Analysis Of Michael Dukakiss 'Credibility'

In 1988, Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis were engaged in a political campaign for Presidency. In the two ads I selected the tied into a certain political debate. Each ad could be categorized as a documentary because they relate back to a factual event. The Republican ad entitled, "Credibility," is a very serious tone and is set out to make Dukakis look very unprofessional. The demeanor they present him as makes him look foolish and laughable. While the language isn't harsh or too elaborate, it uses simple wording to get across the message of the ad. In the Democratic ad entitled, "Our Concern," footage from this same debate was used to present Dukakis in a different light. The upbeat and charged music makes the ad more lively yet sends the message that Dukakis is working to make things better. Compared to the other ad, this one is more personable to the people because of …show more content…
However, a deeper link between the two ads is Michael Dukakis' words. Each ad uses his words as a baseline for their ad. One uses his words to bring downfall to him, while the other uses his words to build up hope for the future. These two ads appealled to two different types of people. There were those who haven't chosen a side yet, known as swing voters, and there were those who were currently dealing with the economic struggles of the time, known as working voters. Swing voters would see the "Credibility" ad and think, "That Dukakis doesn't seem like he is taking this important role seriously." This would lead to more uninformed voters to vote for Bush. On the other hand, those who were working hard at the time would see the "Our Concern" ad and say, "He seems like he knows what he's doing and is going to make our future better again." While there are a million other factors that could play in these were the two groups I felt made a huge impact on the campaign