Media and Politics

There’s Never Been So Much, and It’s Never Been So Bad

 Money in Politics….
 Citizens United vs. FEC (2010)
2016 Cycle (millions $)
Total: 1,461.3
Dem: 799.5
GOP: 639.1
Clinton: 563.8
Trump: 333.1
Sanders: 228.2

Source: Federal Election Commission

A message would have helped…..
well-funded losers
Campaigning on the Cheap
Citizen’s United vs. FEC (2010)

 Political spending protected under the First

Amendment.
 Unions, firms could spend as much as they
wanted to as long as it was “independent”
from a party or candidate.
 PACs, bundle $2700 individual limit and
contribute to campaigns.
 SuperPAC, unlimited contributions to
publicize cause or candidate, but cannot
coordinate with candidate.
 527 Groups- unlimited issue advocacy.
 John Kerry and Swift Boat Veterans for
Truth in 2004.
PACs
 Political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and
defeat candidates.
 PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special).
 They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000
annually to any other PAC.
 PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC or party committee per
calendar year.

 PACs have been around since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
formed the first one to raise money for the re-election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Source: Center for Responsive Politics

 SuperPACs

 SuperPACs may raise unlimited sums of money

from corporations, unions, associations and
individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly
advocate for or against political candidates.
 Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are
prohibited from donating money directly to
political candidates, and their spending must not
be coordinated with that of the candidates they
benefit.
527 Groups

 tax-exempt groups established

to raise unlimited money for
general political activities,
such as voter mobilization
efforts. They are prohibited
from directly supporting or
opposing a specific candidate.
PACs and SuperPACs

 2004, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (527 Group)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phqOuEhg9yE
 Not a PAC or SuperPAC, but funny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Q-sRdV7SY
 Colbert SuperPAC: Americans for A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Inc.
 Colbert SuperPAC explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy7TUtlPmqk
 Center for Responsive Politics
 527 Groups 2016 Contributions https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527contribs.php
 SuperPac Contributions 2018 Cycle https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php?cycle=2018
Bang for the Bucks?
 Swiftboat Veterans for Truth was considered relatively effective vs. John Kerry in 2004
POTUS campaign.
 An infamous PAC advertisement from 1988 (Bush vs. Dukakis).
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdJ97qWHOxo
 Healthcare debate in early 1990s and in 2008 featured lots of advertisements that were also
effective:
 1994 ”Harry and Louise” were against HillaryCare
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt31nhleeCg

 2008 “Harry and Louise” were for ObamaCare

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGvkZszS21Y
Bang for the Bucks?
 One of the problems for these PACs, etc., is that the point of their efforts are not always
clear.
 Who is actually behind many of the adverts is also ambiguous.
 And, many of the most potent ads are not seen outside specific Congressional districts or
Washington, DC.
 The money is spent to influence specific audiences
 Much as Madison and Hamilton sent the Federalist Papers to New York newspapers in 1788-89.

 Short video on effectiveness of ads.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVa3CFDdFuM
Candidate-Centered vs. Party-Centered
Elections?

 Congress as institution deeply unpopular 13% approval, 80% disapproval

 October 5, 2017 Gallup Poll
 Individual Members quite popular, often re-elected.
 Fenno’s Paradox: hate Congress, like your Member of Congress
 Fenno, Richard F. Home style: House members in their districts.
HarperCollins,, 1978.
Candidate-Centered vs. Party-Centered
Elections
 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
 National Republican Senatorial Committee
 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
 National Republican Campaign Committee

Newt Gingrich nationalized 1994 midterms with

Contract with America. GOP control of House
and Senate for first time in 40yrs.
 National Convention

 Candidates for each ”ticket” rack up

“delegates” in primaries and caucuses who
commit to voting for that nominee at the
convention.
 Each party has a different formula for
acquiring delegates:
 Different by party and state
 Democrats: all are proportional
 Super Delegates
 GOP: some winner-take-all, some
proportional
Presidential Debates, 2016

 Hofstra University, September 26

 Longwood University (Veep Debate),
October 4
 Washington University, October 9
 University of Nevada Las Vegas,
October 19

 Commission on Presidential Debates

 15% national support to get in
 Mass media as political confessional
 Richard Nixon 1952 (1:57-3:08) – Checkers speech
 Richard Nixon November 1973 – “I am not a crook”
 Richard Nixon August 1974 – resignation
 Nixon-JFK Debate 1960– Sweaty Face
 Jimmy Carter 1976 – “I have lusted in my heart”
 Hillary and Bill Clinton 1992 (4:00-5:38) – on Gennifer Flowers affair
 Bill Clinton January 1998 – “I did not have sex”
 Bill Clinton August 1998 – “I did”
 Bill Clinton 2013, 2015 – policy mistakes
 George W. Bush January 2009 (last press conference) – policy mistakes
 Kanye West/George W Bush 2011 – apology to GW Bush
 Keith Olbermann/Megan McCain 2017 – apology to GW Bush and John McCain
 Anthony Weiner 2011/’12/’13 – sigh….
 Barack Obama 2012 – endorsing same-sex marriage
 Hillary Clinton 2015 – a not-confession
Presidential Debates: High Theatre

Appearances Matter Some Big Debate Moments

 Socio economic solitudes
 Strong sense of victimization among Trump voters
 Like him because he’s willing to take shots at people they perceive have “taken”
something from them.
 How does billionaire real estate tycoon ”relate” to ”little guy”
 ”Disrupter-in-chief” a key quality
 Stokes sense of grievance vs. long list of adversaries
 Media
 “Establishment”
 Traditions
 Success, consistency, or doing things for Trump voters less important than “sticking it to
the system.”
 Socio economic solitudes….
 We’re seeing a polarization based upon “class” and self-selection
 We are seeing the ”siloing” of America
 24hr news channels you watch
 Educational choices you make
 Places you shop.
 The Social Media feeds you receive

 Fueling a new politics of resentment and scapegoating

 Mexicans, China, Muslims, etc, etc….
 Racism, sexism, mainstreaming of boorishness....

 Palm Beach, FL and Arlington, VA have similar incomes

 Culturally, Palm Beach more in common with W.Va. 3rd than VA 8th.

 J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy

Citizen Journalism
 Citizen Journalism?

Neda Agha-Soltan
Digital Activism
Clicktivism and Slacktivism
Supply Chains and Sustainability
 Media and Transparency

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=onD5UOP5z_c

President’s Choice Egg

on the face
Dakha 2013
1134 Dead
+2500 Injured
Corporate Social Responsibility

 Air Canada
 WestJet
 ExxonMobil
 Canadian Natural Resources
 The Body Shop
 L’Oreal
 NEI Investments
 BMO
 CarbonZero
Chipotle