May 2012
32 posts
There's an [interactive graphic] for that
Okay, I admit, not as catchy as the beloved “there’s an app for that,” but it has a place these days in political communication via internet. I like to stay politically informed, but often I get caught up in the fast pace of my college life and don’t have time to shift through a large breadth of political coverage to know as much as I would like to about an election. Over the last several...
Negativity in 2012
Negative advertising has shown to be effective in harming the images of candidates and showing what some viewers might perceive as flaws and inconsistencies in candidates’ views but has also shown a correlation with decreasing negative advertising. According to scholars Wattenberg and Brians, “the intent of most negative commercials is to convert votes by focusing on an issue that the sponsoring...
Women at home and in the Public Sphere
In light of the comments about Romney’s wife not working and the conservative uproar saying the left doesn’t respect stay-at-home moms, I thought I’d take a look at motherhood and conservative politics.
Women have been in conservative politics much longer than I thought. In fact, huge groups of women rallied around the campaign against women’s suffrage before the 19th...
Biography on Obama: Good or Bad?
A new biography of Obama is coming out in June, and Obama’s campaign staff is worried about it, according to a POLITICO article this morning.
You see, Obama has created a powerful story with his two memoirs — one of hope and transcendence of race and class boundaries, one that encapsulates Obama as the epitome of America in this moment of tension. America is mixed and financially struggling...
Political Dogs
Presidential candidates often face questions and inquiries about their families. They don’t often get asked about their dogs. But it’s 2012, and Mitt Romney and President Obama’s dogs have become part of the discourse surrounding this election. It started when the press latched onto the story of how, on a family road trip in 1983, Romney put his dog’s crate on top of the van roof in order to save...
Ron Paul is Taking Over...Well Kind of
Ron Paul is in a unique place. Because of his philosophy of limited government, his followers are devoted solely to him. While at many conventions Romney backers are split between numerous would-be delegates, Paul has supporters who follow his unique, libertarian leanings and are faithful to him as their potential presidential nominee. In fact, at state conventions around the country his...
Goliath vs. An even bigger Goliath
Throughout the primary election season Mitt Romney has been the “Goliath in a field of Davids. He is wealthier, more organized and more experienced than all of his challengers. But now, he is shifting his focus to the president. Now that he has all but won the nomination, his mind can shift from defeating little Davids, to defeating an incumbent president; no big deal. Obama’s campaign in 2008 was...
White House Correspondents Dinner
On April 28, government officials, members of the press and celebrities gathered for the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. The dinner is meant to recognize excellence in journalism and allow the press and the president to interact in a friendly and entertaining environment. The evening provides several opportunities for an incumbent candidate such as President Obama. Traditionally,...
Hillary Clinton’s Newfound Popularity
by Hannah Davis
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is enjoying something of a renaissance these days. The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll shows her approval rating at an all-time high of 65 percent. Texts From Hillary has become a wildly popular website and meme; the posts paint Clinton as powerful, funny and admired by both politicians and celebrities. Photos of Clinton drinking and dancing...
Sacred and Non-Sacred Rhetoric
This article details two speeches made by Romney and Obama in Washington, D.C. The speeches were made two days apart and outlined “their visions for the nation’s future.” With careful inspection, one can see the different rhetorical styles the two candidates employed.
Following Morgan Marietta’s ideas in this article, Romney was using sacred language. Characterized by...
Amendment One: The Final Countdown
With just days until the May 8th primary election, the controversy over the proposed North Carolina Amendment One is heating up, or should I say becoming even more heated than it has been, which is saying something. I would venture to say that this is the most divisive and highly contentious issue on the ballot.
According to a recent poll, 55 percent of North Carolinians intend to vote...
Where to go from here?
The most common question that seems to come up around the end of the primary season is ‘where will the candidates go from here?’ What I mean is how will the policies change to cater to a larger general electorate now that the primary season is winding down. It is a very well known and common practice among candidates; normally a candidate chooses more radical policies during the primary election...
Brand Identity and Political Loyalty
I have been focusing on the brand identity of political candidates for most of my posts because I feel that a candidate needs to establish a certain personal brand in a political campaign. I think that a political candidate should be marketed just like a business when it comes to his or her constituents. It allows potential voters to learn more about the candidate than just their policies, which...
