Political Advertising: Candidates for Sale Essay

The Internet has not diminished the importance of telly advertizements in presidential elections. The latter tolerates to be one of the most effective way of obtaining votes. In as short as 30 seconds, a television advertisement faecal matter convince voters more or less the competence and integrity of a particular scene. The advertisement sells the candidate with as much enthusiasm and savour as when it is selling products and services (Elliot, n. pag. ). However, policy-making advertisements atomic number 18 not without contention.Akin to all other forms of advertise, they atomic number 18 subjective. As they atomic number 18 ge bed towards selling circumstantial candidates, it is inevitable for governmental advertisements to present a bias point of view. Their subjectivity is sometimes obscured by horrible trappings that ar bombarded with images of the Statesn flags, the White accommodate and Mount Rushmore (Elliot, n. pag. ). Despite questions about their reli ability, political advertisements pull up stakes continue to be an indispensable part of presidential plays.Candidates in recent presidential elections have concentrate their television commercials on battleground states such as Ohio and Florida. This trend is expected to increase there argon already about 20 battleground states as of this year. In addition, presidential candidates Barack Obama (Democrat) and John McCain (republican) ar twain running nationwide advertisements (Elliot, n. pag. ). Political advertising was basic developed and used in the mid-19th century.In ramble to generate turnout, political parties during this period distributed buttons, banners and posters to voters at topical anaesthetic candidate rallies and at polling places on Election Day. only it was not until the advent of mass media in the twentieth century that political advertising was elevated to its rate of flow status. The first national beseech commercials were broadcasted through piano tuner in 1928 for presidential contenders Herbert Hoover (Republican) and Al smith (Democrat) (Elliot, n. pag. ).The arrival of television in 1952 increased the cardinality of political advertisements in presidential campaigns. In the same year, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower (nicknamed Ike) was promoted in animated commercials that bannered the catchy slogan I homogeneous Ike, tuning him into the first presidential candidate to step up in television advertisements. These were followed with short commercials empower Eisenhower Answers America, wherein Eisenhower was featured replying to questions from average voters about issues such as the rising cost of living and the Korean War.Eisenhower Answers America was frequently played during the commercial breaks of hit sitcoms like I Love Lucy, resulting in its instant popularity among voters. win presidential candidates followed suit, paying advertising firms millions of dollars to create catchier campaign advertisements for them (Elliot, n. pag. ). What makes political advertising effective is its ability to show information to a wide audience indoors a short period of time. Furthermore, the manner in which they transmit information often appeals to the emotions rather than the intellect.Candidates are packaged as capable and trustworthy leadership who entered public office to serve the ordinary citizen. Candidates are in like manner sometimes portrayed as the enormous-awaited alternate(a) to a useless incumbent regime. As a result, the latter often makes political advertisements appear as smear campaigns against political opponents. These negative political advertisements, however, are the types of advertisements that have the greatest impact on people. They loan an overly-simplistic, us-versus-them philosophy, which, in the process, does the looking for the voters.Consequently, negative political advertisements are very potent campaign materials. They reach everyone, including those who do not pa y much attention to the campaign (Elliot, n. pag. ). This need for mobility is the reason for political advertisings gradual shift from the television to the Internet. Websites such as YouTube. com (http//www. youtube. com) contain countless clips of political advertisements which people can access from virtually anywhere at any time.In addition, YouTube. om allows its members to post comments on the video clips that they viewed. In the context of political advertising, this can result in discussions that can help sharpen public perspicacity regarding politics and the electoral process. While negative political advertisements are effective in gaining votes, they are noisome to American society and politics in the long run. According to Mike Hughes, president of an advertising part in Richmond, Virginia, negative political advertisements are also untruthful.They often deceive voters by using power point effects and half-truths that make a candidate appear deserving of the positi on that he or she is aspiring for. Hughes was quick to add that this was not the fault of advertising agencies most political advertisements nowadays are created by political consultants who specialize in campaign commercials. distant advertising agencies, which face criminal prosecution in the event that they produce inaccurate pitches, these consultants are allowed by the First Amendment to create political spots as part of their right to free speech (Elliot, n. pag. ).The deceitful usage of political advertisements is very dangerous, as it sends the people, especially the youth, the message that the only way to disembowel leading in life is through lying. In addition, voters are tricked into voting leaders who will not think twice about resorting to deceptivey just to get what they want. A leader who got into power through dishonest means will most likely remain in power through dishonest means as well. Thus, there is a big chance that lying in political advertisements wi ll set ahead to violation of civil rights and liberties disguised as tax shelter of national security.