This is the class blog for Dr. Lisa Burns' MSS 349/PO 348 Fall 2014 Political Communication course at Quinnipiac University.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The Constant Campaign - September 16th
How have consultants, special interest
groups, pollsters, and pundits changed political campaigns over the years?
Offer an example of the impact each group has had on political communication.
Political campaigns have become a production. It sounds theatrical to say, but with every moving component of a political campaign, one would think you were putting together a new musical. The irony in this ideology is that a modern-day political campaign is like a new theatrical production. Between endless rehearsals, a cast of characters, and a stage crew with more tasks than one can count on two hands, putting together a political campaign has dramatically changed throughout the decades in America.
In Judith Trent’s book, “Political Campaign Communication,” the systematic breakdown of all aspects of political campaigning and communicating is offered in a detailed manner.
“As Burdett Loomis has incisively illustrated, since 1974, a ‘new breed’ of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committees (Trent, 356).
Within this seemingly unending list Trent provides in chapter ten of her book, she exposes the new reality that is political campaigning. Thanks to the dozens of people now involved in any politician’s run or rerun for office, a hierarchy of positions that mimic an athletic roster now exists for each campaign. As Trent explains, it is thanks to the consultants, the special interest groups, the pollsters and the pundits that our political system is now so.
According to Trent, political consultants have truly acted as the trailblazers in making campaigning a group process, particularly since the 1970s. “But the 1970s witnessed the advent of the perpetual candidate. In the footsteps of the perpetual candidate has come the perpetual political consultant” (356). This consultant, who fulfills the role of coach and quarterback, takes on a multitude of tasks aiming at making their political figure the best, the most known, and the most successful. Though political strategists, and even cohorts who aided in political and campaigning decisions, aided the forefathers of our country, it was not until the late twentieth century that the political game truly became a game in terms of teams forming up to compete against one another. The field of choice? The campaign field. And why do consultants have such a high impact on political communication? “Consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepare messages for those voters” (357).
It is with these public opinion polls, conducted by the pollsters, that consultants urge their candidate to focus on certain policy issues, speak to particular audiences, and act in evident ways so that political pundits offer positive reviews of the candidate’s performance. Without the pollsters and the pundits, the consultants would lose a lot of material-giving experts who help guide the consulting ways offered to the candidate.
Beyond the political consultants, though, come another significant member of the political battlefield. In Richard Semiatin’s “Campaigns on the Cutting Edge,” the growing role of interest groups within politics in analyzed. “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters” (Semiatin, 121). Why have these groups risen to such a substantial position? The answer, as per usual, points back to the American dollar. “The conservative American Crossroads, for example, spent $5.9 million in independent expenditures against the incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) while the liberal NEA Advocacy Fund spent $1.9 million advocating against the election of Republican Ken Buck” (Semiatin, 123).
These facts and quotes help sum up how significant the rolls of consultants, interest groups, pollsters and pundits have become within political campaigns over the years. What used to be a hard fought battle between two opposing political parties striving for one opportunity in public office has now become a multi-level game on the battlefield where experts for each level come out to play. Whether you choose to focus on the millions of dollars that now fuel campaigns, or the dozens of professionals that pave the way for their particular candidate, it is hard to deny that the skeleton of political campaigning has gained some muscle throughout the years.
Works Cited: Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print. Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Political consultants, interest groups, and pollsters have changed the dynamic of our system for electing political officials significantly since they were first introduced to politicians in the 20th century. The main reason I believe these groups have had such a great impact on our politicians campaigns is because they are able to specifically target voters. Getting the demographic of your voters, whether it is a local, state or national campaign, could be the most important strategy a politician or candidate implements in their campaign. Targeting your voting population allows the candidate to really know his voters, what their most important issues are, age, sex, party alliances, if a household is wholly or just partially democrat, republican, independent or unidentified, and if the individual is an active voter or chooses not to vote, just to list a few. This information is important because it allows the candidate to tailor their campaign in a certain way to meet what the voters are looking for in a candidate, and therefore, who they are most likely to vote for. Communication is what drives a political campaign. What the candidate communicates to his/her voters is what will decide the “image” said voters have of the candidate. Political consultants are able to aid politicians in variety of ways, but most importantly, through phone banks, working with pollsters, and walking events, they have access to the most up-to-date I.Ds of their respected politician’s voter population. Having this information, the consultants know what will work and what won’t work in the campaign. Trent writes, “They (consultants) are aware of what approaches are working or failing in other parts of the country and hence might or might not work in the relevant region” (361). For example, a consultant would most likely advise their candidate to air advertisements on their immigration platform in Texas, and not in Delaware. This is based off the voter population in each state and what policy issues are most important. Interest groups are evolving our electoral system from candidate-centered to group-centered politics. Getting endorsements from interests groups just adds to the image politicians attempt to project to their voting population. And with the help of political consultants, “many groups purchase campaign broadcast ads in areas of the country where there are competitive elections” (122), writes Nina Kasniunas and Mark Rozell. If there is for example, a future competitive gubernatorial election in a state which has a majority of the voting population which is gay, you would see the candidates seeking endorsements from pro-gay interest groups. Receiving money and endorsements from such interest groups would give the public (voters), which is majority gay, a perception that the candidate is for sexual equality. This would only help the candidate’s image among the people, and by targeting their voters, the candidates know that sexual equality was among the most important policy issues the votes were concerned about. Pollsters are important to campaigns because through phone banks, walking banks, and other forms of public polling, these people are able to conduct and analyze public opinion polls. Public opinion polls are important to a campaign because they give the candidate and his advisors an idea of what the public is looking for in a candidate, and what policy issues are most important to the voters in the upcoming election. This information just allows the candidate to have a campaign strategy that identifies and plays to what the people want.
