The Media and the 2000 Campaign
For much of the 2000 campaign for the Presidency, Vice President Al Gore has been seen the candidate who will win this year’s Presidential Election. The polls show Gore as leading, political analysts have been saying “Gore all the way,” and most of the general public seem to be in agreement that Gore will succeed President Bill Clinton. But recently, the past two Presidential debates have seemed to abolish the idea that Vice President Al Gore will easily be elected President over Texas Governor George W. Bush.
Al Gore known as an assertive, well-spoken, intellect with plenty of political experience has been both praised and criticized for his approach to debates. Everyone knows that Gore is a very intelligent, energetic, and liberal candidate; but many lack appreciation for the way he plays down his counterparts. Gore comes across on televison as an arrogant person, who uses very aggressive tactics in exposing his opponents vulnerabilities. His preparation and approach to the debates is impeccable, this can be credited to the fact that he has been involved in such debates since 1988.
On the front page of the October 2, 2000 The Washington Post, Ceci Connolly and Dan Balz depict the two candidates and their respective styles of debating. The two journalists give a general overview of what to expect from these two candidates in the upcoming Presidential Debates. Connolly mentions that restraint would have to be Gore’s top challenge, insinuating that he would have to refrain from lashing his opponent too frequently, which could make him appear tasteless to the audience. Even though Gore’s approach sometimes rubs his opponents the wrong way, Connolly does agree with most that Gore i...
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...stration is handling foreign policy and may turn to Governor Bush.
These two major newspapers (The Washington Post and The NewYork Times) have provided complete coverage of the entire 2000 campaign. Besides writing about and discussing each candidates stereotypes and exploiting their weaknesses, their coverage has remained fairly neutral and mostly unbiased. However, since the media genereally favors the liberal end of the spectrum, more often than not, they have portrayed Al Gore as America's "Golden Boy." The two candidates seem to feel similarly about many issues, with the exception of a few; abortion, capital punishment, and government spending. The 2000 campaign for the Presidency appears to be as close as any previous elections, neither candidate gives a lot to be criticized for, therefore making it diffucult for the media to defame both Gore and Bush.
Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614831,00.html. Levy, W. (2013). The 'Standard'. United States presidential election of 2000.
Finally, Leo makes the case that arguing is beneficial and can rescue us from “our own half-formed opinions.” John Leo has provided an excellent, if not equally sarcastic essay, on why he firmly believes debating is an important aspect of our daily lives. We use debating to help gain knowledge on new ideas, challenge existing ideas, engage with friends and fellow peers, and work out our half formed opinions. Throughout the essay, Leo uses a myriad of helpful quotes and examples to drive his point home. One of the most notable was a quote regarding President Ronald Reagan and then Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill. “Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan fought sharply during the day, but enjoyed having the occasional drink or two after
In 1888, Benjamin Harrison won a seat in the White House. He lost popular votes because he carried electoral votes on his side. Furthermore, the margin between electoral votes was less than one percent, but Harrison still became president despite the 100,000 popular votes difference! Election of 2000 came up with the same scenario. Gore won people’s support but lost electors’; therefore he had to accept G.W.... ...
Bush v. Gore Bush v. Gore was a controversial case that was heard on December 11, 2000. This case decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election between Vice President Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. The election took place on Nov. 7, 2000. Under our electoral college system, each state votes for our new president separately, a winner is then declared in each state and is awarded “electoral votes” that is equal to the states number of representatives in the House and Senate. Gore led Bush 266-246 and 270 votes were required for victory.
v[vii] “The Green Papers: Election 2000 Presidential Primary Season.” The Green Papers: Election 2000. 18 Mar. 2000. Online. Internet. 18 Mar. 2000. Available: http://www.thegreenpapers.com/.
The debate team of Wiley College faced many colleges to be recognized and finally in the end winning a debate against the reigning debating champions, Harvard University. One of the debaters who caught my attention was James Farmer Jr., the youngest on the team that started out as an alternative. James Farmer sought recognition from adults and wanted to show everyone he was capable of debating. James Farmer incorporates a lot of Ethos and Pathos into his speech making, allowing him to leave his audience filled with emotions and in awe. Although James Farmer interested me, especially the way he presented his final speech, James Farmer and I are very different in the way we deliver our speeches.
