Compare Presidential Campaign Ads

Go to The Living Room Candidate and choose ANY election year you would like.

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Election Year of your choice #1: 2012

Republican Candidate: Mitt Romney

Democrat Candidate: Barack Obama

Who won the election: Barack Obama

Using the description on the right side of the screen, briefly describe the major issues of that
election year:
By 2012, Obama had already been president for one term. Unemployment had gone
from a high of 10% during the 2008 recession to 8% in 2012, four years later. Part of
Obama´s campaign was arguing that he had created positive progress for the
economy, while Romney´s campaign argued that recovery was not happening fast
enough.

Select and analyze three election videos from EACH candidate:

Republican Video Democrat Video

#1)
a) Main Idea- Obama ran a bad presidential
ad that blamed Romney for a woman´s
death from cancer. He was called out for
saying he didn´t associate with super PAC
or Priorities USA when he has had
meetings/connections with both.
b) Strength- This ad puts Obama´s
credibility way down because it exposes
him for lying and taking cheap shots.
c) Weakness- This ad isn´t so much
pro-Romney as it is anti-Obama.
#1)
a) Main Idea- Romney impacted many
people´s lives negatively by shutting
down a steel plant, thus worsening
unemployment and making many lose
their jobs. One man in particular lost his
job and could not afford to pay for his
wife´s cancer treatment, which she later
died from.
b) Strength- this appealed to many
because it pulled their heartstrings to
realize the weight of the decisions being
made about people staying employed.
c) Weakness- I think this ad could also be
applied to Obama´s ideals because he had
not done much for unemployment either.
 #2)
a) Main Idea- Obama had seven
opportunities to stop China from
surpassing us in manufacturing, but
instead he was responsible for the loss of
half a million of these jobs.
b) Strength- I think many people already
see China in a bad light and this probably
made them angry and anti-Obama
c) Weakness- It is extremely confusing
exactly how he had these seven
opportunities. I wish the ad had been
more clear about what these opportunities
were and how he had the chance to solve
this.
3)
a) Main Idea- Under Obama, families lost
an average of $4,000 pear year. Romney
asks America to elect him instead so that
we will not pass our debts onto our
children.
b) Strength- this definitely appeals to
people with families who are worried
about their children´s future, because
every good parent´s goal is for their kid to
have an even better life than them.
c) Weakness- This wasn´t all totally
Obama´s fault because he came into
presidency during the great Recession,
which he had no control over.
Election Year of your choice #2: 2016
Republican Candidate: Donald Trump
Democrat Candidate: Hillary Clinton
Who won the election: Donald Trump
Using the description on the right side of the screen, briefly describe the major issues of that
election year:
The biggest issues of 2016 were definitely foreign policy (¨build the wall¨), terrorism,
the economy, gun policy and immigration. Plus veteran reparations
#2)
a) Main Idea- Romney gave away
thousands of potential jobs to other
countries so that he could make more
profit. He also kept money in a Swiss bank
account as to avoid taxes.
b) Strength- This is a really good point and
is extremely hypocritical coming from
someone who allegedly wants more
American employment.
c) Weakness- I think this same mindset can
be applied to a majority of politicians and
corporations in general and should be
fixed on a larger scale.
3)
a) Main Idea- Romney said that the people
who vote for Obama have victim
complexes and feel they are entitled to
anything, and that he does not worry
about not getting their vote. A few people
were interviewed saying they do not feel
like victims and would never vote for
someone who sees them this way.
b) Strength- This probably made
Republicans reaffirm what they already
thought about Democrats, and made his
already existing fans bigger fans.
c) Weakness- This definitely did not do him
any favors to convert new voters, now that
they knew how he felt about them.
Select and analyze three election videos from EACH candidate:
Republican Video
#1)
a) Main Idea- we must elect Trump so that
we can keep steel jobs American to boost
the economy and raise employment.
b) Strength- I think this appeals to the
working class because obviously they
want to keep their jobs and the price of
steel hardly affects them.
c) Weakness- Richer people with more
influence may reject this idea so they can
use cheaper labor.
#2)
a) Main Idea- This one was about how
Hillary is so out of touch with the rest of
the country that she considered herself
and her husband to be broke when they
first left the White House, despite them
being worth 100 million
b) Strength - I think this is made to disgust
middle/working class Americans because
Clinton is victimizing herself as poor when
she was never poor
c) Weakness- I think this ad was not as
much pro-Trump as it was anti-Clinton
3)
a) Main Idea- Hillary called all trump
supporters deplorable and attacked their
morals.
b) Strength- This makes Hillary look really
dumb and bitter.
c) Weakness- The wording of the ad felt
almost immature, especially because
Trump is infamous for name calling and is
not much better.
What are three things that make for a POWERFUL Presidential Campaign Ad?
1) Being passionate about the issue(s) being talked about
Democrat Video
#1)
a) Main Idea- this ad shows a video of
Trump talking about how much he doesn´t
like a person while Clinton narrates over it
and says that we do not need hatred and
division during a time like this.
b) Strength- this video would appeal to
many liberals because they usually are
very anti judgement and anti hate speech
c) Weakness- Hillary has said all the same
stuff about others and this was a cheap
shot at acting holier than thou.
#2)
a) Main Idea- This vid was a bunch of clips
put together of Donald Trump rambling
and saying offensive things and Hillary
critiquing it
b) Strength- This video definitely makes
Trump look bad
c) Weakness- everyone knows that Trump
has no social awareness, so it is really no
surprise that he says this. Plus there are
rarely any ads where Hillary advocates for
her values, it is mostly just against those
of Trump
3)
a) Main Idea- This was yet again another
campaign video of clips of Trump saying
stupid things.
b) Strength- it definitely had shock value
c) Weakness- People know Trump is
stupid. But they know nothing good about
Hillary because all she ever does is point
a finger at him
 2) Appealing to the underdog, so the working/middle class, doing good for
minorities, etc

3) Uniting Americans to all have a common goal

What are three things that make for a WEAK Presidential Campaign Ad?

1) Only pointing the finger at other candidates

2) Never advocating for yourself, making yourself seem like a slightly better option
and not the best option

3) Dividing people

If the presidential election was going to happen now, what issue would you create an ad
about? I would make an ad about how I am not like other candidates because I will not
spend my time trying to bail out my rich friends but instead will spend taxpayer money
wisely and in a way that benefits them and only them.

Describe a campaign commercial that you would like to make:

I would take small clips from any presidential candidate regardless of party and show
people that they are all the same. Then, I would list every issue I could solve with the
taxpayer money that will no longer benefit billionaires, such as solving homelessness,
cleaning up the environment, free school lunches nationally, etc.