Works Cited: Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print. Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Aspects of political campaigns such as consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have significantly changed political campaigns over the years. Political campaigns have become multimillion-dollar endeavors. These aspects have allowed for Americans to become accustomed to the role that groups such as consultants and pundits have in campaigns for political office.
There has been a “growing importance of political consultants, especially media consultants, in contemporary politics. While political consultants provide a variety of services to their candidates, most of these services are advertising and media related” (Trent et Al. 354). Political consultants also make a great deal of money as a result of campaigns. An example of how consultants have made an impact on political campaigns includes these consultants accepting as much monetary donations as possible. The 2010 ruling in the Supreme Court’s Citizens United case had a substantial effect on this. All of this wealth is spent on political advertising and has a major impact on campaigns and the work that goes into campaigns.
Noordsy Continued An example of how political pundits have had an impact on a particular presidential campaign includes the 2008 presidential campaign. These pundits would assess and overanalyze aspects of the two candidates’ lives such as “Mr. Obama’s pastor, the Hispanic vote, Iraq, and the economy” (Lee 1). While I’m sure voters potentially cared about these aspects, I do not think these analyses were the ultimate decision in who won the presidential campaign of 2008.
Transformations in communications and social media have required political candidates to adapt to the “digital age” which can be positive but it is questionable that the candidates even have a say in what is going on in their own campaigns.
In regards to interest groups, they have become a powerful component of political campaigns. “Candidates need interest groups more than ever-not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns” (Semiatin 121). Interest groups have an important impact on voters’ decisions in choosing a political candidate. An example of the influence interest groups have had on campaigns involves the rise of the Tea Party. The Tea Party has “achieved such political traction and even has some major corporate and business sources of funding” (Semiatin 121).
The Tea Party had a substantial effect on the 2012 presidential campaign. For example, the Tea Party “helped shape the debate over federal spending, pushing the House to pass a balanced budget amendment while rejecting Democrats’ effort to raise new revenues to help close the federal deficit” (Peoples 1). In the beginning of the 2012 presidential campaign, candidates such as Michele Bachmann were involved in the Tea Party. Even though Bachmann did not end up lasting very long in the campaign (thankfully), the Tea Party was still involved and had an impact on this particular presidential campaign.
An example of a pollster who made a political impact was Dotty Lynch. A pollster analyzes polls and trends in current affairs. Lynch “collected, parsed and interpreted voter polling and survey data. She became best known, during her work in the 1970s and early 1980s for the Democratic Party, for illuminating the opinions of female voters” (Bernstein 1). Women are an essential demographic when it comes to voting for political candidates. Lynch was a pollster who influenced this demographic and ultimately had a significant effect on women being involved politically.
In addition, political consultants, interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have all made their impression on campaigns over the years. Campaigns are not an easy process and these groups have all had major influences on political candidates and their campaigns.
Works Cited: Bernstein, Adam. "Dotty Lynch, Political Pollster Who Later Worked for CBS News, Dies at 69." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Lee, Felicia R. "Like the Candidates, TV's Political Pundits Show Signs of Diversity." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Peoples, Steven. "Tea Party Leaders: GOP 2012 Presidential Candidates Have Been Disappointing." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Consultants, special interest groups, pundits and the like have become integral to the success of every political campaign over the years. Every aspect of campaigns has become mechanical, each speech or debate a rehearsal for when the candidate is elected to office. Thus, a team is required to ensure that they defeat their competition. “The rapid growth of the political consulting profession is a consequence of a variety of changes in our political system during the last decades of the twentieth century,” Trent explains. “From the standpoint of candidates, political consultants provide two big advantages over a candidate’s own campaign staff and the efforts of party professionals,” (Trent et al. 356). Interest groups in particular, as Kasniunas and Rozell point out, have become necessary for campaigns. “In truth, candidates need interest groups more than ever – not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns,” (Kasniunas and Rozell, 121), they write, continuing, “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters,” (121). The ability to influence voters is key in a successful campaign, which is why interest groups are becoming so important to politicians. President Barack Obama is one example of a politician who has used consultants and interest groups to help him reach the White House. “Political consultants can provide candidates with virtually any service necessary in the conduct if a campaign, including help in targeting voters, establishing a precinct organization, setting up and utilizing phone banks, polling the electorate, preparing and utilizing direct mail, preparing and using radio and television commercials, writing and preparing to deliver a speech, preparing for a debate, mounting a fund-raising campaign, and establishing and utilizing an Internet website,” (Trent et. al 358), many of which President Obama was able to take advantage of to find success in both his election and re-election.
