Christine O'Donnell proclaimed on television that she was me. I reacted the way many political observers of all stripes did: with doubled over, thigh-slapping laughter. The ad was funny because I know more about Ms. O'Donnell than I want to. A friend, a furniture mover by trade, however, had a Homer Simpson like "duh" stare when I showed the ad to him. He didn't know who she was or why I found it funny.
It occurred to me, after a feast of mockery, that Fred Davis, the political media consultant credited with the ad, had to have a positive purpose in mind:
"I wanted people to get to know the real Christine," Davis said in an interview. He said the ad was designed to show "that she was not what everyone thought, that she was an everywoman - with one exception. She was one of us, but was so disappointed in our government that she was moved to action, to try and do something about it."
Modern American politics is mainly a business of advertising, mainly on television, and mainly with the point of convincing voters that the person in the ad is or is not "one of us." Put aside two questions: the first being whether we should really want one of us governing a large and complex nation, and the second being about the success of the "witch" ad on this question. There is another pressing question of whether television is the best forum to communicate politically with voters. It is an important question to consider because it goes to the very heart of how our democracy functions.
Buying time to communicate a message on television is expensive. This leads politicians to spend hours and hours per day raising money instead of doing the people's business. Now, considering how much money one needs to communicate via television, it simply makes sense to get it from those who have a lot of money rather than those who don't. You can connect the dots to see what happens next. Especially when incumbents have a far more advantageous position over challengers, primarily because of the ability to afford television ads.
Let's go back to the witch ad. Does this ad make a convincing case that Christine O'Donnell is "everywoman?" If not, what would? Pictures of her with a handsome, successful, square-shouldered husband? Tow-headed children playing in a large, lush green front yard? Speaking boldly at a retirement center? Wearing a hard hat while chatting up construction workers? Donning safety goggles at a factory? Or, perhaps her smacking the head of a balding half-slob wearing a New Jersey Health Clubs t-shirt while ensconced in a Lay-Z-Boy is more "you." How would you react to seeing a political ad that was far more Married With Children than Cosby Show? These political ads do not really tell us anything about these people at all, but rather project the image of the ideal leader "everyperson" wants or wants to be. So when Christine O'Donnell say she's you, what she really means is that she is what you should want to be.
None of the problems with political advertising on television are paired with simple solutions, but I would like to propose some basic rules for viewers of ads:
- No matter which politician or their political stripe, any politician looking directly into the camera is hiding something sinister.
- Be wary of a non-political spouse speaking on camera during an ad. It means two heads are now plotting how to sucker you rather than one.
- For negative ads, ignore the typed-out writing or newspaper clips designed to draw your attention away from the citations and/or caveats in small letters at the bottom of the screen.
- No matter how charming, funny, agreeable, or likable the advertisement, remember you are being played. Even if the ad comes during your favorite show and you agree with the basic point.
- Whenever you hear the politician say "I'm so and so and I approve this message," mentally cancel out so and so's name and insert the biggest, most powerful industry in your state. So for me, "I'm Wall Street and I approve this message."
Maybe if we stopped watching the ads, or watched them more critically, we could lessen their effectiveness and thus the demand for their creation.
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