to me because I don’t understand why anybody would pass up the opportunity to make a difference in our government. However, I discovered that there are actually many factors that dissuade people from voting.

One possible theory for low turnout is attitudinal change in the United States.  Survey data supports the claim that negative attitudes toward government have increased over the years.  Americans are becoming more reluctant to trust the government.  For example, in the early 1990s just over 20% of Americans are described as trusting their government to “do what is right all or at least most of the time” (www.electionstudies.org).  This new attitude towards government is caused by increased cynicism, distrust and alienation.  Social media can also take part of the blame for this change. The new role of news media has shifted to using methods called, “attack journalism” and media “feeding frenzies”, which focus on exploiting a politician’s personal lives.  This combination has effectively repelled voters from the polls.

Another similar perspective is called the lifestyle-change theory.  This theory suggests that life today is simply busier than in the past and offers more distractions.  People tend not to place voting very high on their priority list, therefore it is very easy to let distractions such as television, technology, and social networking sites consume our time (150).  According to the U.S. Census Bureau the top eleven reasons for not voting are:

1. Too busy
2. Illness or emergency
3. Not interested
4. Didn’t like candidates
5. Out of town
6. Don’t know
7. Registration problems
8. Forgot
9. Inconvenient polling place
10. Transportation problem
11. Bad weather

Lastly, age has always been a major factor in voter participation.  Young Americans have always voted at lower rates because they have a less completed education, less likelihood of owning property, and are less likely to be as affluent.  However, youth voting has made a dramatic turnaround in recent years.  For example, people of age 18-24 represented an 11 percent increase in 2004, which was double the rate of increase in any other group.  Also, 49 percent of people under 25 years old voted in 2008.  One might ask why the recent change?  Many organizations such as MTV have started programs to try to engage the youth in participating.  Also, new elections pathway organizations including Americans Coming Together and MoveOn.org have tried to bring youth the polls.  Hopefully all Americans will follow this example set by the youth to take initiative and vote.

Passing up voting is passing up your chance to represent yourself in democracy.   The outcome of elections directly affects all Americans in some way, shape, or form.  Therefore voting gives citizens the ability to voice the issues that are important to them by choosing their ideal representative.  A vote is a powerful expression of one’s political beliefs, yet unfortunately most people do not see it this way.  Americans need to wake up and realize that their vote really does count, and their missed votes are missed opportunities.  In my opinion, you can never be “too busy” to express your beliefs and make a difference in democracy.

The Effectiveness of Campaign Commercials

Above is a screenshot of a campaign ad for Ron Paul 

 

The topic of study that interested me the most this trimester in Government was the Campaign Commercials.  Before studying this topic, I never paid any attention to political commercials on TV that played in preparation for the elections.  I never thought about why certain commercials were the way they were and why some played music and others did not.  One day in class we did a group assignment that challenged our knowledge about these commercials.  Our knowledge wasn’t tested from a factual political standpoint per-say but more as of from the media standpoint of these commercials, how different factors could largely impact viewers’ opinions.  Before this day in government if I tried to analyze a campaign commercial for effectiveness, I would think about how long the commercial was and if this held my attention.  If it did, it would probably make an impact on me.  These topic of study in government challenged us to think more and to push ourselves a little further than simply analyzing a commercial based on length in my case.

In this assignment, we were told to analyze several different campaign commercials through four levels of effectiveness: emotion, persuasion, factual claims, and cinematic style.  As a group, we broke down these commercials and took them apart, studying every tiny detail that the producers put in the commercial because every aspect of the video is very important.  We were challenged to view these commercials from a critical eye with the levels of effectiveness in mind.  Some commercials were really influential while others, not so much.  We learned that the impact that these commercials did or didn’t make were a direct result of how well the commercials nailed the four levels of effectiveness we were studying about.  We learned that in fact the right choice of music or visuals could easily alter the persuasion of the commercial in either a negative or positive way.  For example, the “Senator Margaret Chase” commercial was one that my group rated negatively for cinematic style.  This ad is extremely boring and uninteresting, lacking sound and music effects as well as other elements to keep viewers interested.  A commercial like this would have many viewers flipping the channel and not focusing on Senator Chase’s point that she is trying to get across.  Besides rating the commercials based on visual effects, tone and audience directed were other factors that our group analyzed.  Turns out these factors played a larger role than I once thought before we studied about these.  It was interesting to notice myself watching a commercial on the computer and becoming more and more drawn to the commercial and realize it was because of these factors that drew my attention so well.

With technology developing seemingly at the speed of light nowadays, campaign commercials remain to be an important asset to a successful election.  Young voters are a vital part of the election process.  In other units of study throughout this trimester, we have learned that while the younger generation has played an avid role in past elections, we might be losing this large group of support because frankly, many just don’t seem to care.  Candidates must fight for this attention and what better way to do it than through a short, effective, and visually appealing commercial played on national television for the world to see?  Little things can go a long way, and I have first-hand been impacted by the campaign commercials I watched for this topic of study. I can honestly say that if I was eligible to be a voter and saw a commercial on TV that persuaded me, I would be inspired to play a role in the election process and make my vote.