One tactic that President Obama used successfully, with the aid of his team of consultants, was the Internet, specifically social media. In an article titled “How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power,” for the New York Times, David Carr writes, “Like a lot of Web innovators, the Obama campaign did not invent anything completely new. Instead, by bolting together social networking applications under the banner of a movement, they created an unforeseen force to raise money, organize locally, fight smear campaigns and get out the vote that helped them topple the Clinton machine and then John McCain and the Republicans,” (1). The then-Senator, the first “post-boomer candidate for president,” as he is referred to in the article, was one of the first politicians to use social media to reach his public, which became extremely beneficial to his campaign. The Obama team knew that it was an inexpensive way to reach many people, with Carr writing, “He wondered if social networking, with its tremendous communication capabilities and aggressive database development, might help him beat the overwhelming odds facing him,” (1).
He was obviously right, as social media continues to be an integral part of campaigns. Kasniunas and Rozell write specifically about the importance of Facebook in politics, explaining it’s many benefits. “Facebook allows the interest group to post new updates, which are then included in the news feeds of the subscriber,” (Kasniunas and Rozell, 129), they write, also citing the ability to leave comments and engage with the politician and others as some benefits of the site.
Works Cited:
Carr, David. “How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power.” The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Kasniunas, Nina Therese and Mark J. Rozell. “Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns.” Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Political campaigns have changed over the past few years. With the growing use of technology and social media it’s so much easier to connect with the voters. Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits have drastically changed the campaigns over the years. “Candidates must decide when, where, and how much they will concentrate their communication efforts, making sure the campaign does not peak too soon or spend too much in areas of little consequence or electoral support.” (Trent, 323). Its important those candidates as well as their teams know where and what exactly they need to campaign in order to win votes. It’s more important for candidates to win over states with high electoral votes as Trent has somewhat stated above.
Political consultants are the people that help decide what kind of money and time are going to be put into campaigns and certain areas. They take on polling, fundraising and even media. They are pretty much the most important part of the campaign. Millions if not billions of dollars are poured into the presidential race each year. This is because it’s all about image, like we had talked about in previous chapters. Consultants help get billboards or commercials, which is important for viewers and voters to see, or get to know their candidates.
“Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters. In recent years, interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of voters to get to the polls.” (Kasniunas, 121). Special interest groups are often referred to as pressure groups. They achieve their goals by lobbying to a certain policy or candidate. Special interest groups lobby for certain political parties or candidates in order to get voters out to vote preferably for the candidate they are lobbying for.
Pollsters are people that get you opinions on the poll. These are especially important now because they can easily be followed on social media. Pollsters give voters an idea of other people’s opinions on candidates. News outlets will often report on this information via their social media pages, television or on their websites. For example the Huffington Post has a section on their website called Pollster to share opinions.
Finally, a pundit is someone that knows a lot about a certain subject and often shares his or her opinions on radio or television. An example of a popular pundit would be Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly hosts a political commentary program on Fox News. O’Reilly is a person that shares his political opinions with people via media outlets. This is important because people might watch TV and say “wow Bill has this opinion on so and so and I agree with that so I’m going to vote for them.” Its like he’s a celebrity but he’s just a television host with knowledge about politics.
These people have changed campaigns for the future. Candidates could no longer campaign on their own; they need all these people to help them. Without then they will be less likely to win the race. Campaigns have turned into a competition of who spends the most money or who has the most ads. These people will help make sure their candidate is getting the most attention and will ultimately help them win.
Works Cited:
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Parti, Tarini. "State of Political Consulting: Rapid Growth, Long Hours, New Approaches." POLITICO. N.p., 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. .
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Politicians’ campaigns in today’s society is far different than what it was 60 years ago. It is no longer just what the candidates’ say that matters; there are a lot of different people that contribute to how a candidate is seen in the public eye. We have many groups of people that help a candidate’s career.
