The Games of Slander in Presidential Elections
The 2004 Presidential Elections in the United States was a clash between Senator John Kerry (Democrat) and the then President George W. Bush (Republican). Like all other competitive presidential elections, the campaigns saw the use of advertisements that attempted to sway the opinions of the voters. The main issues that drove the campaign were majorly foreign as they focused on the war in Iraq and terrorism especially fuelled by the then recent 9/11 attacks in America. However, the 2004 presidential campaigns were different in that they saw the entry of Hollywood directors into politics the extensive use of online campaign ‘headquarters’, the use of social media and the departure of domestic issues …show more content…
Bush was the incumbent president and hence throughout his campaign, he had to maintain a stately and presidential image. The Republican candidate’s campaign strategy was drove by Karl Rove and Karen Hudges even though the Bush campaign never issued an official campaign slogan. However, several de facto slogans including ‘Moving America Forward’ and ‘A Safer World and a More Hopeful America’ stood out during the campaigns. The first ads from the Bush camp were mainly positive as they focused on the Bush administration and how it would assist the American populations overcome global challenges such as terrorism. The image of Bush therefore became that of a ‘steady’ commander in chief ready to counter any challenges of the …show more content…
Just as the sensational title suggests, the ad attempted to depict the opposing Democrat party and their candidate not only as being extreme but also needlessly angry. The ad employed the use clips of the despicable Adolf Hitler in response to a previous ad that juxtaposed him to President Bush. The clip shows Al Gore and other supporters of John Kerry angrily denouncing George Bush and ends with a photograph of president Bush and the words; President Bush: It’s a time for optimism, steady leadership, and progress”(YouTube). The Bush campaign essentially used the ‘logos’ element of rhetoric as Bush appealed to the masses to consider his record and vote on the basis of such. Compared to Kerry, the Bush administration would be the logical choice since the country needed continuity especially in foreign policy and therefore by trusting President Bush to continue with his second term would be the best move forward. A false assumption however was that the Kelly administration would be incapable of undertaking the leadership
The 2004 Presidential Elections in the United States was a clash between Senator John Kerry (Democrat) and the then President George W. Bush (Republican). Like all other competitive presidential elections, the campaigns saw the use of advertisements that attempted to sway the opinions of the voters. The main issues that drove the campaign were majorly foreign as they focused on the war in Iraq and terrorism especially fuelled by the then recent 9/11 attacks in America. However, the 2004 presidential campaigns were different in that they saw the entry of Hollywood directors into politics the extensive use of online campaign ‘headquarters’, the use of social media and the departure of domestic issues …show more content…
Bush was the incumbent president and hence throughout his campaign, he had to maintain a stately and presidential image. The Republican candidate’s campaign strategy was drove by Karl Rove and Karen Hudges even though the Bush campaign never issued an official campaign slogan. However, several de facto slogans including ‘Moving America Forward’ and ‘A Safer World and a More Hopeful America’ stood out during the campaigns. The first ads from the Bush camp were mainly positive as they focused on the Bush administration and how it would assist the American populations overcome global challenges such as terrorism. The image of Bush therefore became that of a ‘steady’ commander in chief ready to counter any challenges of the …show more content…
Just as the sensational title suggests, the ad attempted to depict the opposing Democrat party and their candidate not only as being extreme but also needlessly angry. The ad employed the use clips of the despicable Adolf Hitler in response to a previous ad that juxtaposed him to President Bush. The clip shows Al Gore and other supporters of John Kerry angrily denouncing George Bush and ends with a photograph of president Bush and the words; President Bush: It’s a time for optimism, steady leadership, and progress”(YouTube). The Bush campaign essentially used the ‘logos’ element of rhetoric as Bush appealed to the masses to consider his record and vote on the basis of such. Compared to Kerry, the Bush administration would be the logical choice since the country needed continuity especially in foreign policy and therefore by trusting President Bush to continue with his second term would be the best move forward. A false assumption however was that the Kelly administration would be incapable of undertaking the leadership