As I was observing the videos on the website "The Living Room Candidate" I stumbled upon a video in particular that caught my eye. I have always had an interest in John F. Kennedy. At 43, he was the youngest man to ever be elected as the President of the United States. His youth is apparent in this television ad in particular. I have never seen such a jubilant, upbeat, jingle - or even any jingle for a presidential candidate - ever! Although his age would normally be considered a weakness among voters, Kennedy used this to his advantage and turned the tables on his 1960 opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon. With quotes from the jingle saying, "Do you want a man for President who sees it through and through, but not so dog-gone seasoned that he won't try something new? A man who's old enough to know, and young enough to do?"
He made his age seem like a strength of his, remarking to his ease at change and ability to have the endurance to maintain his Presidential duties. This implies that Nixon may be too old for his position in comparison.
The images portrayed in this video were also very happy and youthful, further making the politician's point. The cheers in the video made it seem like others were also joyful and supportive of this vote.
Given, this advertisement was made in a time when the United States was thriving and was fairly peaceful in comparison to most other election years that had occurred. Kennedy appropriately recognized his audience and knew the way to get their attention.
Overall, this ad did a great job of putting its viewers in a considerably happier mood than the other ads I have seen that have been used to attack an opponent's views or past history. This jingle was extremely catchy and I found my feet tapping to the beat - wanting to run to the nearest voting booth and write the guy in for the 2012 election!
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Governor's Media Reception
On Wednesday of this past week, Governor Steve Beshear hosted the Governor’s Media Reception at Centre College for the Vice Presidential Debate taking place the following day. This event was held for each of the media outlets that traveled in to Danville, Kentucky to cover the events of the debate. One of the main sponsors for the debate, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA), provided much of the entertainment for the night. Each member of the KDA-owned Kentucky Bourbon Trail had booths set up with samples and memorabilia from the events of the week.
The hosts of the events are hopeful that the attendees have a great time because the media are regular guests to receptions similar to this. It is the hosts’ goal to make the event memorable, which is where the Kentucky Bourbon Trail members come in to play. Some of the members of KDA that had booths set up at the event were Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Bulleit, and Town Branch.
The governor himself spoke at the event, which was swarming with secret service agents. It was a great experience seeing each of the political figures and local news anchors in a somewhat casual atmosphere. As President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association joked, “I always knew the way to a reporter’s hearts is through their livers.”
Up In Smoke
The other day I saw a video from the events of September 11th that chilled me more than any other image had since that fateful day eleven years ago. The video was of the firsthand account of a family living within eye sight of the towers in the heart of New York City. When I say within eyesight, I should really say that they lived close enough to safely hear the crash, watch as the second plane hits the second tower, and react in a close but safe proximity while the aftermath of the crashes ensues.
All of the images of 9/11 that I have seen show the towers from an aerial view, and while enormity of the damage being done to the city is not overlooked, it seems much more impactful viewing the attack as an average bystander.
Throughout the video you hear the woman holding the camera commentating more or less on the events unfolding before her eyes.
I was ten years old on September 11th. Because of this, I didn’t fully understand the impact of the events of that day. Through the viewing of this video, as the smoke from the collapse surrounds the windows of the buildings, the solemnity of the day is visualized.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Romey: 1 Obama: defeated
Last night was the first presidential debate of the 2012 presidential election between President Barack Obama and the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. As Thursday morning has rolled around, many say that this debate has altered the narrative of the entire race.
As commentary for this debate has flooded in, a vast majority of pundits agree that Mitt Romney was the clear winner of the debate.
So what statement, observation, plan, or presence by the candidate constitutes the general voting public to declare a winner and loser in such a complicated issue?
Some would say it is a combination of all of the above, while others will purely judge a candidate on their physical presence in the debate. After viewing the debate myself, I found myself being drawn in to Mitt Romney’s discussion much more than President Obama’s. My guess is that much of the viewers of the debate felt a similar way.
From the beginning of the broadcast, Mitt Romney had a visible plan to answer all questions precisely and to make eye contact with the camera in order to make his presence felt in the homes of the families viewing the debate. Mitt Romney was extremely prepared to defend his own plans and to dissect President Obama’s current policies. Each time the President would state a negative impact a policy change from Romney’s campaign, Romney would respond with a level and descriptive defense. As the debate continued in this fashion, Romney seemed to become more confident as Obama became timid and somber. Governor Romney would look to Obama after proving his point and playfully smirk in his direction. As President Obama would listen to the opposing side, his head would dip down and he would rarely make eye contact with his competition. By the end of the debate, the President seemed defeated.
One continued remark that I would like to point out from the President was his apparent intention to compare himself to his opposition. When explaining his policies and hopes for the four years to come, President Obama would say ‘[Governor Romney] and I agree….’ on certain issues. In my opinion, as one of only two candidates, President Obama and Governor Romney should try to make themselves sound as opposite from each other as possible. They obviously have very differing views, and so President Obama’s comments, to me, make it seem like his is not confident enough in the policies that make his views so much different from his competitor’s.
It is the presence and the perceived preparation of the candidate that leads reporters to declare Romney the winner with less than half of the debate still left to unfold. It was what led me to choose Romney as the winner within minutes of turning the debate on.
In the end, we would like to think that the candidate with the best policies and genuine ideas for the country will win, but as the voting population watches these debates their intentions are transparent. The public is looking to see which candidate looks strongest, and use this observation to decide the winner of each debate. It is this, and only this, conclusion that will decide the fate of each candidate in November.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
News Parody Shows Serve as News Source for Most College Students
As September draws to a close and one month stands in the way of the quick approaching date of decision, it is difficult to avoid the looming presidential election. The television and media in particular have taken the liberty to be the informants of each political change over the past several months. With so many young adults connected to the media, it is hard to say that what the media puts out does not have an effect on a young voter’s decision.
At a recent fundraising banquet the Republican Presidential Nominee, Mitt Romney, was recorded discussing his views on the voting American public and their inclinations to vote certain ways depending on their economic status. In particular, he addressed the percent of population that does not pay income taxes to the federal government. The now infamous quote can be seen below.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it -- that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
Colbert continued with the one-sided coverage of the story by addressing the thoughts of Peggy Noonan, a well-known conservative writer for the Wall Street Journal, who has been quoted saying “It’s time to admit the Romney campaign is an incompetent one.”
Of course, this broadcast has been inserted with moments of hilarity as Colbert discusses important political topics to keep his viewers interested. This makes the show extremely enticing for the young voting republic. As a writer speaking purely out of observation, I want to discuss how this political image will impact the voting decisions of the young voter demographic comprised of mostly college students and young professionals.
The popular consensus among the American people is that several college aged voters are liberal thinkers. Many would argue that it is because a student becomes more rounded as an individual and will meet a variety of dissimilar minded people during their college days. In my opinion, pop culture plays an extensive role in the development of opinion among young people. Shows like The Colbert Report that are immensely popular among the younger generation as well as liberal-minded people will inevitable affect how these show’s viewers will perceive political candidates as well as the social and economic issues that surround them.
It seems to me that the act of voting has moved from an educated decision on who more accurately mirrors your views and goals for this country and rather, who is more popular among voters, and who is perceived as well-liked. Will the age of technology enhance or prove to be the downfall of our government as we know it? Only time will tell.
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