Consultants are people who help politicians look good; they advise and assist political campaigns. Virtually every political candidate, from George Washington’s day forward, has turned to a group of advisers for advice on getting elected and often for advisee on governing (Trent 354). The only thing that is different about the consultants during Washington’s day and today, is that Washington didn’t need to worry about any of his scandals being leaked. The consultants today have a lot more experience dealing when it comes to scandals, since we have seen a number of them in the past 20 years. They developed these crisis management skills that help the campaign succeed. The Presidential campaigns of 1828, 1840, and 1896 were especially notable for advances in political campaigning and served as precursors to the consultant- driven campaigns today (Trent 355).
“Interest groups are entirely too powerful. In truth, candidates need interest groups more than ever not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns” (Kasniunas 121). Interest groups have a hand in the campaigns because they can influence large groups of people to vote in a certain direction. They try to identify with voters who sympathize with certain issues and then provide resources to insure that people will vote. A good way the groups get the word out is through email. The National Organization for Womens’ (NOW) website features an option to “Sign Up to Stay Informed about Feminist Issues!” (Kasniunas 128). This is a fast and easy way to get their message out and be able to influence a large group of people all at once.
Polling is a really great way to reach out to the people on a national level. Polling is when random digits are dialed to contact and you get such a wide variety of demographics that the sample you are getting contributing a lot to a campaign. The people who are getting polled have a significant impact on the message and strategy for the campaign. Their answers help decide which programs a candidate supports or opposed during the campaign (DeLaney). It gives the people a voice, and makes them feel involved in the campaign. I know as someone who works in the polling institute, you need to make sure that those answers you are getting down are right, because if you mess up an answer it could hurt a candidate in the polls.
A pundit is someone who expresses his or her political options publically. In a way this almost makes it easier for people to understand. Not everyone has a good idea what going on in politics today, and that’s okay. Pundits are just regular people who express their options. They are the new way that voters are getting their information about a candidate, especially newer voters. For example, Jon Stewart, the host of The Daily Show, is an extremely comical man (Dougherty); who expresses his options, and he doesn’t care if people like them or not. It also helps that he can have a political figure on his show, and a less formal setting. It makes the candidate seem more approachable. Which in the end will always make them look good I the eyes of the voter.
Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have changed political campaigns over the years. With the ever-changing world, political candidates need to change as well. These help a campaign for being ordinary to extraordinary. Without them, politics would be a completely different thing.
Work Cited
DeLaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." - For Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Kasniunas, Nina Therese and Mark J. Rozell. “Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns.” Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
There once was a time in American Politics that the elected official or candidate spoke their own minds and addressed the issues at hand without anyone’s assistance. We do not live in that America any longer. “The rapid growth of the political consulting profession is a consequence of a variety of changes in our political system during the last decades of the twentieth century” (Trent 356). The utilization of consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits has dramatically increased, giving a large amount of power and influence to the people associated with them. All of these entities are used in a variety of ways to make the candidate seam as impeccable as possible.
Political Consultants have basically become the most significant part of any candidate political success. Not only because they give advice to the various politicians, but they know exactly have to reach the voters and sway them in favor of their client. The role of the consultant far exceeds just helping them on the campaign trail though. They tremendously help with the image and perception of the candidate. Sarah Palin for example had a very “mom” look about her when she was fulfilling her daily duties as governor of Alaska. It was at the recommendation of her consultant to change her look to, for lack of a better term, a more sexy appearance to enhance her national view. The consultants role has transcended that of the past, showing that their responsibilities far exceed that of heir predecessors.
Both special interest groups and pollsters play very significant roles in political campaigns, especially as technology advances. “Although groups use a variety of techniques to try to influence campaigns, technology is changing at a rapid rate and redefining how races are conducted. Groups that can offer resources to candidates, in an environment that is demanding more and more knowledge of how to exploit emerging trends, thus become more influential” (Kasniunas, Rozell 125). Special interest groups now have the ability to take a trending topic and through various outlets of social media, project their message to tens of thousands of people at once. It is the job of the pollsters to constantly provide them with the information that they seek. Pollsters in a matter of minutes can learn what the public thinks of an issue or candidate, allowing the interest groups to focus their tactics on what people actually want to talk about. Both work together in such a way that they can more or less dictate the entire flow of an election.
Pundits to me are the most interesting development in the modern campaign era. This is a person who has an opinion about a topic and goes on to share this on some sort of entertainment platform. While long ago there were opinion leaders, they were only able to influence small groups of local voters. Today, a pundit such as Bill Maher or John Stewart has a tremendous amount of pull in how the uninformed voter feels about an election. The majority of people who watch heir shows do not have a pre determined political affiliation. Therefore, the information being thrown at them regarding politics is all they know and what they are going to continue to believe.
