: Powerful images…
The idea that President Bush should not use 9/11 as a campaign theme seems absurd to me. It’s only the biggest event of the new millennium–an event in which he plays a central role. Of course he should use it.
But, just as obviously, his critics and opponents should question this use and the role he played.
You can watch three ads (a fourth in Spanish) by following this link to the Washington Post.
These are well-produced image ads that rely heavily on appeals to character and emotion. Grousing about the specifics of policy will be difficult because there’s really no policy involved here. These ads portray Bush as a hard-working leader–the right man in the right job at the right time.
As a way to begin a campaign, I think these ads are good choices. He’s reasserting the pathetic and ethical appeals of his previous high approval ratings. Because the ads eschew policy, the images of 9/11 add an emotional backdrop to enhance the portrayal of Bush.
I wonder how long the Bush re-election campaign will be able to stick to image ads. The obvious flank of attack will be to point out incongruities between the images and the experiences of Americans–and some incongruities do exist (they always exist).
I’ve started thinking that the best frame for Sen. Kerry to hang on Pres. Bush is that he abandoned the ordinary Republican citizen to secret himself with a cabal of cronies. I know quite a few Republicans would be glad to say so, and besides, it’s true. I wouldn’t expect to sway many actual Republicans, but I would expect lots of independents to be swayed by that frame.
Sen. Kerry won’t win the election on policy; people who care about policy more than character or judgement have party affiliations and will vote those. And if he allows the frame to be responses to the attacks on the World Trade Center, he’ll have a hard time winning, one way or another. That’s one benefit to the absurd contention that the attacks are somehow politically off-limits; as they benefit his opponent, he should try to rule them out.
I talk about this more at my blog, of course.
Redintegro Iraq,
-V.
Cline on 911 Ads
Dr. Andrew Cline : Powerful images…” href=”http://rhetorica.net/archives/002309.html#002309″>Rhetorica: Press-Politics Journal: has an excellent post on the 911 ads, as he should, as this is the kind of thing he does for a living. Indeed, I should ha…