The media has played a powerful role in politics. Beginning with print media and continuing with the rise of television, media outlets have used their visibility to inform and persuade voters. Presidential candidates recognize the need for a strong media presence and since the first American elections have used media to win elections. The radio served as a good means of getting the policies of candidates to the general public but the public had to decide whom to vote for based on what they heard.
But then campaigns discovered a new media outlet in television. Before the development of commercial television, voters had no way of knowing the candidates as people. Television brought political candidates into the living rooms of America. What a candidate stood for politically appeared to become of little importance ; rather, the public's perception of a candidate's personality determined for whom they were voting. Whether it was Ronald Reagan's charisma, Kennedy's golden boy image or George W. Bush's swagger, character and personality became extremely important to political success. Television producer and Nixon campaign consultant Roger Alies once said, "Television is no gimmick, and nobody will ever be elected to major office again without presenting themselves well on it."
In the 2008 contest for the presidency, both campaigns have used the media to the fullest and worked to find new ways to reach undecided voters. Television advertisements are now commonplace. The growth of collaborative website usage has made Facebook a requirement for major candidates. If email lists were the highlight of previous elections, Barack Obama upped the ante by text-messaging his supporters his choice of running mate. Obama will also be targeting young men by placing advertisements in some video game packages. Clearly, the development and utilization of computer technology by political campaigns has reached new heights.
The themes covered by campaign advertising have changed as well. The Reagan campaign ads in 1980 were focused on trust, encouraging the public and assuring them that Ronald Reagan was the antidote to a perceived malaise resulting from economic crises and the Iranian hostage crisis. The Clinton ads of 1992 were more focused with trying to establish Clinton as an everyday American, friendly and relatable with a focus on working class issues. As the use of media has evolved, so have the campaign ads. The 1980s featured a stronger focus on specific issues. Campaign strategists hoped that the public would vote for the candidate with a strong foreign policy or economic plan. Twelve years later, Clinton campaign ads were more focused toward trying to project Clinton as an average American up to the task of overhauling welfare and cutting taxes. These ads were more focused towards Clinton's personality than his policies. The increased focus on the personal characteristics of candidates by the public, rather than their political philosophies, has continued to 2008. Another edge the media provides to presidential races is the televised presidential debates. Voters can see how their candidates justify their policies and views and how they handle difficult questions. These debates play an even more important role in today's environment as every detail regarding the candidates is common knowledge, meaning that the candidates will be asked more probing and difficult questions. For the 2008 elections, Gallup polls show that roughly two-thirds of Americans reported tuning in to each of the three presidential debates, including 63% for the Sept. 26 debate largely focused on foreign policy, 66% for the Oct. 7 town-hall-style debate, and 65% for the most recent debate on domestic policy. These numbers clearly show that the results of these debates will have a huge say in determining who goes to the White House.
The media impact on how campaigns are conceived and run has grown to epic proportions as both parties attempt to enter the minds of Middle Americans and young voters.
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