Work Cited
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
The political sphere has become increasingly complex, abbreviated, and staged over the history of American Democracy. Simple numbers now represent decisions of the masses, intricate political conflicts are explained within 140 characters, and money has more power than ever before. Political consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits are all byproducts of this phenomenon that has taken over the world of mass media, and are all to blame for its perpetuation. Political communication has become increasingly strategic as politicians navigate through the intricacies of the current media system, and developed into mere pawns on the board. With the evolution of a media that enables instant gratification, the players within political communication are all a part of the evolution that has occurred, whether it is beneficial to the democratic system or not.
In particular, consultants are at the basis of political communication, charged with the task of crafting a strategy of navigation. Campaigns and political action thus become much more rehearsed. The money wrapped into this art is a major reason for the cost of political operation. For example, in the 2008 election, “Kerry received [consulting] fees...from 9 to 4.5 of the media buy” which “quickly amount[ed] to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars” spent (Trent 357). The cost of consulting and advertising has resulted in cases such as the Citizens United, perhaps the largest acknowledgement in political history of this phenomenon.
Special interest groups like Citizens United are at the heart of this decision, as they are providing funding. “Because of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC there are no limitations on what type of group or entity may use independent expenditures” (Semiatin 131). Therefore, political interest groups gained even greater control. The group’s role in the hearings is largely based on the desire to maintain such power, and influence the success of candidates through their funding in elections.
Pollsters are another financially motivated group specialized in generalizing public political opinion. They are a tool used by all aspects of the game, including candidates, interest groups, and media. This is because “a well-run, well-funded candidate tests his message before he spends money communicating it.” (Delaney) The ability to do so makes the message more impactful, and the money better spent. Obama knew the importance of testing his message of change before bringing it to the forefront of his campaign.
Lastly, pundits are unique players as they are not as predictable and controlled as the others. “Nowadays things are a lot messier and a whole lot more fun. And for better or worse very few of the old standards and definitions apply.” (Dougherty & MacNicol) Due to a lack of archaic values, there is more desire for politicians to gain the support of pundits. As they are the ones that everyday citizens are listening to and trust, politicians cannot underestimate the relationship between the two. From a well-read Politico journalist to Morning Joe, the citizens of the nation can directly connect, and hear what they have to say. Yet another reason why so much money is put into shaping what is being said.
In the end, the amount of power any one person or group possesses equates to the money they were willing to spend. The entire practice of democratic political communication has evolved into a financially driven and strategic machine, made up of many different parts. In order to be elected, it is required that each piece is funded and utilized. Obama raised so much money in 2008, because the stakes were so high. The game of political communication continues to evolve as the stakes increase and the funds follow suit. Being successful is due in large part to ones ability to not just raise the most money, but utilize each component—acknowledging the role each of them play in shaping the public opinion of American citizens and ultimately the way in which they cast their ballots.
Works Cited
Delaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael Brendan, & MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Jack Holiver Blog 3 As this country has evolved, so has its politics. For instance, political pundits are becoming increasingly powerful with a responsibility that grows with it. Pundits can be a useful source of news or a simple means of entertainment to the educated voter. Subsequently, they can also steer other less informed voters down a blind path. In addition to pundits, the reliance on political advisors has never been more prominent. Some people claim the country is the most divided it has ever been since the Civil War. With the innovation of technology and information being transferred at speeds the original American politicians never dreamed of, the science of campaigning is becoming increasingly difficult. Candidates have become more focused on the next election rather than passing legislation and executing the job they were elected for. The people who know most about successful campaigning techniques are often not the candidates, but rather the advisors that are behind the scenes. “Political consultants can provide candidates with virtually any service necessary in the conduct of a campaign” (Trent et al, pg. 358). An example of a significant political advisor that comes to mind is Karl Rove. During the Bush-Gore election, Rove was a key player in getting Bush elected, despite it being one of the more controversial elections. Rove has been dubbed the “political mad scientist” due to his unique ability to accurately judge elections and successfully run campaigns. In a previous class I had, the professor mentioned how he will go down to details most people would never notice such as having the candidate drink a specific type of beer that is more common to the potential voters being sought after. Political Campaign Communication has outlined the various advisors a candidate or politician would have. These include writers for advertising to the public, speech coaches for public speaking, direct mail specialists to target swing voters and people who are unaffiliated with a party, and specialists in television commercial production and placement. The biggest impact on the voters’ decisions may come from political pundits. Similar to the increasingly competitive campaigning world, political pundits have gained power at a rate that I find unsettlingly fast. These pundits had very little power not too long ago. “Back in the days of the cigar smoke-filled backroom journalists like Walter Lippmann told you what to think while you drank your morning coffee. And then Edward R. Murrow told you what to think while you ate a T.V. dinner. These days are no longer” (businessinsider.com). This article continues to state that the “backroom” has been replaced by Twitter and videos that run rampant throughout the web. The way I see it, the uniformed voter population is increasing because people are setting their opinions based on what people like Bill O’Reilly and Anderson Cooper preach. However, pundits are not always a bad segment of political communication. Despite being Republican, I often listen to CNN and MSNBC, which are considered to be left-winged news sources, in order to better understand how the other party views particular issues. It only becomes dangerous when a voter is blindly following the bias information being given by these pundits. Bibliography: 1.) Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Dention, Jr. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Praeger, 1991. Print. 2.) Michael Brendan Dougherty and Glynnis MacNicol. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
In a time of seemingly endless technology and ways to connect to people, it is no surprise that an aspiring candidate would need to employ a plethora of people to assist in her campaign. These consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits may not all be on the payroll of a candidate, but they all affect how their campaign runs. A good relationship is critical with these groups that have changed the way campaigns are run.
