Thursday, October 16, 2008
Focusing on the Negative
Last night was the final presidential debate (here is a link to the transcript if you somehow missed it: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/16/politics/2008debates/main4525254.shtml), which the major news organizations are calling a win for Obama. I wasn’t too excited going into the debate, I felt that I had heard all the information the candidates intended to give and that the only thing that might change was that they might act in a more aggressive fashion. While I was right in regards to Senator McCain’s conduct (Obama chose instead to treat McCain as a doddering old man), Bob Schieffer surprised me by asking new and interesting questions. The one I found most interesting moment to be when Bob Schieffer called both candidates out on their use of negative campaigning after saying they would not. Both candidates gave rather lame explanations for why they did it: McCain says he did it because Obama refused to do what McCain wanted, Obama responded that American’s simply expected their campaigns to turn negative. I found Obama’s statement troubling, because I think he is right. I don’t believe it is possible for a presidential candidate or someone aiming for any political position to win an in today’s current political atmosphere without resorting to negative campaigning, because despite all that is said against it, negative campaigning works. People deny it all the time, saying they only care about the issues, but just listening to the ads starts affecting how we look at a candidate. And if this article is any indication (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/904a9f24-9baf-11dd-ae76-000077b07658.html) we’re only in for more.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I am against the negative campaigning tactics, they drive me crazy. They are usually a voters only source of information on the candidates. Both candidates campaigns should be focusing on the real issues instead of digging up dirt on their opponent. The debates are good for detecting the candidates personality, and somewhat for their policy. I just hate the answers they spit out, first off their responses are in this bull shit "I'm an intellectual" language, then they will avoid half the questions they can not answer. They usually can not support anything they say logically, either their logic makes no sense or they don't know how to explain what they are supporting.
Both candidates are guilty of this for instance in the Joe the plumber argument. Obama was telling McCain that Joe's taxes wouldn't increase unless he made a 1/4 million a year. McCain would then strike back with, poor joe this and that and not take note of anything Obama just said. Same deal with Obama, he says he is for clean energy then he rants off nuclear and clean coal as part of his energy plan. If he thinks clean coal and nuclear are clean and renewable energy then is stupid. And guess what then he preaches it to all of his supporters who believe him, making them stupid as well. Sorry to say it, but if you are preaching wrong information and you are the country's potential leader, then you are guilty. Maybe McCain and Obama aren't the stupid ones, maybe its us, the public who is stupid for believing all the bull shit they try to feed us.
So go out and educate yourself about what the candidates support and see if they know what they are talking about. Do not let them take advantage of you.
I think in today politics that you cannot win an election without negative campaigning. We are in a different political/multimedia world now. Although, i do think John McCain negative ads have gone way too far.
OMG! Great post. I totally agree that negative campaigning works. It might be annoying but it works despite some people's claim to ignore it, if you hear it, it will most likely effect you. I totally agree that Bob Schieffer did a great job! He finally gave viewers something exciting to watch, not the same old thing again. I also love that he called them out on not answering. I agree that without negative campaigning, it truly wouldn't be a real presidential campaign. Also most are skewed, I think people need to hear both sides to the story. Maybe it will encourage more voters to actually look up the facts and vote their interest instead of party voting.
Yasin, I agree that McCain's ads have surpassed Obama's in the level of "inappropriate-ness" but I would rather watch these ads then those from back during the black and white tv days... I watched one in my Government class and it showed this little girl in a field of daisies and she's picking off the petals as she counts them and this innocent scene is abruptly interupted by the detonation of an atomic bomb. How's that for absurd ads. ha!
Post a Comment