Campaign office openings and party strategies in...
North Carolina, as a battleground state in the presidential election, has been a hot topic in the media as both the democrats and the republicans make their case for who would best serve as commander-in-chief. One of the most recent political figures to toss around the Tar Heel State’s name was Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Priebus declared North Carolina to be...
Romney and Social Media
Does Mitt Romney need to step up his social media game? Based on this Mashable article, it definitely seems like it. In a look at the “social showdown” between President Obama and Romney, it’s clear Obama has the edge. His Facebook fan page is immensely more popular than Romney’s, as is his Twitter feed (15 million followers to 500,000), Google+ page, and YouTube channel.
Considering how...
Campaigning with the First Lady
By Kasey El-Chayeb
Like many other presidential spouses, Michelle Obama has helped to evolve the role of First Lady. Over time, the duties of this position have changed from being White House hostess to far more; a campaign surrogate and an advocate for specialized causes. Being a first lady is one position in politics that changes to fit the woman who holds it. This week, the First Lady headed to...
N.C. Business and DNC Digital Media
National party conventions garner extensive media attention and require a significant amount of resources and planning in order for the event to be considered successful. And despite the changing role of conventions, research suggests they are still an important element of modern presidential campaigns. Conventions still have the power to sway voter opinions in favor of a candidate and provide a...
More than a Slogan
“Change we can believe in” or simply “Change.” These words mark one of the memorable political campaign slogans in our nation’s history. It wasn’t memorable simply because it was associated with the first African American presidential hopeful or because it was attached to a larger than life character. It was because Barack Obama became the agent of change. The slogan was more than a rallying...
Hillary Clinton's New Image
Yesterday, the hot topics on the home page of Politico were Marco Rubio, Bob Woodward, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and… Jason Segel.
It’s not that the TV star is running for office — the reason Segel made headlines was that Hillary Clinton wrote him a personalized note to decline appearing with him on the big screen. She said she was, as one might imagine, “a little occupied at the...
Romney Reaches out to Women
Recent polls show that women favor Obama to Romney 58 to 38 percent, so it’s no surprise Romney is now reaching out to the ladies in attempt to gain favor among this specific demographic. His approach in doing this is interesting, but there is no proof just yet that this approach is going to be successful.
Romney is using “war on women” rhetoric against Democrats, a phrase originally coined by...
Is Being Cool a Bad Thing?
Is being too cool a bad thing? According to Mitt Romney, it is. After his opponent appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and is scheduled to appear with Jimmy Kimmel this weekend, Romney has begun framing the president as a cool guy, but is raising questions concerning his ability to lead a country.
Obama has the celebrity status that few other presidents have seen in the past. His election in...
Religion and the Election
A recent Gallup poll revealed that Mitt Romney is the favored candidate among those who consider themselves “very religious,” meaning that their religion is a very important part of their daily life and that they regularly attend church, synagogue or mosque. Romney has a 17 point lead among the “very religious,” but then starts to trail behind Obama among the “moderately religious”...
A better (more antagonistic) America Start Tonight
Republicans in Manchester, New Hampshire, roared as Mitt Romney took the stage on April 24th. He greeted the audience with a firm message, “A better America starts tonight.” However, unlike Obama at UNC-Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Romney didn’t solely hide behind policy to demonstrate his image. Although he did talk about economic reform, decentralization of government and Obamacare,...
John Kerry and the Obama Campaign
As the general election became the focus of political figures and the media in the past few weeks, there has been much discussion of Romney and Obama surrogates. However, all surrogates are not made equal.
Sen. John Kerry, who has been a strong advocate of the Obama Administration for years, has recently taken a more proactive and pubic approach to his support for the president. Kerry has...
Advertising Backlash: Using Emotional Appeals
By Kasey El-Chayeb
Barack Obama released a new wave of television and online advertisements last week. One in particular, featuring Bill Clinton and a narrative about Obama’s actions in tracking down Osama Bin Laden, has received heavy criticism. The advertisement, which employs traditional fear appeals in reference to national security, has been called “despicable.”Additionally, some of the...
