E!lections in the Media

We live in a media saturated environment where news and entertainment surround us daily on our Televisions, computers and cell phones.  A campaign commercial is a time when candidates have complete control over their image. These ads can lead a voter to emotional reactions, inspiring support for a candidate or may even raise doubts about an opponent.  The campaign process is becoming more complex and sophisticated with every single election. Unfortunately, the candidate with the most money tends to have the most favorable ad. Elections are also becoming more expensive; candidates must have contributions in order for them to “keep up” with society.   There is no question that money plays an impactful roll on the candidate’s campaign.

Campaigns today are way more influenced and are about the individual candidate and less about the political party.  Many people are affected by government policies, including large corporations.  This causes the companies to have an incentive to invest loads of money in politicians.  It is a necessity for them to make large campaign contributions, in favor of that candidate.   In the end, these contributions will help sway the election by the publicity that is exposed, on TV and other form of media.  The more money a candidate can raise will increase his popularity which is what gives him the ability to win an election. 

Unfortunately, voters refuse to take the time to get to know the candidate and his motives.  Voters look solely at the 30 second to 1 minute commercial shown briefly on TV, and choose that candidate based on the way he or she looks, how they interact with their family and potential voters.   They fail to pay attention their ideas and motives for bettering our country.   They tend to pay more attention to their personal lives. A great example of this was the Obama election in 2008. He went to a bowling alley and bowled with average citizens.  This event was televised seen and had an immense impact on the people of the U.S.  If voters feel like they can relate to the candidate then they have a feeling of reassurance; they will feel like the candidate they voted for is simply an “average Joe.” The negative side of this is that if a candidate were to say something on the media by accident or brining someone else down, that mistake can brand them permanently, leading them to their decline.

Ultimately, the candidate must have a plan of strategy that maximizes his or her chance of winning. In order to be successful in this, the candidate must be visible. They must have a message that relates to the people and have an overall winning strategy.  It’s vital that the candidate have a positive image in the media.