Political Advertisement Analysis

Political Advertisement Analysis
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Abstract
This paper reviews the political advertisement campaign by the name, Yes, We Can aired in 2008 during the presidential campaigns between President Barrack Obama from Illinois State of the Democratic Party and John McCain from Arizona of the Republican Party. The Ad aired in favor of president Barrack Obama. The main challenge at this time was the bad economy with the presidency of George Bush which led to 2007-2009 great recession. Bush was in favor of McCain hence Obama’s campaigns compared McCain with Bush. Other issues were a war on Iraq and Afghanistan, gas prices, high unemployment, health care, war on terrorism and energy dependence. Later, Barrack Obama won the election and became the first African-American president in the nation’s history. The Ad outlines how Americans were divided, the warring countries around them, and slavery in the nation. People had lost hope of ever having a changed nation. The Ad describes president Barrack Obama’s slogan, Yes, We Can, which gives people motivation and morale to utilize opportunities and prosperity, repair the nation, and unite the nation at large. It re-energized Americans and gave them hope of restoring their nation. The ad was easy to master by using simple words and popular legends and came at a time of need.
President Barrack Obama aired the ad and being the Democrat candidate. According to Gerhard (2014), the Democratic party promised good education, good wages, work and raise a family, safe living conditions, retire with dignity and security, quality and affordable health care, provide opportunities for women, new American energy, science, and technology innovation, building infrastructure, connect America, economic stewardship, renewing the American community and democracy.