George Bush and Ronald Reagan went head to head for the Republican spot. It certainly paid off for Bush in January 1980 when he won the Iowa Republican straw poll. He only defeated Reagan by a small margin. It was looking as if Bush might actually beat Reagan to the nomination. The debate between Bush and Reagan was very upsetting yet disturbing. Bush refused to participate, which led to a problem on the stage. The problem on the stage was that As Reagan attempted to explain his decision, the editor of Nashua Telegraph ordered the sound man to mute Reagan's microphone. With Reagan being filled with rage he responds "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green."(R.V. ,169) After that unfair debate Reagan swept the South with their votes, and although he lost five more primaries to Bush, including one where he came in third behind John Anderson, the former governor had a lock on the nomination very early in the season. Reagan would always be grateful to the people of Iowa for giving him " the kick in the pants" he needed.(USPE1980, 4)
During the November 2000 presidential elections, two children tried to make daddy proud. First there was Albert Gore Jr. – the son of a powerful and respected senator of Tennessee – who was no stranger to politics and privilege. As a child he attended the prestigious St. Alban’s School and while growing up, it was common to see then Vice President Richard Nixon as a guest at the family dinner table. Then there was George W. Bush – a third-generation politician, with his grandfather a former senator, his brother the governor of Florida, and his father being former president. The November 2000 presidential elections would become the battle of dynastic supremacy. Whose silver spoon was shiniest? In the end, Bush’s spoon was voted most polished (at least by the electoral standards, certainly not by the popular) and was given the presidential seat. The election had many Americans frustrated, echoing columnist Lars-Erik Nelson’s protest, “Bush’s spectacular career rebuts the notion that America has become a meritocracy, in which we are all born equal and then judged upon our intelligence, talent, creativity, and aggressiveness” (qtd. in Maass 10).
Before the debate began, I knew what to expect for the most part from both candidates, Donald Trump would bring his intensity and Hillary Clinton would show her political knowledge. I was very much on the side of Clinton before, during, and after the debate. Therefore, I will be slightly biased towards Donald Trump. Nevertheless, it is crucial for politicians to use persuasive techniques to enhance their speech to a wide audience, in this case the American people. Trump and Clinton differ tremendously in terms of what they believe is right for the United States. However, both candidates used persuasive techniques in the debate to try to influence the public of their legitimacy to be President of the United States. In the debate Donald Trump
The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets. Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States.
Today it seems almost impossible to get a straightforward answer on any major topic from the media. All sources of media have a specific audience that they are intending to hear or view the information that they have prepared, therefore they will cut bits and pieces out so that only the message they are trying to get across will be received. So indeed there is a media bias, and yes it more often than not slants towards the liberal view point, as many reporters and journalists have liberal views themselves.
The topic Noah reported on is an important one to me and most likely anyone else who is planning on voting in the next presidential election. The democratic debate was a way for American citizens all over the country to see all five of the candidates in one place, to see where the candidates stand on national issues, and how they respond to each other’s views and opinions on the matters. The debate will help democratic
The Power of the Media in Politics The mass media possesses a great deal of influence in society and politics in the United States. Newspapers, radio, magazines and television. are able to use their own judgment when reporting current events. The The power of the mass media is an asset to the government in some instances and a stumbling block in others. Recent technology and regulations related to The media have improved the means by which the public can get information.
The main aim of this report is to analyze the impacts of changes in the media concerning the societal and individual view of politics and politicians. The report also describes significant milestones in mass media since the year 1960 and examines the impact of mass media on how people think politically. The report then considers the effect of technological advancements in mass media and the effect on the results of elections. The use of mass media has increased over the last fifty years in that it is a primary medium through which supporters of various campaigners share their ideas and views concerning politicians and different political parties. Through social media, behaviors and performance of several activists have brought
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." This quote by A.J. Liebling illustrates the reality of where the media stands in today's society. Over the past twenty years there has been an increase in power throughout the media with regard to politics. The media's original purpose was to inform the public of the relevant events that occurred around the world. The job of the media is to search out the truth and relay that news to the people. The media has the power to inform the people but often times the stories given to the public are distorted for one reason or another. Using slant and sensationalism, the media has begun to shape our views in society and the process by which we choose our leaders. There was once a time when the government used the media as a medium to influence voters, committees, communities etc. Recently, it has been the presidents of major media outlets that have not only exercised power over the public but also made their presences felt in government and in the halls of congress. When the word democracy is thrown about it usually has to do with the rights or original intentions for a group or organization. The first group intended to be influenced by the media was the informed voter. Political parties along with the government used a variety of media resources to persuade the voter or in effect receive a vote for their cause. Returning to the thought of ?democracy? the question is, what was the original intention of the media with relation to the theme of democracy and the informed voter? To analyze this thought thoroughly one must first grasp an understanding of the basic definition of democracy.