Style over Substance - Essay Example

Getting Swayed with Presidential Debates The concept of using media and television for presidential elections is one which has provided a powerful effect in the winning candidates of any election. The concept of using the television is one which many rely on, specifically because of the ability to show the debates and to get responses from those who watch the debates. Even though this may sway the views of the viewers, it is one which can be effective in providing information. The Presidential Debates then hold merit in providing a process for elections within a democratic society while allowing individuals to choose which candidate is best for the next term.

However, for this to work effectively without swaying the viewing, specific regulations and understandings need to be considered. The effectiveness of televising the Presidential Debates is based on the capacity of giving viewers information about the persona, characteristics and ideologies of a given candidate. From a recent study, (Drew, 32), it was found that the Presidential Debates and the televised effects is what determined how citizens would vote. This pattern is one which was noted over a series of years, beginning in 1998.

Each year, the vote became predictable by the debates and the responses which individuals had to these from the TV (Drew, 32). When looking at this information, it can be seen that voters rely on the information which they see on television based on the presidents, all which changes their outlook and decisions, specifically because of the knowledge received from the TV. The ability to receive knowledge about issues from the Presidential Debates is one which should be considered not only with basic information, but also with the framework which is used.

If citizens had the capacity of recognizing the models which were used with the debates, it would eliminate some of the abilities to change the mind of citizens in society. The concept used with the debates is now related to a cognitive processing model, which gives the presidential candidates the ability to persuade the audience, as opposed to the other party, about specific issues. The approach which is taken is one which uses the cognitive models to build a psychological relationship to those watching the debates and creates a personal association to the candidates while debating (Hwang et al, 82).

However, this doesn’t mean that the Presidential Debates should be eliminated. Instead, regulations and policies need to be placed in the debates to stop the cognitive processes from being used and creating changes in the minds of those who are voting. By doing this, there is the ability to share only the information with viewers, as opposed to persuading members to vote in different terms. Even though policies and regulations can be placed with the debates, there are also other factors that change the way in which many vote.

While this may have not been present in the past, it is a driving factor that changes the minds of many voters. Commercialization, ads, responses from the media and persuasions from opinions are all factors which change the voters mind. Instead of looking at the persuasion of debates, there also needs to be consideration of how the political leaders are using specific persuasive tactics to change votes. Determining this as well is more important than looking at the debates, which is the one space in which the candidates are able to provide information about specific issues.

The Presidential Debates is one which is recognized for persuading voters to a specific candidate. However, these debates are one of the spaces which voters can easily retrieve information and decide on the best candidate for the term. Placing regulations so it doesn’t cognitively or psychologically persuade an individual can help with the understanding of voters without determinations for the psychological tactics used. More important, the concepts can be changed by also looking at the other forms of media and how these work to persuade individuals to change their vote during the elections.

The debates are a healthy process for the democratic process, specifically because it provides information. However, changing some tactics will help it to be a better alternative to help with determining votes. References Drew, D. “Voter Learning in the 2004 Presidential Election: Did the Media Matter?” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 57 (6), 2006. Hwang, H, MR Gotlieb, S Nah. “Applying a Cognitive Processing Model to Presidential Debate Effects: Postdebate News Analysis and Primed Reflection.

” Journal of Political Theory 43 (1), 2007.