Taking the Power to Persuade Too Far

We have studied in our Government class the powers of the Presidency. The modern presidency requires use of different powers that are not outlined in the Constitution. He uses this power while in office communicating to Congress and the House, but he also needs to use it while communicating to the public. The President must use the Power to Persuade in order to gain the support of the American people. During speeches, addresses and debates he has to appeal to the public’s needs. With his power to persuade he is able to rally and gain voters and supporters.  Although I understand it is necessary to do as much as you can to please voters, I do not think stretching the truth should be an option.

The President has to appeal to his supporters and the majority of the citizens in the US. With that, there is a chance that he may stretch the truth in order to please the majority. Sometimes, “The president sets soaring expectations, but doesn’t meet them. His broken promises, failed veto threats, and reversals…” (Chandler).  Not only can a President promise things that will not happen, but he also can exaggerate or even say the wrong thing in front of the whole United States.

Regarding my topic I wanted to find parts of Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address where his words, facts, and numbers were not completely right. As I read through two articles [Washington Post and Fox News] I noticed that even the smallest change in words can alter the whole context of what the public hears. There are many cases where President Obama does not say what is actually correct because he phrases his speeches, debates and addresses in wrong context.

Obama giving his State of the Union Address 2013

For the first example fact Obama states in his address he mentions jobs. Obama says, “After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs.”

Obama is generally telling the truth but he counts the number of new jobs from the point in his first term when job losses were at their highest. He ignores the around 5 million job losses up to his first term. With regard to other factors and elements he technically had an increase of 1.2 million jobs.

Next, Obama states that, “We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas.”

The drastic assumption that Obama makes is not right. We are not even close to doubling the distance we go on a gallon of gas. The deal that the Obama Administration made with automakers will create an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. So, Obama is definitely stretching the truth in this statement.

Obama also says that, “We buy … less foreign oil than we have in 20 [years].”

There really is nothing that relates the decline of foreign oil consumption to Obama’s presidency. If anything the decline started 2 years before Obama’s presidency. To show the decline Bloomberg says, “In 2011, the U.S. relied on imports for 44.8 percent of its petroleum consumption, down from 60.3 percent in 2005, according to EIA data.”

The United State’s citizens listen and learn from what the President says and promises. I feel it is the job of the President to provide facts, numbers and statements that are true to the entire United States. How can we grow as a nation when we are not given the correct information from our own leader? US citizens are becoming less informed and interested in government and Andrew Romano says, “Most experts agree that the relative complexity of the U.S. political system makes it hard for Americans to keep up.” Citizens definitely do not have to know everything about government and the system but they need to be informed about the state of the US and what challenges we are facing. Because the President is a main source of information it is necessary that the info he says is accurate and reliable. Pleasing the public with what they want to hear does not help the United States as a whole and can cause confusion and agreement to decisions that can harm us as a nation.

When President Obama is addressing the United States’ Citizens, should he please the people by saying the things they want to hear or should he stick to the cold hard facts. Obviously he has to persuade voters by saying the things people want to hear, but does that hurt the US as a whole? Is it the job of US citizens to know about all the topics that the President talks about and decipher when he is not exactly telling the truth or says something wrong? Overall, I definitely think the needed use of  persuading the public and voters can cause a skew in the line of fact and truth being told the public.

President Obama Campaigning: Persuading Voters

Only Got 30 Seconds to Save A Life

Emotion, persuasion, truth, and style: the keys to a successful campaign ad. Media is saturated with news, opinions, and entertainment as it reaches everywhere, from our televisions, to our phones. TV commercials are the only thing remaining that gives a presidential candidate full control over his image. So what makes a persuasive, yet entertaining presidential campaign? My answer: one that helps citizens to understand what the potential president would actually do. Giving such information enhances presidential accountability.

What can a president do? Make his or her priorities clear. Will he or she promote alternative energy, tax cuts, etc?

Presidents pursue their campaign plan so the answer to this question really matters. Presidents work to follow through with their key plan because the issues that they emphasize most in their campaign appeals are the issues they emphasize most in their first year in office.

Because every four years we collectively forget what presidents do, most criticism of presidential candidates and campaigns by journalists and specialists misses the mark. We complain that presidential candidates and their campaigns spend too much time attacking one another or that they don’t disagree clearly enough. However, candidates can reveal their agenda priorities in vague or negative appeals, too. In addition, if negative campaigns keep people engaged and vague claims keep them optimistic, then citizens are more likely to hear the competing agendas.

