The political ads tend to annoy me. The short duration, carefully scripted presentations never answer the questions I want answered. In fact, they contain little of what I would regard as actual information. It almost seems that such ads are crafted to avoid offering specific information. This may be the case because small segments of such ads could be abstracted and used by opponents to offer counter claims.
I have decided that the election season provides a great opportunity to collect and analyze political ads. Perhaps such a task might serve as a way to develop general literacy skills. Here are a couple of personal observations.
1) Why are our politicians always “fighting?” They will, as our champions I assume, fight for higher taxes for the wealthy, lower taxes for us all, health care, protection for our children, etc. Why do they assume we will respond to what they would like to be represented as a competitive and combative environment? Maybe understanding the focus of the political process in this manner is the problem. Maybe the focus should be on getting things done, making progress, coming to an agreement, or some similar way of representing what is necessary to change things.
2) I am trying to understand what is really meant when a candidates suggests they will operate according to regional values. As in, “I will fight for our North Dakota values.” I live on the eastern border of North Dakota so I get confused by the messages touting both North Dakota and Minnesota values. Maybe those of us living near the border have somehow tainted our values by exposure to those of the nearby state. Actually, I am wondering if such values differ and I wonder if I would list the same list of values as most others from my state. Perhaps there is a bit of intended deception here. Maybe the intent is to suggest that I will represent your values and you know what your values are because you are a North Dakotan. It is kind of a “fill in the blank” claim and safer if there is never a need to be more specific.
3) Another thing that annoys me is the reference to longevity and generational attachment to the state. I was not born in North Dakota, but I have lived there for approximately 30 years. Does this mean I have less of an attachment to the state than some 25 year old politician who was born in the state and is running for the state legislature? Perhaps North Dakota values are in the water and there is a critical period for being influenced by such values that ends when one reaches the age of 2.
4) Another factor that seems to be prevalent in ND ads is imagery with a rural focus. Pictures that might show a candidate as a young girl “on the farm” or a candidate “hunting ducks” seem always to be worked in to a 30 second ad. Even in North Dakota, most folks don’t live on a farm and I would guess most are not hunters. I actually grew up on a farm, but that was in Iowa so I guess that does not count. I sometimes wonder if they dress these folks up in hunting gear, warn them which end of a gun is which, and find a nice rural scene to get a few pics. There must be some intersection between North Dakota values, multigenerational local heritage, and killing birds, but I cannot identify exactly what it is.
The examples I mention here may not apply in your area. Perhaps farm scenes are replaced with factory scenes. Perhaps a scene from a rural cafe is replaced with a scene from a city deli. I am guessing no one wants to claim being from the suburbs.
What does any of this have to do with real issues? I assume the intent is to help voters identify with candidates and then hope that assumptions regarding common interests (values) follow. Why not simply make clear statements regarding how you stand on specific issues? Is it that there is not enough time to explain anything in 30 seconds? Is it that specific positions get candidates in trouble because voters will identify points of disagreement? I don’t know, but it does bother me that what works, I assume candidates are getting expert advice on what works, offers so little actual information and assumes so very little of those who consume these efforts to influence. Maybe students are the place to start.
What types of imagery are used in ads supporting a candidate vs. attack ads? How is language selected? Are the ads offered by competing candidates allowing voters to understand how candidates stand on the same issues? Make up your own questions.
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