We are Surrounded with Media

The election process has really helped me relate to the work we have been doing in Government class. National Politics really shows how news spreads around the nation and really keeps people informed on what is happening. National Politics has really helped me stay informed on what is happening with the election, Government, Senate, and so on. Media plays a big part in our lives, even if we don’t realize it.

The main event that has really helped me understand the course material would have to be the election. The election has helped me so much because it hits all topics that we have been learning about. The biggest aspect that it helped me understand would be media. I never realized how important media was in today’s world, but really media is how we get all our information. Everywhere we look something is informing us on the news, whether it is facebook, twitter, school, billboards, commercials, etc. Media in general is all around us and helps the candidates spread the word of their ideas. I also never realized how important campaign commercials were in the elections. Campaign commercials is the candidate’s way to basically sum up their ideas and main key points to broadcast to the world and hopefully recruit some support for their campaign. An example of a great campaign commercial is “In America: Anything is Possible” by Mitt Romney. This ad is inspiring, encouraging, and makes the people of America feel safe and united. Without the help of our Government class I would have never been able to indicate a bad commercial from a good commercial if I saw one. Government class has helped me understand what are good qualities for the President of the United States to posses and what qualities we should keep a heads up to watch out for.

Government class is helping me start to form opinions about certain issues, such as who we would want to run our country, how important it is to vote, and social media. Before, Government class, I did not care much about the election process and tried to avoid any information about it. I not only didn’t care for the news because I thought it was boring, but I didn’t like how I didn’t understand the terminology and meaning of some of the statements they stood for. This made me feel less than and incapable of understanding what was happening in our country. Thanks to our government class, I now understand what the president’s run for and what they are trying to accomplish in their campaigns. A great President for our country would be one that followed the Stewardship Model. This means that we could trust our President because we don’t have to limit his powers and that he still has the best interest in our nation. I also now understand that voting is very important. We have the opportunity to have a say in how our nation will be ruled and it is important to have our input so we get the best option possible. Social Media really helps us determine who we want to vote for. Information about the candidates is everywhere and we need to listen. I am looking forward to voting and having a say when I become old enough to vote.

Some other opinions I have started to form is that although media is very helpful and useful to our everyday lives, I don’t think we should rely on it so much. I think Presidents should meet and greet as many people as they can and get on a more personal level with our people, such as when they are in the Iowa Caucus. By getting on a more personal level, it helps the people be more comfortable with you and it really helps them understand what kind of person you are and why they would want you to lead our country. By meeting more people, it would help more people like you, because by taking time out of your day to go talk to someone would make them feel special and just by doing that would help the candidate rally up some votes. The people have the right to fully get to know who their President will be, because being the President is a big deal, and the people need to know that whoever is elected has the best interest of the people in mind, but still willing to do what is best for the country when needed.

 http://www.mndaily.com/2012/02/07/digital-door-knocking

Tis Time

Talk of politics is everywhere; from talk shows and satires, to music, radio, and cartoons. There’s no escaping it. If it’s such a vital part of our everyday lives, then why is the youth voting percentage so low? To put it simply, they just don’t care.

Adults value government because their beliefs are brought forth and are what drive our nation. While I learning about the different parts of government, it became clear to me why young Americans don’t vote. Many don’t find that the issues being discussed affect them. Prescription drug coverage, social security, it just isn’t relevant to our lives yet. They are little words that fly way over our heads, when in fact these issues involve us all. Many people of all ages have medical issues and require prescription drugs, and social security is our identity concealed in a few digits.

I don’t think it should not matter whether young Americans vote or not. Why would you want someone to vote who is uneducated on the topic or has no interest in it? It is too important of a subject to have just anyone take a large part in it. Uninformed voters are easily swayed and, if swayed the wrong way, could put a damper on our country in the long run. George Will, a conservative columnist for Newsweek magazine said it brilliantly, “declining voter turnout is no cause for worry”. Voter turnout is not nearly as vital as protecting our nation’s democratic system, unless the youth of our nation is educated on the subject.

Photo by Party Hard Politics

Indiana University did a study last election. They came up with theories on why young voter turnout is consistently lower than their elders. They asked simple questions and took them apart. Questions such as “what are the factors that influence whether people are likely to vote” and “why young people around the world vote in lower numbers than their elders”. A survey was prepared and sent out across the university. As the results came back, 30% of respondents said they were irritated with the activists around campus constantly urging them to take polls. Other said they just didn’t care to hear about Barack Obama day in and day out.  It is also the appeal of advertisements. As I have witnessed firsthand in class, presidential ads have a major impact, both negative and positive, on voters. However,

Out of all of the topics discussed in our government class, the presidential campaigning topic has had the most impact on me. Learning about the campaigning aspect of the process opens my eyes to new innovative ideas that might capture the eye of the public, more so than some of the ads today. Quality in the commercials is what attracts young voters, as it is important to get much of America involved once and for all. I believe that our generation must be educated on the importance of politics and the changes that the voters, themselves, can encourage simply by participating. It is not up to the select few to run our country; rather it is up to us. We can make our voices heard, and we can make a difference. If young adults realize that they could influence the course of history, voting participation would skyrocket.