Effective political ads use sounds and images to communicate information, advance an argument, and affect voters emotionally, all in a very short period of time—frequently just 30 seconds. Ad makers must therefore use all of the cinematic tools at their disposal (video, images, voiceovers, sound and visual effects, music, titles, and editing) to win voters’ hearts and minds.

It only takes 30 seconds.

Campaigning: A Race to See Who Is…. Not the Worst?

As we wrap up the year in our government class, we aim to apply the things we have learned to real life situations. One topic we studied as campaigning and campaign strategies. One could look at Reagan, Bush, JFK, or any of our former presidents for that matter, and he or she could see the use of campaign ads or anything to push his campaign over another’s. The presidential elections are getting nearer and nearer which means that more and more campaign ads and other pushes to get a vote are being used. Recently, President Obama released a short clip

slamming Mitt Romney in regard to job losses in the past and Romney’s “plan” for the future. As I talked about (as well as many others) in my last blog post, media has a tremendous effect on the presidential race today because of how many people see it. This ad portrays a dark and solemn tone to represent a not-so-bright future under Romney. Because of what we have studied in our class time, I now have a more solid viewpoint on what this ad really means and what it actually does in regard to President Obama’s campaign. Honestly, if I was to be watching TV in the past and this clip came on, I probably would have done one of two things: either change the channel or just zone out completely for a little bit until it was over. Now, I can actually watch it, know what they’re talking about, and form my own opinion about it, which in this case, I see that President Obama is right when criticizing Romney.

Because of the influence that politicians have on voters, they can say so many things about themselves or other candidates to get people to vote for them.

Moreover, back to the campaign ad and its relevance, this isn’t all that the President, or Mitt Romney even, have done to criticize one another. President Obama has ads like the one about steel workers above, as well as videos like “When Mitt Romney Came To Town”, while at the same time, Crossroads Generation, an organization that supports Mitt Romney, recently released a video criticizing President Obama and the issue of student debt. Things are getting heated. Debate is starting. Every four years, this point in time is reached where it turns into a free-for-all and the candidates throw jabs and sometimes uppercuts at each other. This is that point in time. With all the possible ways to get under candidates’ skin and blast them, it turns into a criticism-fest. As if the campaign ads weren’t enough, the Obama administration made a website solely to poke at Romney in relation to his responsibility for job losses. All of these forms of campaigning are used to cause mass flow of information to voters so that they have everything at their disposure. All of this can be linked to Richard Neustadt’s claim of presidential persuasion. A president must persuade those in his cabinet, but that is once he is in office. A presidential candidate and his or her administration must not only dig up information on other candidates that would shoot him or her down, but they must also be able to persuade their audience in order to get their votes.

Presidential elections have and always will be about who can make the other look the worst. It will always be about who can say “Look at me. I’m not going to give you everything, but I’m sure as heck better than that guy”, and then have everyone that hears him believe it. This is the epitome of campaigning and its effect on the voters. It’s giving voters the opportunity to form an opinion, just like I have learned to be able to do by taking this class.

Persuading the Public

This past trimester in our Government class, we have been focusing on the political aspects of Parties, Elections, Congress, and even the Constitution. While all of these topics are interesting in their own way, I was most intrigued by the influence that a simple thirty-second campaign ad had on me. I caught myself thinking “Wow this makes perfect sense” or even “I hate that guy. Why would he throw someone under the bus like that?” I then realized that all of the people in the ads were our past presidents and legislators who have run our country in a respectable way. We spent a day learning about what made these ads the most gut wrenching and persuasive, and what we found was that we could separate a solid ad into four topics: Emotion, Persuasion, Factual Claims, and Cinematic Style.

The first key to creating a strong campaign ad is to have good emotion. This means that you want to make your viewer really feel something, often times this is called using pathos. You want to make sure that you can toy with your viewer’s heart without them knowing what you’re doing. Many times the objective is to make the viewer feel good about the ad and have a sense of enjoyment so that this will remain in their head and continue to remind them of your point. How do commercials accomplish this? Several common devices used in ads are things such as music and images to provoke typical emotions, but ads will also use devices that we don’t even notice. Many ads will intentionally change the color scheme and the light contrast so as to affect the mood of the viewer in ways which they want.  For instance, studies have shown that the color red actually increases heart rate and breathing giving the sensation of anger to the viewer.

