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[lucasframos-blog]

Political Campaigning and Fracking

My classmate Zach Piper's topic is seemingly unrelated to mine, however there are parallels. His topic is about how politicians use ads to try to sway the general public, which relates to fracking because politicians attempt to convince the public that fracking is not as dangerous as some say it is. This is not only limited to fracking, but some politicians attempt to claim harmful side affects of renewable energies such as wind and solar power. Politicians attempt to convince us of the benefits of fracking, and deny its negative affects, so that the economy can continue to thrive. Politicians also support fracking companies because they help contribute to their campaign funds, and politicians want to get elected more than anything.

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This is a pretty goofy rendition of an effective negative campaign ad.  It is from the movie The Campaign featuring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.  Obviously it takes the idea to a comical extreme but their motivation had to come from somewhere and I think  it's fair to say the writers of this film share the same disdain for these ads that I do.

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A classmate of mine named Lucas is in charge of a blog that is anti fracking.  Fracking is becoming an increasingly popular issue for activists and politicians alike.  I found this ad that isn't a politician, is legendary singer James Taylor, but is the same idea of how negative advertising can be so effective.  Seeing a beloved celebrity calmly express the negative effects of fracking can make people change their minds.  It's a powerful tool that isn't just used when people want to get votes.

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Young Adult Blog

This is a message for all of my tween followers.  Not to long from right now, you will be a registered voter in the United States.  This is a big deal considering the amount of people in other countries give their lives for that right.  That being said, this happens when you are 18 because that is the agreed upon age for when young adults like ourselves can decide for ourselves and voice our opinion.  Deciding on that opinion is tough, and people will assuredly try to suede you one way or another.  Do not let those people be faces on TV.  They are phonier than their promises in campaign speeches.  Being persuaded by a negative ad only adds to the problem at hand.  Do your own research, and form your own conclusion.  Try and change the channel when they come on, they aren't worth it.

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"We live in a world where finding fault in others seems to be the favorite blood sport. It has long been the basis of political campaign strategy. It is the theme of much television programming across the world. It sells newspapers. Whenever we meet anyone, our first, almost unconscious reaction may be to look for imperfections."- Henry B. Eyring Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/campaign.html#231Im82LJh5LObRm.99

This is a quote by Henry B. Eyring, he is currently the first counselor to the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  While I don't recognize with his religious affiliation I think he hit it on the head when discussing the issues surrounding negative advertising.  He is a political figure, who faces far less public attention, but nonetheless he has likely experienced the effects of this.  I think his words are a perfect description of why we see what we do.

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Class Ask

mcassano6696:

You show a lot more negative ads than positive ads on your blog, and I was just wondering personally, do these negative ads sway your vote more than positive ones, or do ads not really have an impact on you at all.

This is definitely one of my concerns going into this blog, because I think it might be me just blowing off steam about some of these ads.  But when it comes down to it, the attack ads are certainly the ones people want to see and know more about because if we are being honest, they are far more interesting.  Hence, their popularity.  I personally do not get swayed by these ads because I have fairly strong political views but there are millions of Americans that are on the fence and it is safe to say that these types of ads help win elections.  If they didn't, they wouldn't exist.

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This was pretty easy for me.  Political cartoons are incredibly similar to political ads.  They usually focus on an attack in some way but are often more creative to say the least.  This is one attacking Obama's gun control policy.  Slightly racist and has an interesting portrayal of an Obama voter but it's point is very clear, and if someone close to the issue saw it, it could potentially sway them.  I guess...

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Interview with Roomate

Q: During the last October, during one hour of television how many political ads would you estimate you would see?

A: Probably 3 or 4 at least.

Q: Were these ads, in general, positive as in "here is what I can do for you" or negative as in "here is why this person will ruin you"?

A: It seemed like it was either all negative or a split between negative towards the opponent with a counter, positive argument presented afterwards.

Q: Did you really pay attention to these ads?

A: If I'm not talking to anyone or on my phone, then yeah I guess I'm forced to pay attention.

Q: Were there any ads or points made within them that influenced your decision when voting?

A: No, in most cases I was already decided or set enough that an attack ad wouldn't sway me.  In a lot of cases they attacked opinions or policies I cared about less then other things I liked about the other candidate.