the art and challenge of figuring things out
15 hours ago
March 27, 2008
Lead by fear
I have a theory and I think it's a pretty good one. Advertising is fear driven... fear of wrinkles (Oil of Olay), fear of spending too much (Wal-Mart), fear of a break-in (ADT, Brinks), fear of not getting an erection (Viagra), fear of being hungry (Burger King, Taco Bell). It is the most basic emotion. Next time you watch a commercial, break it down to what fear they are playing on...Makes tv commercials much more interesting.
So obviously politicians plays on this in everyone. Democrats play on one set of fears (poverty, big business, etc.), Republicans on another set of fears (high taxes, terrorism). You get the picture... So, my question to all of you Political Cotton Candy types is: Which "fear" will win this Fall? Which "fear" will be more motivated? And (Jen) Which fear motivates people to VOTE? The attached article is interesting, but doesn't address what I want it to. Help! I'd really love to know which fear motivates you and your families and their political choices.
My family all has similar fears (spiders!). Not coincidentally we all vote the same way.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/3755686.stm
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4 comments:
Uh, fear of Republicans is basically my motivation to vote.
Yes, 2ndAmend, you are on the something there! In fact, fear is the great motivator. Whether we are talking about our politics, our families, our bodies, our finances, or anything else human beings respond to safety arguments. And, as you point out, advertisers and politicians know this and prey off of our fears. In fact, political theorists like Locke and Hobbs argued that the whole reason why we had political communities in the first place was to provide safety and more modern political theorists like Robert Nozick have argued the same thing (and, indeed, as some of the PCC talked about yesterday at lunch, Nozick has pushed Hobbs even further, I believe). So, yes, I think that you're absolutely right about the power and ubiquity of fear appeals.
Now, you ask an interesting question about the current candidate's fear appeals. I haven't given much thought to it, but my initial impression is:
(and, warning! I'm an Obama supporter and County Convention Delegate)
WALNUTS! McCain:
Fear Appeal:
There are scary terrorists out there and we need to protect our nation and our interests from any and all threats. There is no other problem.
How We Can Be Safe:
Vote for McCain and he will not hesitate to bomb anyone who needs to be bombed ("bomb Iran, bomb Iran, bomb Iran"; "stay in Iraq another 100 years," etc.)
Analysis:
I think, in fact, that this might be McCain's only campaign message, but I'm not sure if that is fair or accurate (I haven't paid much attention to McCain lately, to be honest). He looks pretty weak on the economy and other problems.
Obama:
Fear Appeal:
The economy is scary. The War in Iraq is scary. The middle class is disappearing, which is scary. People are losing their homes, which is scary. Neither party has really cared about the people lately, which is scary. Because of the policies of the Bush Administration we are less safe on the world's stage and Brand America has lost much of its appeal.
How We Can Be Safe:
Vote for Obama and embrace the politics of HOPE instead of the politics of division. Together we can solve our nation's problems and see that what they've told you is scary, really isn't so scary. Obama will meet with foreign leaders and repair the damage done by the Bush Administration.
Analysis:
Obviously this is pretty vague in terms of answers--he does give specific policies, but I think that his specific plans are less important than his general message. The politics of hope, in some ways, is the exact opposite of the politics of fear that we've been talking about. But, in other ways, he still relies on basic fear appeals to motivate his audience to want to work together. Yes, we can!
Clinton:
Fear Appeals:
President Bush is bad and he has ruined the nation. The Republican controlled Congress has left the economy in ruins and has let the War in Iraq go on too long. Soldiers are not being cared for by this Administration.
How We Can Be Safe:
Vote for Hillary and she will punish those Republicans for what they've done to the nation. She's got plans. She can take over on Day One and begin implementing them. She will not meet with foreign leaders unless they prove that they are willing to cooperate with us.
Analysis:
Perhaps because she has had to run as a woman and prove how tough she is, her message sounds like she wants to revive Brand America by bullying foreign leaders and solve the nation's problems by bullying the Republican Party. Or, maybe she just sounds that way because she has had to run against The Politics of Hope. Either way, she might appeal more to people who believe that we need that kind of protection in a president.
So which of these fear appeals will work? It is hard to say and might depend on context. If the economy continues to tank, then McCain looks pretty much like Chicken Little warning about the wrong scary thing. If, however, there is another big terrorist attack, then McCain looks strong and necessary and Obama looks weak and like a terrorist himself. I'm not sure how Hillary fits in with either of these scenarios, she seems weak on Terrorism (although she'll be able to say that she voted for the War in Iraq with pride), but I'm not sure if she has got a way to win on the economy.
Those were my quick thoughts, I'd love to hear from the rest of the PCC...
also, see this!
http://www.qsleeper.com/
At least the QSleeper has a DVD player. Now I can watch Sopranos while the world is ending, whew!
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