Analyzing media used by presidential campaigns - Term Paper Example

Even with this, many critics often oversee the main underlying issues of any political campaign but, they target the appearances and characters of the politicians and the way the political ads are advertised. They claim that bad advertisement is the sole factor which demeans all the major issues that surround a political campaign. It is also said that the way a campaign is aired on television by the media has made a political event into a popularity contests and has the result of candidates becoming slaves to the voter's opinions and not its leaders.

Advertising in all aspects is covered up by a one-liner which says that "the advertiser's product is a lot better and workable for the viewer as the competitor's products". To make a decision for or against this claim is up to how the viewer as to how they perceive it. It may not important what a certain person decides to buy for dinner after seeing the ads. But what that person, as a voter decides to vote may have huge far-reaching and consequential effects. "Advertisements are more important than debates and speeches in political campaigns" (Just, 1990).

With the help of media, the general public becomes aware of the how’s, what’s, when’s, where, which ones, and whys of the political scenario of any political campaign. A sensible use of media can be used to teach the voter-of-tomorrow, to decide how, when and why to vote a certain politician appearing on the media screen. Humans are highly judgmental by nature, so it is very important as to how a politician is portrayed on the media, especially with regard to someone who is seeing the politician for the first time.

As the saying goes "first impression is the last impression". The voter's and the public in general will decide if they want to vote for a certain politician in the first 20 seconds of seeing an advertisement of a political campaign. According to the U.S. the presidential race between ford and carter indicates the fact that carter's image clearly shaped a better picture in their minds (1976). The reaction to ford's image played a major role (Oshagan, 1988). Media and candidate's use of media has very strong impressions on those who are about to make their decisions about voting for one candidate or the other (research on the Australian Elections).

people who decide upon who they will vote, before a campaign starts are not moved by any forms of media campaigns as are those who have not yet decided. They are very much likely to be moved by the campaigns and are thus the main focus of any political media campaigns. These voters are referred to as the "undecided voters" and they more often than not refer to the media for information about all candidates and that too very near the elections so that they have a clear view of what is and what is not.

The debate between the US presidential candidates, Nixon and Kennedy is often quoted in history as a very good example of a typical media political campaign. It is also claimed that the way both of them appeared on television and the personae they exuded was a big reason for Kennedy's ultimate victory in the end. Although here some people also debate over fact that the way the media portrayed the two candidates was perhaps not that justified in their losing or winning. (Vancil and Pendell, 1987).

Even the debates over the presidential