Obama become more of a celebrity than someone running for President. Obama received more media coverage than any other candidate. “Obama received by far the most favorable coverage of any presidential candidate in the first five months of the presidential primary campaign” (Street 62). But a lot of the coverage was that of personal issues more so than political policy issues.
People are starting to become more concerned about what celebrities are doing and less about news topics. “The only stories corporate media seem to love more than those with titallating sexual or violent details are stories in which such details are wedded to scandalous exploits of celebrities” (Censored 161). Obama was in the media so much that people were associating him more on how much coverage he was getting rather than his take on policies. When Paul Street was interviewing students from the University of Iowa about the primaries in 2007 students were commenting on how they were excited about seeing him, “he’s just so cool. He’s on television all the time and he’s just really excellent. Nobody ever heard of him before and then boom-there he is, like...I can listen to him all day... He’s really handsome” (Street 168).
2. Media Related Campaign
Obama was the first real candidate to take full advantage of the internet. He took all the tools available to him to help promote himself. In this day and age the internet is a more effective way of advertising, rather than just using the television. Using the internet, Obama was able to reach millions of people. Obama has his own Youtube Channel that had more views than any other candidate. By using Facebook, Twitter, and blogs he was able to reach a younger generation of people, which was good because he wanted to cater towards that demographic. Also by using the internet, Obama was able to say what he wanted to say without the constrains of limiting speech and also saving on finances. “Among the advantages of Internet campaigning is that candidates can control their message-they do not have to rely on journalist to transmit it to the public-and they are not constrained by the high cost and limited format of the 30-second campaign commercial” (Media/Society 250).
3. Aid from PAC? Fact or Fiction?
When it came to Obama and funding, one of his key points was that he didn’t want aid from Political Action Committees (PAC), he also said that his competitors shouldn’t use PAC either. “The reason that I’m running for presidnt is because of you, not becayse of folks who are writing big checks, and that’s a clear message that has to be sent, I think, by every candidate” (Street 13). But the truth is he did accept support from big money companies. “According to the New York Times, nearly half of the more than $5 million Obama raised for his 2004 Senate primary came from just 300 donors” (Street 15).
If Obama wasn’t accepting help from the PAC than how did he acquire so much money?
4. Race Card
A lot of people voted for Obama based on the fact that he was black or his middle name was Hussein. They thought that Obama would focus on black racial injustice, but that wasn’t the case. “Obama has been noticeably reluctant to explicitly allign himself with the historical struggle for black equality or to confront the continuing problems of race and (more to point) racism in American and global affairs. He has gone to considerable lengths to reassure whites that he will let them feel good about their willingness to vote for a black man and that he will not push defensive white buttons by meaningfully addressing the persistant powerful role white privlege continues to play in the United States” (Street 80). Obama didn’t want to focus on the fact that he was black. “Racial factors were critical in both cases, as the polls also show. For the huge majority of black voters who have chosen Obama, the decision has been a simple (and understandable) matter of racial pride” (Street 171).
5. Image
In this century image plays a big role in who gets elected and who doesn’t. When thinking about how image effects how people perceive others you can take a look at the political debate between Kennedy and Nixon. The debate was televised, Nixon appeared haggard, while Kennedy looked young and youthful. This was caused by Kennedy wearing heavy makeup and Nixon wearing none. People listening on the radio thought Nixon had won, while people who watched it on television thought Kennedy won. “The result of expanded media coverage has, in many ways, been a loss of substance in favor of appearance” (Media/Society 234). Obama has a young fresh look. He is young and that appeals to a lot of people. Since our society is becoming more focused on image this is important. A lot of people voted for Obama just based on his looks. “Along the way, that media has also rendered special service to Obama in emphasizing candidate image over issues and policy and in suppressing conflicts between his rhetoric and his record” (Street 178).
6. False Hope?
After eight years under the Bush administration people were ready for a change. People gave up on the government. Then Obama came about promising “hope” and “change”, which is something everyone wanted to hear. According to Paul Street, “He had postured as a knight in shining armor who has come to restore America’s lost promise and power by transcending the intense factional, personal, and ideological conflicts and corrupted loyalties that have soured Americans on their political system” (Street xxxiii). These key words he used really helped to inspire people again. He was telling people what they wanted to hear. He was able to appeal to everyone. He was new and young and able to get people inspired. People never questioned anything he was saying, they were just excited for change and Obama catered to that perfectly.
7. Clinton v. Obama
Time magazine published a campaign photo essay on the Democratic Party. “The essay contained four gloomy black-and-white photos of Senator Clinton, all full of foreboding shadows, and four photos of Obama in color” (Street 64). The media and how they portrayed their candidates effected how people voted. Maybe if Clinton was showed in a more positive way, more people would have voted for her. It just goes to show how important image is to out society.
8. Obama Brand
Looking at past presidential elections, they took a normal approach to marketing themselves with a normal standard flag. Obama took it to the next level. Obama even had his own logo.
“According to the campaign’s financial report to the Federal Election Commission, Obama had by then spent $52 million on “media, strategy consultants, image-building marketing research and telemarketing. (Street 60-61). The Obama administration spent so much money on branding and obviously it worked. The Obama “Hope” Posters that were developed by Shepard Fairey became a huge part of the campaign even though Fairey didn't work Obama. Obama and his brand were recognized everywhere.