Obama's Visit as a Ritual Occasion
As I analyze Obama’s speech and visit to UNC last Tuesday, I cannot help but to put the occasion in Jeffery Alexander’s terms. This was most certainly a “ritual occasion” that created “performative power”. Before even arriving, the President had emotionally engaged the audience. After lining up at 5 a.m. and standing inside for almost two hours, students chanted...
Men that Lead and their Leading Ladies
By: Jordan Michalik
Men have been trying to court women for as long as anyone can remember, whether it is in friendship, romance or even for their vote. Once women entered the political scene they became another coveted demographic for politicians to win over. This demographic has recently become increasingly more important in political elections and some have even argued that women have...
Nobody Likes Being Branded as a Flip-Flopper
The 2012 political race is beginning to heat up now that the primary season is coming to an end. I ran across a blog posted on ABC News yesterday that focused on flip-flopping political stances. The blog post looks at what is happening between Obama and Romney.
According to the blog, when Obama made a comment in 2007 about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, Romney responded by saying that his...
Does all this economy talk really matter?
Paul Krugman wrote a column this week in The New York Times titled “Wasting Our Minds.” The column was basically a criticism of conservative policies that prioritized short-term budget issues over the future of the country and its economy: the young.
The candidates are up in arms about the economy, and right now, the most salient issue (especially for us) is student loans, which are about to...
Astroturfing - Artificially Building Support that...
Iyengar talks about how campaigns influence the media’s agenda through things like the Adwatch phenomenon (Daisy Ad, Willie Horton). This time, I’d like to apply the adwatch/agenda theory to a subject from an earlier tumblr entry—Facebook advertising.
Candidates’ innovative use of the web and social media have been newsworthy stories ever since Howard Dean’s ill-fated...
What is political conversation?
Schudson’s “Why Conversation is not the Soul of Democracy” is another reading that challenged what I have been in school. Similar to the way Iyengar challenged traditional conceptions of the media as the Agenda-setter or Gatekeeper, I saw Schudson’s critique of conversation’s role in Democracy to be a challenge to another well-received communication theory- Milton’s Marketplace of Ideas.
The idea...
Obama moves "Forward"
Monday morning, the Obama re-election campaign released a video ad that revealed a new slogan for the 2012 election: “Forward.”
The video itself is well-edited, persuasive, and full of statistics that plead Obama’s case. It appeals to many of the demographics the campaign is aiming to entice — women, the middle-class, young voters — and has been hailed by the Obama camp as “an important...
Obama's Image
By Britton Alexander
Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama visited Chapel Hill. In front of a crowd of 8,000 people, he spoke of higher education and student loans. From many individuals’ points of view, the speech was just about policy and his campaign to extend legislation that lowered student-loan interest rates. With Chancellor Holden Thorp and student Dominique Garland introducing the...
April 2012
30 posts
Media Game - Where do political stories come from?
Iyengar’s writing “The Media Game” was of special interest to me, given mass communication theories I have learned at UNC. I have always heard of the media as the “gatekeeper” and its role in the agenda setting theory. The media acts as a gatekeeper by controlling, to a certain extent, which stories/groups get their message out. Similarly, the agenda setting theory...
Marketing the 'Brand Obama'
When it comes to marketing a political candidate like a business, President Obama paved the way for future political candidates running for president. Political marketing theory focuses on showing candidates the benefits to using traditional brand marketing techniques in their political campaigns. The theory works really well to help candidates establish a set identity with their constituents...
President Obama Visits UNC Chapel Hill To...
UNC Chapel Hill was extremely busy last week preparing for the President’s visit on Tuesday April 23. The events included a speech by the president and a special guest appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I was given a great opportunity to work as a press volunteer for the event, which pretty much meant that I helped keep the press contained in their designated area until the conclusion...
Celebrity Endorsements
In an article for the Daily Beast, famous author Stephen King jumped on the Buffet Rule bandwagon today, announcing his thoughts on why the wealthy should pay more in taxes.
It’s been about two weeks since the Buffet Rule was tabled, but the Democrats have vowed to bring it up again later, so King’s article is a nice reminder that the bill is not dead and neither is the greater push for decreased...