The next factor to consider is Persuasion; this is often completed through reasoning (ethos) or by exploiting the typical wants of individuals. The goal of these types of commercials is as simple as it seems, they are trying to persuade the viewer to take a side. This does not simply mean to pick one candidate over the other, but rather to choose their side regarding a topic portrayed in the ad. Persuasive ads will often times use simple reasoning to convince the viewer, but sometimes custom fitted ads are used for a region in which certain issues are more prominent than in other regions, this is known as a filter bubble. There are also times when an ad will persuade individuals by simply making a promise, “I promise to lower taxes”, and many times these simple and strait forward tactics are the most effective but alone have no real pull on the viewer.

Another key element to creating a solid campaign commercial is the factual claims which are put into the commercial. As the name suggests, this is strictly about the facts (logos) in which the commercial is appealing to the logic which all people possess. Now you may believe that you can trust everything said in a commercial, its part of the FCC’s rules which allow for these commercials to air, right? No, the truth is that these commercial are allowed to stretch the truth as long as “most people” know what is really true. Commercials shouldn’t be taken as fact, but rather as a source to spark interest in the political process. This will in turn allow for individuals to do research and better understand the real issues going on.

The final key to a successful campaign commercial is the cinematic appeal of the commercial, or how well it is made. Be honest with yourself, would you rather watch a commercial with shaky camera work and poor lighting, or one that looks like Steven Spielberg made it? Cinematic appeal breaks down into four basic categories: lighting, camera work, sound quality, and the wow factor (special effects). The lighting aspect is very simple, if you can see the commercial while understanding the mood which the commercial is trying to make you feel just by the lighting, then this has good lighting. If the camera is clear and doesn’t make you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster, then the commercial has accomplished this as well. Sound quality is also very simple; if you can hear everything clearly then this is achieved. The special effects is tougher to do because this is often times based on budget of the commercial, so it is not necessary, but definitely helps when done right.

In conclusion, a solid campaign commercial is one which makes you feel something, convinces you, is truthful, and has good quality. There are not many top notch commercials but I have some commercials which incorporate some or all of the four factors well. So the next time you see a campaign commercial, ask yourself, is this a good one?

What Really is the Key to a Successful Campaign?

Throughout my time in Government & Economics at Parish, I have had the honor of delving into the operations of our government in America. I have learned so much about how our government functions and I have a much greater appreciation for government then I ever thought I would.  We were told at the beginning of the second trimester that we needed to become acquainted with our government in order to grow and become conscientious citizens. One of our activities in class that has helped me grow into a more assiduous citizen was the Campaign Commercials activity during our elections unit.

In this day and age, we live in a world solely based on technology. Campaign commercials and other forms of media and technology have always been a vital component during the election process, and are even more essential today. Campaign commercials can simply make or break a candidate’s vocation. Persuasion and music are two fundamental components that can aid in making a campaign commercial successful.

Picture from Jennings Social Media

Persuasion is to induce a belief by appealing to reason or understanding. Another form of persuasion is directly attacking the opponent. Campaign commercials are the candidate’s attempt at swaying the opinions of the general public in order to gain both support and votes. In Al Gore’s “Accountability” commercial from 2000, the issue projected throughout the ad is increasing the number of teachers in schools. The main idea of the ad is visibly evident. The central issue is projected clearly, while the importance of the issue, smaller class sizes and more interaction between students and teachers, is stressed systematically throughout. In Nixon’s “McGovern Defense” commercial from 1972, Nixon demonstrates and discusses very methodically, every single flaw of the McGovern Defense Plan.  This form of persuasion, of attacking the opponent, is a brilliant way of gaining support. Persuasion is probably the most important tactic in creating a successful campaign commercial.

Equally as important as persuasion, is the use of music throughout a commercial. In Reagan’s “Prouder, Stronger, Better” commercial, the first thing I notice is the music in the background. The music in this commercial evokes a sense of hope and a sense of pride in America. By creating music that creates emotional sentiment, the audience is instinctively drawn. Senator McCain’s “Ambition” commercial from 2008 provokes a different kind of emotion from the music. The music in this commercial evokes a sense of fear and worry in Obama’s plans and ideas. This kind of emotional effect is equally as commanding when used appropriately.

As demonstrated above, the different motives within campaign commercials all have the same intention in mind – to accumulate as many votes as possible. Successful campaign commercials are the ones that sway the general public and gather the most votes. This activity has really helped me understand how important campaign commercials are to the election process.

