The Media II

12/5/2011

Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form

• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:– discuss and critically analyze political events in the

United States government– students will be able to identify and explain the

role of informal institutions and their effect on policy.

Office Hours and Readings

• Pp 130-151• Office Hours– Tuesday – 8:00-8:30, 9:30-10:00– Wednesday- 8:00-10:30

DEBATES

Presidential Debates

• A Recent Phenomenon

• General Strategies

• Do not screw up

Why Candidates Like these

• A chance for exposure

• A chance for Legitimacy

• A chance to move in the polls

Presidential Debates

• Who Wins (the leader in the polls)

• The Person who doesn’t make a mistake

• Does it matter?

Presidential Debates

• Win by not losing

• What don't you want to do? – The 1960 Debate– Look ancient– Seem heartless– You are no Jack Kennedy– Eastern Europe is Free– The Global Test– Adm. James Stockdale

• Blind , Deaf, Dumb

THE MEDIA STRATEGY

The Media Strategy

• Getting the Message Out– Paid Advertisements

– Free Press

• You campaign for votes and you campaign for media by getting free coverage

• Avoid cannibalizing

Getting Free Press

• Having your message get covered by the media

• You can reach a wide audience and It is not costing you money

• This is fully mediated

Maximizing Free Coverage

• Create a package

• Convey a winning message

• Shape an Image

Maximizing Free Coverage

• Don’t Say too Much

• Repeat the Few Basic Points

• Bad Press is Bad Press

POLITICAL ADVERTISING

Political Advertising

• Unmediated

• Protected by First Amendment

• Why So Popular?

Targeting Ads and their Effect

• Uncommitted voters vs Partisans

• When are they Most Effective?

• Ads are a sign of political viability

Why you try to get

Candidate Credibility

• We have to trust the messenger

• Issue Ownership

• Try to focus on your best issue

Getting More Votes

• Delivering a positive message about your candidate (mobilizing)

• Deliver a negative message about the opposition (mobilizing/demobilizing)

Biographical Ads

• Inform us about the Candidate

• Very important early in the campaign

Examples of Bio Ads

• We have Come A long Way since Ike

• Bio Ads in 2008– Obama bio ad – McCain bio ad

• What you do not want to say

Issue Ads

• Focus on a specific issue or a policy area

• Associate yourself with favorable policies

• Do not mention issue weakness

Examples of Issue Ads

• The Bear in the Woods in 1984

• Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris...

• Hillary Clinton- Attack/Issue Ad

• The Herman Cain “Smoking” Ad

Attack Ads

• The Norm Rather than the Exception

• The Mother of all Attack Ads

The Effect of Attack ads on voters

• Some voters become disenchanted and disaffected

• Your Base Loves them!

How Effective are these

• If they didn’t work, candidates wouldn’t run them

• The Lessons of 1988– The Revolving Door

– Willie Horton

Why They Work and Who uses them more

• We don’t trust politicians

• They are more memorable and informative

• Challengers and vulnerable incumbents use them

Do Not Give your Opponent Ammo

• Never go to a Playboy Party

• Don’t Drive a Tank with a big helmet

• Gee, thanks a lot IKE

• The Defining Sound bite of 2008

How To Deal with them

• Defend the Charges– Kerry Flip-Flopping on the issues – The Kerry Rebuttal

• Counterattack on the same issue or up the ante- The Puppy Ad

• Attack the Credibility of your opponent

How not to deal with them

• Do Nothing– The Initial Ad– Swiftboats– Kerry’s rebuttal to swiftboats?

• If you get Punched in the nose, you must punch back

How the attack can backfire

• If you are seen as being too evil

Ads Can Backfire

• You do it too late to make a difference

• You bring a knife to a gun fight