GOP Veepstakes
Bailey Chu
In a segment of “Meet the Press,” last Sunday, David Gregory asked the roundtable who Romney will pick as his vice presidential running mate, and the roundtable gave answers that generally reflect the long-term notions about how candidates choose their VPs. This is basically their analysis of each potential candidate.
Marco Rubio—Too green and not emotionally ready, though, he could...
Obama, young voters and polls
By Sonia Alvarez
There are currently around 309 millions of citizens in the US. Around 207 million of them can vote and more than 50 million are under 30 year old. The last group are Mr. Obama’s main target during his 2012 presidential campaign.
Probably one of the most popular presidents in the history of the United States, Barack Obama convinced a considerable percentage (66%) of young...
What Obama is Doing to Woo Latino Voters
By Kasey El-Chayeb
Barack Obama’s advertising efforts stood out during his 2008 campaign for the presidency. In addition to setting record ad sales, the “Campaign for Change” spent approximately $20 million on Latino outreach efforts (Abrajano, p.147). His campaign incorporated multiple efforts to court Latino voters, including advertising on the leading Spanish language network, Univision....
The Vice Presidential Fight Club
With Mitt Romney’s new position as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, much of the discussion on his campaign has begun to focus on potential vice presidential candidates. From New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the possibilities are extensive. One perceived frontrunner is Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who remains on many short...
Back Stage Passes
By: Jordan Michalik
One of the most sought after tickets for a concert are the backstage passes. Who wouldn’t want to go behind the scenes of a major concert and potentially get to meet the rock stars themselves? The Republican National Convention is giving every American the chance to do just that this year as of April 13, 2012, by naming Google & YouTube the official social platform and...
Do VP Candidates Actually Matter?
With the increased speculation over Mitt Romney’s choice for vice-presidential candidate, it’s easy to think the media firestorm means the selection will have a significant impact on the election this fall. For example, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio could help Romney increase his appeal to Hispanic voters (though there’s been much debate over Rubio’s actual pull). As an alternative, Ohio Sen. Rob...
Characteristics to look for in a running...
Lauren Stange
Since it has become clear that Mitt Romney will be the Republican presidential candidate in the upcoming 2012 presidential election, then next big question is who Romney will pick to be his running mate. As in every presidential election, the press tries to speculate who candidates will pick. Studies have been conducted that try to pinpoint factors that predict which...
The POTUS at UNC!
By Bailey Chu
On what was probably the best day of my entire life, Jimmy Fallon hosted President Obama for a live recording of his show, “Late Night”, here at UNC. Earlier that day, the president gave a policy speech urging Congress not to let interest rate cuts on Stafford student loans expire. Later, he continued with this message, delivering it at two other universities in Colorado and Iowa...
Entertainment Talk Shows and Voter Opinion
Lauren Stange
President Obama’s appearance on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show prompted a few news outlets, such as Politico, to mention notable times throughout recent history that presidential candidates appeared on late night entertainment talk shows. The most memorable moments were not because of a political comment or controversy that occurred on the show, but were instead...
Facebook Advertising and a Fractured Political...
I recently had an internship assignment to research the possibility of Facebook advertising for one of our clients. What I uncovered was a highly targeted advertising structure designed to show messages to users that are most likely to engage with them. This approach of showing people what they want minimizes cognitive dissonance and is common throughout online advertising. The main advantage...
Tea Party impact in the Republican Primary
Our reading about the Tea Party offers an interesting view on how the Tea Party movement made its mark in and around the 2010 election. It states that activism is the greatest way the movement has influence, and backs up this claim with examples of Tea Partiers having having tangible effects. For example, Republicans in districts with high levels of Tea Party activism did better relative to other...
He was and is different
Obama may not be a perfect president but it is clear that he is loved by a lot of people both in the United States of America and abroad.
His 2008 campaign has been studied since then as an example of how to use social media to engage with people and get them to trust a “brand”. In this case, the brand was Barack Obama, the first black president in the history of the United States, someone...
Marco Rubio, Republicans, and Latinos
By Kasey El-Chayeb
Republicans who have expressed concern over their party’s standing with Latino voters may have found a new shining star in Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is a Latino and a first generation American. Rubio served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Recently, Rubio was named one of TIME’s 100 Most...
