Do Political Advertisements Make a Difference

[+OverSword]

Do Political Advertisements Make a Difference

[ExpandMyMind]

Of course they do. What kind of a question is that?

[Buzz_Light_Year]

Not to me as I always assume they're blowing smoke up my ****.

[+OverSword]

3 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

Of course they do. What kind of a question is that?

I feel like most people are hard wired to vote a particular side of the political spectrum and no amount of advertisement will influence them to vote the opposite side.

[Taun]

They make a difference to me - the same as regular adverts... The more I see them, the less I want to vote for that person - or buy that product... In short - they annoy me...

[Tiggs]

26 minutes ago, OverSword said:

I feel like most people are hard wired to vote a particular side of the political spectrum and no amount of advertisement will influence them to vote the opposite side.

Sure, but it's not particularly about getting people to switch sides. It's more about manipulating their enthusiasm to turn up to vote.

[Space Commander Travis]

33 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

Of course they do. What kind of a question is that?

do they really? Surely 85 - 90% of people who have the motivation to vote will automatically vote for (R) or (D), whatever may be the name of the actual person bearing those hallowed initials? 

[+Desertrat56]

I remember in the 70's when Nancy Ann Kassebaum was running for congress or senate (can't remember that detail) her opponent lost because his campaign adverts were all about what a horrible person Nancy was and her adverts were about what she planned to accomplish.  One really stupid ad even insisted that she was not a good person because she did not live with her husband.  They had two houses because the husband was a senator and had to live in DC part of the year.   So, sometimes political ads do make a difference.

Another one I remember was Pete Sessions taking credit for the alternative electricity in the whole state of Texas, but he had nothing to do with it, he was affiliated with big oil.

[Michelle]

15 minutes ago, Dumbledore the Awesome said:

do they really? Surely 85 - 90% of people who have the motivation to vote will automatically vote for (R) or (D), whatever may be the name of the actual person bearing those hallowed initials? 

Some may, but I don't. I've voted both R and D depending one who is running and what their platform is based on. Commercials only influence my vote when I fact check them. If they're blowing smoke it takes them down a point or two.

[Scholar4Truth]

Not to me. I look at the stances of the candidates and their positions, and based off those cast my vote. To me advertising just seems to put more pressure on the voters. I saw a Bernie Sanders advertisement pop up when I was trying to watch a Youtube video and it annoyed me so I turned the video off.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Scholar4Truth

[Robotic Jew]

52 minutes ago, OverSword said:

I feel like most people are hard wired to vote a particular side of the political spectrum and no amount of advertisement will influence them to vote the opposite side.

This is my take based on personal experience. I know people who can see back to back ads from candidates on opposing sides and only seem to acknowledge the one they already agreed with going in. 

[acidhead]

 

[Duke Wellington]

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

Do Political Advertisements Make a Difference

Lets take the American Elections as an example.

I found Trump hilarious in his campaign, but if I was American I would have voted for him regardless. I agree with his policies. In fact I would say his ability to wind up the left would have made me make sure I voted for him too.

[+OverSword]

23 minutes ago, RabidMongoose said:

Lets take the American Elections as an example.

I found Trump hilarious in his campaign, but if I was American I would have voted for him regardless. I agree with his policies. In fact I would say his ability to wind up the left would have made me make sure I voted for him too.

And so you fit my assumption.  You would no doubt vote republican rather than democrat every single time and no democratic advertisement would sway you.

[Duke Wellington]

41 minutes ago, OverSword said:

And so you fit my assumption.  You would no doubt vote republican rather than democrat every single time and no democratic advertisement would sway you.

I would never ever vote Democrat no matter what.

If the Republican candidate was dull I might not bother voting, but if he is extremely entertaining (like Trump is) I would make sure to go and vote.

[+OverSword]

2 minutes ago, RabidMongoose said:

I would never ever vote Democrat no matter what.

If the Republican candidate was dull I might not bother voting, but if he is extremely entertaining (like Trump is) I would make sure to go and vote.

I assume that is the way of 95% of democrats and republicans.

[aztek]

8 minutes ago, OverSword said:

I assume that is the way of 95% of democrats and republicans.

yea, that is my take on it as well, which means even if political commercial sway someone, their number is too insignificant to make any difference. 

[HandsomeGorilla]

Of course it works, why do you think they spend millions on advertisements? Ask anyone who has ever worked in advertising, it works. You'd be surprised how gullible a lot of people are. Tug at their heart strings and you're an overnight millionaire. 

[+Desertrat56]

9 minutes ago, Not Your Huckleberry said:

Of course it works, why do you think they spend millions on advertisements? Ask anyone who has ever worked in advertising, it works. You'd be surprised how gullible a lot of people are. Tug at their heart strings and you're an overnight millionaire. 

I don't know any one who doesn't change the channel when that "save the poor animals" commercial comes on, I don't think commercials work as well as advertisers think.  And like some one already said, the political commercials that are paid attention to are the ones a person agrees with, and the others do not change anyone's mind.  I think for the big wigs, political advertising is another way to launder money. 

Edited October 9, 2019 by Desertrat56

[Tatetopa]

What constitutes a political advert?  Is it restricted to a politician with a patriotic backdrop saying  "Vote for me"?

Or does it include positive and negative stories in the media that don't even mention the candidate?

Appearing on a news feed: So and so was at a rally and heard the supporters saying we should eat babies.

Appearing in a Facebook  or Instagram feed: I saw so and so at the grocery story dressed in jeans and buying groceries.  He was helping a little old lady reach cans on a top shelf.  When she said, "Oh dear, please put one back, my pension won't stretch that far", he took two dollars out of his pocket and said, "M'am here, this can of chicken noodle soup is on me."  What a polite and nice man!

What forms your opinion, adds or seemingly general facts you pick up from apparently disinterested parties you can trust?

[+Desertrat56]

I don't pay attention to social media and I don't watch the news.  I will look stories up if I hear people talking about it.  What sways me is reading the politician's goals, getting emails on what they are doing, paying attention to the words they use.

For example, I get emails once a week from Deb Halland.  She sends questionnaires asking people what is most important to them for each specific issue, like balanced budget, clean water, what do veterans need most, how do we help the homeless, etc.

Martin Heinrich does not send questionnaires but he does send emails about once a month letting us know what he is working on.  

[Hankenhunter]

I think the Conservative ad in Canada about Trudeau not being ready, but nice hair though, lost them a lot of votes. Most Canadians thought it was a really stupid ad.

[+Desertrat56]

10 minutes ago, Hankenhunter said:

I think the Conservative ad in Canada about Trudeau not being ready, but nice hair though, lost them a lot of votes. Most Canadians thought it was a really stupid ad.

They would do better to just buy a snippit of Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act episode on Trudeau. 

[+OverSword]

50 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

They would do better to just buy a snippit of Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act episode on Trudeau. 

That was hilarious!  Thank you.

[spartan max2]

6 hours ago, Tiggs said:

Sure, but it's not particularly about getting people to switch sides. It's more about manipulating their enthusiasm to turn up to vote.

This.

Elections are really won by who had the least people stay home.