Consultants play a major role in the shaping of a political candidate. I find that the role of consultants and the image they create can sometimes be ironic. For example, Trent talks about when Adlai Stevenson challenged Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. Stevenson rallied against consultants and the effect of “merchandising” candidates, but this was done by a consultant agency. Stevenson knew exactly what he was doing in trying to act like the type of candidate who does not need consultants. I see that becoming a trend with today’s politicians, especially the younger ones. Candidates want to appear laid back and a friend of the people, but very intelligent consultants orchestrate all of this. (Trent 354)
Career politicians have become common in the world of politics today, and as a result, “helping candidates has become a perpetual job” (Trent 356). Consultants set up many aspects of the candidates’ campaign, but they are only one piece of a puzzle. The role of interest groups has increased as the costs of campaigns have risen. However, interest groups do not always support a candidate but sometimes elect their own. For example, the AFL-CIO decided “it can best promote its policy goals by recruiting its own members, rather than by recruiting and training candidates from outside the labor movement” (Therese 123). Sometimes interest groups can do more harm than good when increasingly negative commercials adversely affect viewers and the form negative opinions of candidates even though the candidates did not directly make the commercials.
Pundits also play a major role in campaigns. I think the reason pundits are so popular today is because of the 24-hour news cycle. News stations need to fill airtime, and may see having a political expert (or expert in a field) on air as a good way to fill that time. Pundits are a good way for a candidate to be in two places at once, as long as your mouthpiece does not backfire on you.
The post-campaign, pre-election results players are the pollsters. Pollsters also feed into the 24-hour news cycle. A candidate that is about to win wants to motivate his followers and create a buzz by having pollsters announce his lead. Of course, that is probably the opposite for the losing candidate. Now, it would be unheard of for a news station that is reporting on a major political election to not have pundits and pollsters on air.
Works Cited Therese, Nina. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. "Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices". New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Political Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits all have tremendously changed political campaigns over the years. Now more than ever these numerous different groups have direct impact on elections and are key to a candidate’s success or failure.
Political consulting has considerably changed the way campaigns are run today. In recent years political parties and candidates have had extensive amounts of money to fund their campaigns and as a result political consulting for campaigns has become a major industry. Now consulting firms are competing fiercely amongst each other to run campaigns, and as such, they have to always innovate and develop new strategies which make them more viable for the job.
The great changes political consulting has had on elections and campaigns can be seen in the tremendous campaign expenditures. Politico reports that this year alone campaigns have spent 206 million on political consulting. The competition to get the best guidance has resulted in campaigns becoming massive spending ventures.
Special Interest groups are also at the forefront of campaigns. In Richard Semiatin he states “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters." (121)
One example of the tremendous influence these groups have is through their fundraising methods. Special interest groups are responsible for raising tremendous amounts of money for campaigns. Interest groups can now use committees known as PACs in order to raise funds for an election. The huge amounts of revenue generated by interest groups makes them incredibly important players in the campaign and, in many cases, essential for a candidate’s success. Candidates and political parties will seek groups that are willing to contribute their campaign.
Polling organizations have also changed campaigns, although to what extent remains unclear. Yet more and more polling takes place prior to campaigns every year. Polls give indications on how people feel about an issue or candidate and arguably this information can change a campaign.
The effects of pollsters on campaigns and the political process are often debated. For example some have argued that poll results can be biased and be used to demoralize the opposition and discourage voting. This was the case around the time of the 2012 presidential election when republicans accused polls of sampling more democrats in their surveys. They argued that by showing a greater amount of the population learning towards the democratic candidate or issue it would discourage voters from even trying to vote republican. It’s unclear if this was the case but clearly pollsters are a part of the campaigns more than ever before.
During election cycles more people tend to listen to political pundits. Pundits provide information and analysis on politics and can be influential in people’s understanding of different issues. Clearly pundits have changed campaigns through their prevalence and insight on political topics. During major campaigns viewership of major network pundits and panels generally increases, as was the case in the 2012 election. Many of the networks saw increased viewership and on election night ratings were staggeringly high. This is a reflection of how many people want to be informed but also how they are curious for ideas pertaining to politics and the campaign.