Acknowledgements:

Picture:  http://www.jenningssocialmedia.com/blogged/social-networking-friends-politics-facebook-ads-work-political-candidates-favor/attachment/social-media-political-260/

How Campaign Commercials are Convincing You

            I have always found the presidential election an exciting time of political competition.  I like to see how each candidate displays their viewpoints and attacks other candidates.  In America today, it is apparent that technology shapes our world and candidates have taken that greatly into account.  Many political parties use campaign commercials in order to win voters’ support.  I have always found the commercials amusing, but not until my time spent in government class did I consider what the producers and campaigners consider while creating the ads.   The short commercials often address the points of emotion, persuasion, factual claims, and cinematic style in order to arouse audiences and win supporters for a candidate.

            With technology today, it is easy to add things to a commercial, which will catch the audience’s emotions.  Music is very important.  A song with a beat that is loud and rhythmic provides a feeling of security and determination.  A viewer may be engaged in the commercial because they can feel the candidate has a positive strength because of the music, which is what they are looking for in a candidate.  In Mccain’s “Freedom” campaign, the music provides a sense of encouragement and a positive attitude, which many Americans would find appealing in a candidate.  Another example of catching viewers’ emotions is when the commercial contains a picture or clip, which people would awe over.  For example in Romney’s “Better” commercial, a baby is used in order to catch the audience’s attention.  The baby is cute and innocent, which causes people to be on the side of the baby.  Therefore, the commercial producers make the candidate’s views coordinate with the baby in order to win supporters.  Emotional appeals can be a key way in catching people’s attention.

 Wouldn’t this baby catch your emotional appeal? (“Better”)

            Persuasion is a set of beliefs, where in campaigns, the candidates try to sway their opinions and gain votes from people with their same beliefs.  In order to win votes, the candidates must convince their audience.  The commercials include information that proves how the candidate is the best choice.  In Gore’s “Accountability” campaign commercial from 2000, Gore provides reasons why education is a very important issue.  The commercial provides information that people should pick him because he is dedicated to improve education by lowering class sizes.  Persuasion is probably the most important style.

            Next, the objective, factual claims, is used to show if a candidate is truly committed to what they tell people their viewpoints and goals are.  The campaign commercials are able to prove this by providing examples of what they have already done in the past that support their future goals.  For example, in Obama’s Early Childhood Education video, facts are provided to show Obama can be trusted in what he says he will do.  The commercial provides, “Barack Obama promised to invest in early childhood education,” and then it shows that he kept his promise because he “enabled the head start & early head start programs to serve an additional 61,000 children and their families”.  A campaign commercial is able to provide evidence of how a candidate is truthful, which viewers would not have thought about until seeing the commercial.

            Lastly, cinematic style is how the filming is edited to please audiences.  The different styles include voice-overs, pictures, video transition, etc., which help keep audiences interested.  In Bush’s commercial in 2004, the cinematic style creates a comedic commercial.  The music helps create the tone of hypocrisy.  By using clips of the wind surfer going back and forth, people are able to understand how Kerry often changes his mind.  The cinematic style helps enforce ideas and make the main ideas clearer.

            As hopefully seen, the different motives all have the same goal in mind: to win the candidate votes in the election.  In the end of the day, the commercials are successful if they are able to convince voters.  Many of the campaigns become very competitive and will talk bad about the other candidates in order to make themselves look better.  In my opinion, I believe using emotion, persuasion, factual claims, and cinematic style is the best way for a candidate to prove himself.

Persuasion is key

One thing that really interested me in government this third trimester was the campaigning that potential candidates used and how much more work they have to put in for advertising to the voters. The reason this interested me the most was that there is so much more to advertising and campaigning then I thought there was.

Potential candidates running for president have many support groups. Those support groups jobs are to go around to neighborhoods and people that could be a potential voter and make sure they vote for that specific candidate. I liked this idea because I thought the people who were trying to get you to vote for that candidate were friendly, normal people who genuinely wanted you to vote. Whether they were democratic or republican they would try to go to the people who were called “swing voters” and make sure that they persuaded them in any way to vote for their candidate. The reason they do this is because those votes could be extremely important to their candidate for winning.

 The candidate has probably had other advertisements such as televised advertisements, on the radio, and public speaking, but that is not always enough for them to have a definite win. These people who go out and try to win the peoples votes have to be persuasive and friendly. They go in confident and try to get that person to vote for their candidate. I think that this way of advertising is a good idea for the candidate. As much as the person being persuaded might not want someone advertising their candidate, it is a huge help if they can at least get some people that were unsure of who they were voting for to vote for their person.

 Since this way of campaigning is one on one most likely it is very personal and this is helpful for the swing voter to decide who to vote for. This way of getting votes is very helpful for the candidate and I think it should be also used in future elections.