PERSUADING THE PEOPLE: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS IN THE U.S.

It is nearly impossible to miss the relentless advertising and media frenzy that characterize modern U.S. presidential campaigns. Today presidential candidates work tirelessly with their campaign staff and supporters in their quest for the White House, proclaiming their unique visions for America throughout the long months of primaries, speeches, party conventions, and debates. James A. Thurber writes in Campaigns and Elections American Style, “Campaigns are wars, battles for the hearts and minds, but most importantly for the votes of the American people.” Presidential campaigns as wars or battles seem an appropriate metaphor when we consider the extensive strategies and negative tactics employed by presidential candidates to win the nation’s highest office. And yet a campaign is also an elaborate form of entertainment–a stage show–with the players often acting as puppets whose strings are being pulled at precise moments behind the curtain. Strategy and, yes, manipulation take center stage as a candidate and his or her staff determine how to package and promote their finely tuned message, where to campaign to guarantee the most number of votes, and how to best spend the campaign funds. From simple slogans to well-choreographed speeches, presidential campaigns–past and present–demonstrate an uncanny willingness to do almost anything to persuade the people.

Most of the money is spent on advertising, much of which misleads, distorts and downright lies. The donors for more than half of TV ads are not fully disclosed.

It is legal to lie in national political advertising. Presidential candidates can say just about anything they want, protected by the Court’s interpretation of free speech. The stand-by-your ad statement: “I approve this message,” doesn’t mean it’s true, but it does get candidates the cheapest TV and radio ad rates, in compliance with the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. If a federal candidate’s ad is deceptive, broadcasters have to run it, as required by the Federal Communications Commission.

Because it’s perfectly legal to lie in political advertising and because those messages impact voters’ beliefs, this is an issue that leads to broad public misconceptions. Lies distort every critical issue the U.S. faces.

To complicate matters, studies show that even when people are told that a fact is a lie, they remember it as the truth. And a far greater percentage of voters hear the original lie in a campaign ad than ever read about the fact-checked version in a local paper or website. Political consultants know all of this. Too many campaigns count on it.

Aside from the ads, there is misinformation and misunderstanding about how political advertising even works. What is true and what is false and what are unexpected consequences. 

You can lie in the ads, you can lie about what you’ve said in the ads, and your opponent can lie about you. The winning candidate may be elected by the least informed intermittent voters, who make their decisions based on dishonest attack ads in the last few weeks of an election.