Visual Persuasion and Politics
No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it is impossible to deny that both presidential candidates are putting up a good fight in the final days leading up to this year’s presidential election. Both campaigns are flooding the media with campaign ads, in hopes to strengthen already faithful supporters and recruit new ones before November 3rd.
From the Trump campaign…
Trump’s campaign released this thirty second clip on October 10th, 2020. Titled “Carefully,” the clip shows how Trump is recovering from the coronavirus and is left undamaged by its effects. He is shown wearing his mask from the very beginning, and the narrator states that America is recovering alongside him, and shows a woman flipping a sign on a storefront from “closed” to “open.” The ad then goes on to describe the triumphs that Trump has led America through in terms of protecting the elderly and the country itself from COVID-19. Even Dr. Fauci is shown, saying he “can’t imagine that anybody would be doing more.” In this ad, Trump is seen as a fearless leader who not only led the country through and out of the virus, but overcame it himself. “He tackled the virus head-on,” says the narrator, “as a leader should.” Inspiring music plays in the background. The video closes with the phrase “We’ll live carefully, but not afraid.” This is directly referencing the strong restrictions that the Democratic Party is favoring in order to protect the general public from the virus. Trump is arguing that we need not be afraid, we just have minor precautions to take.
In terms of resonating with the general public, this ad is special in that it does not attempt to damage or even mention Trump’s opponent, Joe Biden. This ad focuses solely on Trump’s leadership and recovery. It portrays Trump as a hero, but does so in a way that still portrays his vulnerability as he overcomes the virus. The undecided voter may look at this ad and feel safe with the leadership of Donald Trump, as it seems to be rooted in science, and the priority seems to be the health and wellness of the general public.
This is not a hateful ad, it’s an inspiring one, full of hope and security for the future. Voters may prefer to side with a president who has a first-hand experience with the virus, and who has been the subject of the medical care that he’s supposed to be overseeing. This ad probably would be effective in persuading the undecided voter, because Trump looks very human and understated here. He’s portrayed as both a victim of the virus and a savior, which allows a sort of balance to show through. Trump looks as though he sides with both science and the reopening of America, which is a new angle, since those two things are usually seen as opposite ends of a spectrum.
From the Biden Campaign…
This ad debuted in August, shortly after Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate. From the beginning, the narrator lists off the “four crises” that America is living through at the same time. These crises are the public health crisis, the economic crisis, the climate crisis, and the “national reckoning on racial injustice.” This is an overwhelming beginning, but the music changes as Biden is shown next to Harris, and the ad begins to describe the kind of leader that will lead us out of not just one, but all four of these crises. “Together, they’ll lead America, unite America, and heal America,” the narrator says. It is described just how Biden will attack each crisis, and how he will build the country back even stronger than it was before.
To the general audience, the beginning of this ad and the listing of the crises may seem depressing and overwhelming. This is where Biden relies on honesty. His campaign is choosing not to keep Americans in the dark about how trying of a time the country is currently going through. Instead, he is laying out how the issues will be tackled head-on, and in doing this, he is subtly emphasizing the fact that the crises we are facing are a direct result of the leadership we have been under. Like the Trump ad, though, this ad is not hateful, and does not take time to directly point out the flaws in the Trump administration. Instead, it just highlights the plans and steps that Biden will take to fix the state that we’re in.
The general public and undecided voter would feel inspired by this ad. The ad itself takes the viewer from a dark, scary place in the beginning to a more hopeful, able, successful place by the end, just as the Biden campaign is promising to do. The viewer’s trust is gained this way. Biden is seen as a hero, but in a way that makes sense. He appears to be strong, ready, and able to take on the challenges America is facing with the wellbeing of the general public in mind.
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