Campaign Finance

[Joseph]

How true! That's why I'd like to see them ALL voted out! I mean, no incumbents re-eleted. THAT would show them we are tired of the same ole BS.

Amen ta that, Brother Steve!

Joseph

[Joseph]

In my experience, almost everyone believes that "While advertising works on other people, it doesn't affect me".*
However advertising in general definitely works, so this belief must be wrong in most cases. Entrenched Republicans or Democrats may not be swayed by advertising, but then they aren't the target of advertising, since their votes are not on offer.
It would be hard to believe that the Swift Boat Veterans ads had no effect on the last presidential campaign.

That's the conventional wisdom, but I have yet to meet anyone who changed who they'd vote for by any ads, even the Swift Boaters. I think the most that any ad campaign can accomplish is to convince people (for whatever reason) that they SHOULD get off their dead butts and vote - which can be a good thing.

Joseph

[Ira]

Hard as it is for guys like us to believe, there ARE a significant number of people out there who don't make up their minds until the last minute--and an ad can push them over the edge.

Also, just as importantly, the ads for our preferred parties/candidates confirm and reinforce what we already believe, which is having an effect on us as well, albeit in a different way.

[angib]

....but I have yet to meet anyone who changed who they'd vote for by any ads....

Because someone tells you they've never changed their opinion based on an ad doesn't mean it's true. It's just what they believe.

If you think you don't hold a single opinion based on an advert, that's also untrue (unless you have spent your life as a hermit). Not knowing which one of your opinions is based on advertising is not the same as not having one.

I wouldn't deny that the vast majority of political adverts may achieve nothing, apart from annoying people, but the one or two that strike home pay for the rest.

A few American political adverts get repeated over here as news items (hence why I know about Swift Boat Veterans) and I can tell you that the only thing worse than one's own country's soapy political ads is other countries' soapy political ads. I mean, some make 'The Waltons' look like cutting-edge political satire....

My favourite American political ad (I've no idea if it had any effect) was a radio ad from the 1968 presidential election and just consisted of a heartbeat. Eventually, once it has cleverly attracted your attention by the relative silence, the voiceover said "This is Richard M Nixon's heartbeat. If he is elected president and it stops, Spiro T Agnew becomes president." OK, it's just 'knocking copy' which I usually despise in politics, but if it's sharp enough, I'll excuse it. Did the phrase 'just a heartbeat away', now commonly used when discussing vice-presidents, come from there?

Andrew

[Joseph]

Because someone tells you they've never changed their opinion based on an ad doesn't mean it's true. It's just what they believe.

I never said opinion. I'm specifically interested in someone who changed their vote to a different candidate based on advertising. Ads probably do have an effect on the various issues that wind up on the ballot, because many people can't be bothered to find out what the issues are beyond what they see advertised.

Advertising only changes my opinion when I take the time to do the research to find out if the ads are factual.

I wouldn't deny that the vast majority of political adverts may achieve nothing, apart from annoying people, but the one or two that strike home pay for the rest.

I wonder which ones those would be.

Did the phrase 'just a heartbeat away', now commonly used when discussing vice-presidents, come from there?

Possibly, but it sure didn't have the desired effect and I doubt that anyone changed their vote over it.

My recent favorite - ''If Republicans are elected, black churches will burn.'' I don't think that changed anyone's mind about who to vote for, though it might have motivated some to go to the polls when they would have otherwise stayed home.

Well, Republicans were elected and in complete control for six years. How many black churches were burned as a result? How many black churches were burned period?

Joseph

[angib]

Advertising only changes my opinion when I take the time to do the research to find out if the ads are factual.

Thank you for demonstrating an earlier point:

Almost everyone believes that "While advertising works on other people, it doesn't affect me".

Andrew

[Joseph]

Thank you for demonstrating an earlier point:
Almost everyone believes that "While advertising works on other people, it doesn't affect me".

Wellllll, OK - sorta. It's not the advertising itself that causes me to change my opinion, though it can motivate me to find out the truth of it.

Now the advertising for Burger King's Texas Double Whopper - THAT motivates me to find out the truth of their claims!

Joseph