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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Nice entry. Actually, youth has become a tried and true political strategy. It was used very effectively by both Clinton and Obama. It clearly something that has become more and more of an asset rather than liability, especially as the young people have become more engaged in politics.
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