The best campaign slogans often come from the reelection
campaigns of popular presidents. Perhaps the best example of this is Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection slogan: “It’s Morning in America Again.”
Reagan’s first term was prosperous. He established new legislation
to fix the economy. In the low tax system that became known as “Reagonomics,”
America saw economic growth, decrease in unemployment, and a reduced rate on
inflation. This new found era of prosperity made Reagan an extremely likeable
character.
“Morning in America” reflects the positive environment of
the nation as morning is often the symbol of a new beginning. The slogan
suggests that Reagan pulled America out of the night and into the sunlight. The
full advertisement video concluded with a question: “Why would we ever want to
return to where we were less than four short years ago?” When a campaign
focuses on the positive accomplishments of the candidate, it is much easier to
support the candidate. It provides an idea of what can be looked forward to
with the next term.
During the current bid for party nomination, two of the
leading Republican candidates (Rubio and Cruz) are referencing “Morning in America”
in their campaigns. Marco Rubio currently has a video ad “Morning Again” that
mimics Reagan’s video, however, it talks about a different time for the nation.
Reagan’s video followed prosperity. This election follows an economic decline
and the message of the ad is less about the virtues of the candidate and more
about the flaws of the predecessor.
A key point to consider is the message when it comes to
analyzing campaign slogans. The most effective are those that speak of the
tangible achievements of the candidate. On the other hand, the most used are
those that speak poorly of the opposing party. It is quite easy to mud-sling at
an opponent; anything can be made fun of from their history to their
appearance. But this can be done by anyone, rendering it ineffective at
garnering votes. The most challenging part about winning an election is
creating a name for yourself and a good one too.
In the history of campaigns, candidates, especially
incumbents, win by the largest margins when they have something to show. The
shear popularity of certain candidates can even bring about an attitude of “if
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Once a candidate’s name is in the minds of the
public, they automatically have an advantage over the opposing party. A prime
example of this is the popularity of Donald Trump. His “unique” viewpoints have
captured the attention of the media and of the people.
And in a way, that accomplishes the ultimate goal of
campaigns: to bring awareness to what each candidate has done and promises to
do.
This was a very interesting post! I like how you drew parallels between certain aspects of Reagan's campaign to campaigns of current presidential candidates. I like that you pointed out how American citizens are more swayed by campaign ads that highlight the candidate's positive reputation, rather than ones that criticize other candidates.
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