Media Coverage in 2008

Clearly Stated Learning Objectives

• Examine the 2008 Election in the broader context of American electoral history

• Identify and describe the formal and informal institutions involved in the electoral process at the Presidential level

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

• Unmediated

• Protected by First Amendment

• Why So Popular?

Targeting Ads and their Effect

• Uncommitted voters vs Partisans

• When are they Most Effective

• Who is most swayed?

Candidate Credibility

• We have to trust the messenger

• Issue Ownership– http://wiscadproject.wisc.edu/historic-ads/not_o

n_welfare_3389.rm

• Try to focus on your best issue

Getting More Votes

• Delivering a positive message about your candidate– http://wiscadproject.wisc.edu/historic-ads/i_have

_done_my_best_3300kb.rm

• Deliver a negative message about the opposition– http://wiscadproject.wisc.edu/historic-ads/daisy_

girl_3189kb.rm

Types of Ads

• Biographical– http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/2004/heart – http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/familychildren

– http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/2008/country-i-love

• Issue Ads– http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1984/bear

• Ads are a sign of viability

Attack Ads

• The Norm Rather than the Exception

• The Lessons of 1988– http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/revolving-door

– http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1988/willie-horton

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 basic strategies– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yr7odFUARg&feature=related – http://wiscadproject.wisc.edu/historic-ads/school_1667kb.rm

Why They Work and Who uses them more

• We don’t trust politicians

• They are more memorable

• Challengers and vulnerable incumbents

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

• Attack the Credibility of your opponent

How not to deal with them

• Do Nothing– 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