They made these promises when the nation was in peril, and the economy was so bad. The George Bush had failed the economy, and the country was not at peace, and they needed revival and hope that they will be back on foot again. The campaign was a positive one as people are reminded that they can heal and repair the nation, justice, and equality. The slogan gave hope to the slaves and abolitionist as they blazed their trials towards freedom. President Obama encourages people that no matter the obstacles on the way, nothing can hinder the power of millions of voices of people. The main theme of the ad was to make people know that yes, they can make changes to the problems; poor economy, division, and war to make peace. George Bush had failed the country, and therefore they did not want another Bush’s era. They were not to do similar things and expect changes to come.
The Obama’s opponent, John McCain of the Republican party, campaigned for the enthusiasm of people and confidence in a vision for the future. They were working on tested wisdom and proven truths so that they could be able to deal with challenges they were facing now. The country was caught in the war, and they had to take heart and be courageous, risk-takers and not gamblers to heal the nation. They promised to defend the nation with better intelligence from terrorism, supporting heroes through providing for the armed forces, protecting peace by securing human rights, reforming government to secure the people, restoring our infrastructure, and domestic disaster response. Since McClain had known that change was part of the national political mood and besides being part of the failing government, he still had to instill change in his political campaigns. He painted a negative image on the president Bush government by citing the times when he disagreed with Bush and pointing out that he was not part of the incumbent administration at all. He criticized several of Obama’s proposals, e.g., health care and expanding the role of government. His theme was vital since he argued that he had the experience and maturity to be the president which Obama lacked. To campaign for a change, McCain knew that this is what people wanted and yearned for. He was in the failing government and to make people vote for him; he had to show how he was not part of the government which had failed people.
The ad campaigns for John McCain were mostly negative and tried to paint a bad image to the George Bush government according to Liz (2008). He tried to distance himself to come out clean so that he could be able to campaign for change. He was already I government which had failed people and thereby, even with the experience he claimed to have was from poor leadership skills. As McCain campaigned for the presidency in 2008, he tried to rely on his `established image as a Republican Maverick arguing that he could work with both members of both parties in Congress in his many instances he had done so in his career. He argued that Obama was not to include in an incumbent administration and if by any chance he was good enough, he could have run against Bush. He argued that he had experience and maturity which Obama lacked. He also contrasted his lengthy resume compared to Obama’s, he further criticized Obama’s inexperience in the national security matters where he had a long military and political record and Obama was to be chosen, it would be dangerous for the nation. The overall message of the ad was how he was the only option as president if a change was to be witnessed in America.
President Barrack Obama’s and was effective as it had some music enhancements. We did not have to hear him talk about the changes throughout the campaign ad alone which would have made it look like a monologue. With the use of influential artists in America, they made it look like a song rather than a talk to avoid monotony. The use of a simple slogan which is easier to master and a reflection of what people wanted to hear is all depicted in the, Yes, we can campaign. It has a background of people carrying placards written, change we believe in. Obama seems to know his origins very well where he knows the slaves who championed and the king who used the slogan very well too. The audio helps to repeat the slogan of Obama’s campaign for change. Texting of the word change helps in emphasis. The viewer of the word is moved by the strong words advocating for the change. The participants use the three fingers to symbolize the three words, yes, we can. The ad is very genuine neither is it negative to the opponent as it portrays the change needed for America to move forward. I would have been convinced to vote for the candidate too since he has the enthusiasm and morale to move the country forward.
The other ad aired by president Barrack Obama was during his campaigns their aim is in the, change we believe in. It was emphasizing the changes that Americans needed now. Emphasis was put on the believing that change will happen first and then implementing later. Similar themes are depicted in the campaign ad addressed above as they all motivate people to work towards the nation’s development. People had to be courageous and vote leaders who could implement change they wanted. They were not to give up easily, but they were to believe that they were to make it to the end. The message was to inspire and give people some hope of better tomorrow even if they had the bad economy. Even if there were some discouragements, they would vote out bad leadership and ensure that Bush government was not put back.
The ad was mostly effective with the use of three simple words, yes, we can. That was the slogan that was used everywhere by president Barrack Obama had his campaigns. It ensured that people remembered it easily every time they would hear of the three words. They were easy to memories even with a single play of the ad. The symbol three did not mean anything else but by the three words used. President Barrack Obama wanted to simplify the task of leading the nation and restore some hope to the people so that mentally they would think it easier to heal the nation, restore the bad economy, have good education, create jobs, innovation with the use of green technology and ensure that all those would be achieved by the three words. He wanted to instill the spirit of willingness to people and ensure that whenever there is will there is the way. There was no way change would be achieved if we continued to do things the same way and therefore George Bush regime was not to be given any chance and lead the nation to the ruins. His campaigns were positive, and instead of portraying a bad picture of the government which people had already witnessed, he had to campaign for what he was to deliver. All it was to take was the enthusiasm of the voices of Americans to have the change they wanted; the voice was through voting out bad leadership. Repetitiveness is another aspect depicted in the ad where the three words are continuously repeated since they carry the meaning of the whole ad campaign. Political ads motivate people to come out and vote in large numbers since it is the only way to attain democracy. They mobilize people to go out and vote as they emphasize how each one’s vote count. Political ads are the only platforms where the aspirants are given a chance to air out their manifesto, those who never knew the candidate get to hear them better in their ads and learn more about the communication skills of an individual in how one expresses themselves. Those who are undecided are usually lured to vote for the one who has a good manifesto in their campaigns more so to those living in Diaspora where they make comparison according to how an aspirant talk. However, care should be taken to the media platforms so that these ads don’t become centers of enmity and no one should tarnish another’s name through these campaigns. Hate speech is an enemy of democracy as it can lead to incitement of people and war afterward.
In summary, the ad worked well for Obama in several ways which saw him clinch the presidential seat since most people were convinced that he was the ultimate savior America needed at the time. For instance, the language used in the ad associates President Obama a having a zeal for empowering the people and providing opportunities to all. In the ad, Obama continuously uses the word “we”, which repeatedly links him to the citizens and vice versa. Consequently, this is a movement’s language rather than a campaign. Through the ad, Obama shows the people that by having a president who will collaborate with the citizens the dream of restoring America to a better nation was achievable. In addition to mobilizing the people to go out and vote, the ad made them believe that liberating America from bad leadership was a collective action that needed their contributions as well. Obama gave hope to citizens by focusing on the bigger dream of a better America instead of concentrating on tarnishing the images of the past leaders or his competitor. As a result, this ad brought together Americans and did not divide them on political lines.

References
Peters, G., Wolley, J. (2008) “Democratic Party Platform,” The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=78283.
Halloran, L. (2008) McCain’s Political Ads Go Negative against Obama.https://www.usnews.com/news/campaign-2008/articles/2008/07/30/mccains-political-ads-go-negative-against-obama