•Parti, Tarini. "State of Political Consulting: Rapid Growth, Long Hours, New Approaches Read More: Http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/political-consulting-110834.html#ixzz3DUHPuADk." Politico. 11 Sept. 2014. Web. •Harwood, John. "Pollsters Struggle to Pin Down the Right (Cell) Number." The New York Times. 5 Aug. 2012. Web. •Patten, Dominic. "Election Night Ratings: NBC Wins But Overall Viewership Down From 2008." Deadwood. 7 Nov. 2012. Web. •Semiatin, Richard J. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Second ed. Print.
The role of pundits, pollsters, special interest groups and consultants has changed campaigns dramatically. The chapter in the Trent book makes clear all the number crunching that takes place in justifying every decision made by a candidates campaign manager. All four of these things help the campaign justify its’ decisions.
The way in which pollsters influence or help justify decisions on certain issues made by candidates is by getting a good feel about how certain demographics would feel about the stance. Ann DeLaney states the importance of polls when she writes “Polling is advisable whenever an office involves policy or a campaign is going to be anything more than "I'm Carly Candidate; vote for me!" A well-run, well-funded candidate tests his message before he spends money communicating it,” (DeLaney, 2). We can come to the conclusion that something this important has to have an impact on every decision a campaign makes.
The way that consultants impact campaigns is made clear in the Trent chapter by all the thought that is put into just the advertising. With lots of money being committed to the candidate there is pressure on his team to make the right choices and win the election. With all this pressure the patrons and candidate will want to be sure that every decision made has a purpose and is analyzed by consultants. The usage of polls by consultants once again highlights the importance of polls, (Trent, 356-378).
The roll of the pundit is communicating the message of the party, politician or special interest group to the public. By going on talk shows/ tweeting ect. to the pundit’s following, it can act as an effective advertisement. If you look at the businessinsider.com article on pundits they all have a description that appeals to a certain type of political following. Whether describing Chris Hayes as the super nerdy liberal out of the west wing or James Carrival as the the Ragin' Cajun and his ragin' mouth. The pundits have personalities that fit certain niches inside the intellectual group. When a pundit backs a certain candidate it can act as an editorial or sponsorship that will go a long way with the following that that pundit has built up, (Dougherty).
The role that special interests groups have in political campaigns is finance, and that means everything. The Trent chapter emphasizes the role of money spent on creating an image during the campaign. The special interest group is willing to donate money to a candidate if the candidate will support their cause. The money that comes in can go towards advertising, consulting, polling and other things. This can create a conflict of interests between what consultants think is the right position and where the money for those consultants comes from, (Trent, 356-378).
When money is spent on something, patrons and candidates want justification for the decision that is made. People are turned into demographics so rational decisions can be made about them. Weather it is polling, consulting about those polls, pundits that cater to those demographics, or special interest groups that need those voters on their side. These 4 things have changed campaigns by modernizing them. By this I mean campaigns are just like marketing, advertising and other business decisions influenced by all the data that we have and the way researchers think of the world.
DeLaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." - For Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Campaigning for an election far different today than it used to be. Nowadays, the political candidate has an entire team working to help them win the election. As Judith Trent stated in her book, Political Campaign Communication, “ A new breed of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committee. (Trent, 365) This may seem like a lot staff, seemingly “too much” staff, but everyone has an important job. A political consultant, for example, is a very important job. They have a vast understanding of how elections work, and share their advice to better campaign. As Trent states earlier in the chapter, “They are aware of what approaches are working or failing in other parts of the country and hence might or might not work in a relevant region.”(Trent, 361) interest groups are also extremely important; they not only give the candidate support, but aid in getting funding, even promoting the candidate. This is especially useful in competitive states, where interest groups can act as your own campaign team and work for more votes. Two other key positions in a political campaign are Pundit’s and Pollsters. Pollsters work much like the Quinnipiac Poll does, calling various people to ask for their opinions. With the growing popularity and usage of social media, Pollsters have become super important because they need to monitor and know what certain groups/areas think of their candidate, and with that info the consultant can work and improve or maintain that image. A pundit is someone who shares their political opinions on media platforms such as television or radio. One infamous example of a famous pundit is Bill O’Reilly. Bill is a pundit that expresses his far right views on fox, 90% of the time bashing the democrats and spewing hate at Obama. Pundits are important because they can really shape peoples opinions, and they reach a large number of people talking on television, but also tweeting, having a Facebook group, etc. With the world constantly changing, political campaigns have been evolving to keep up. What used to be a simple election is now an orchestra of hundreds of different staff working in sync, keeping their candidate from being swallowed up and making sure they have a good shot in winning their voters.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefie
Communication has changed as the media has changed and that is why political communication is the monster it is today. From Fox News correspondents to twitter bloggers, everywhere we look there’s a new piece of political information. We’ve come to rely on these people so much for our information that they have become political pundits. Because political pundits are constantly being seen on popular media outlets more people are getting informed as to what is going on in the political world which has in return made the campaign teams do more clean-up work to get their message out. The tables have turned and the politicians no longer run the media, the media runs them. Political pundits absolutely destroyed the “Romney for President” campaign in 2012 when his “47 percent” comments were made. Obviously the comment did immense damage because it played right into Obama’s campaign strategy of painting him as an out of touch rich guy but with that aside, his comments were caught on video and posted for everyone to see. The raw image of Mitt Romney saying those words was enough to shake up his entire campaign (Cillizza). Pollsters have just as much of an impact on campaigns now, if not more. Polling firms “are hired to perform polls that the handler (that is, the campaign consultant) and the candidate need and for which they can afford to pay” (DeLaney). Polls can be used for any issue that the campaign doesn’t have a clear viewpoint from the voters on. Polls can also be used for special interests groups to present to the politicians and campaigns that shows either if the public would be in favor of supporting an interest or not in favor of an interest. Political consultants share this role in a political campaign, “Consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepare messages for those voters” (Trent, 357). Whatever light you want to show it in political pundits, political consultants, pollsters and special interests groups ALL play an important role in a campaign—whether they are traumatizing it for increasing the popularity. Political pundits have become the watch dogs for Americans not paying attention to politics, special interests groups provide the money and poll results and political consultants use all the information to spin their candidate to look their best.
Works Cited:
Cillizza,Chris. "Why Mitt Romney's "47 Percent" comment was so bad." The Washington Post. 4 March 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Delaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
I couldn’t agree with Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark J. Rozell more, “Interest groups are entirely too powerful”. As described in chapter eight of Campaigns on the Cutting Edge, “In recent years interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of voters to get to the polls” (Semiatin, 121)
Wealthy donors can write checks for the maximum allowable amount to as many candidates as they want As John Stewart once said, “The last great hope of preserving our democracy from the corrupting influence of money is carpal tunnel syndrome.” (Thompson)
The money raised by special interest groups is not used solely to trade favors Kasniunas and Rozell describe how often the money is necessary. “The costs of waging an effective political campaign have continued to rise and candidates can no longer afford to rely on contributions from individuals and political parties alone.” (Semiatin 132)
Perhaps, no two people have made a larger impact than conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and their affiliated organizations. Chapter 8 predicted that the effects of citizens united would “increase greatly” in the 2012 election; they were spot on. (Semiatin 122) The political network linked to the brothers raised at least $407 million in the 2012 election, almost matching Mitt Romney’s campaign funds. By comparison, the Koch network raised more than George W. Bush did in 2004, and outdid both presidential candidates in 2000. (Windsor)
You may be wondering, why would savvy business people contribute such huge sums to political candidates and causes? Because there is a return on investment. One of the largest contributors to political campaigns is casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson alone gave over 150 million to campaigns in 2012 and the impact is obvious. In March, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed a federal Internet gambling ban, a proposal that mirrored the agenda of his major backer - Sheldon Adelson. Historically online gambling had never been one of Graham’s policy priorities so it seems that Adelson’s contributions were being recognized. (Palmer, Burgess) Although the potential for corruption seems obvious some lawmakers are pushing for even less restrictions on campaign finance. In June senator Ted Cruz introduced bill that would “allow unlimited direct contributions by citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to candidates in Federal elections.” (Weigel). That quote is not from a commentator critical of the bill. Nor is it from a policy analysis explaining the bill’s effects. That’s actually a quote from the text of the bill itself. Cruz is clearly not trying to hide his agenda.
Another group that has affected the modern day political landscape is pollsters. In theory, polls are meant to be unbiased so they paint can make an accurate prediction about an election. But political strategists know that by simply saying their candidate is ahead in the polls they can gather more support through group think.
That’s why in 2012 Dean Chambers launched unskewedpolls.com a site that took scientifically conducted polls and, with no particular methodology or reasoning, made them pro-Romney. By assuming that all polls vastly under-sampled independent and Republican voters. (Cramer)
Even when polls can’t be “unskewed” they are spined. That was what happened to a Quinnipiac University Poll that found 54 percent of Catholics support Gay Marriage. The special interest group “The Family Research Council” sent out an email to its supporters that claimed the survey was skewed because Quinnipiac lumped together the responses of practicing and non-practicing Catholics. In order to be considered a practicing catholic you had to go to church at least once a week. In other words The Family Research Council said the poll was skewed because Quinnipiac was counting people who they don’t consider to be real Catholics. When you apply the Family Research Council’s rule only 38% of Catholics support gay marriage. (Abdill)
In early American Politics, elected candidates and even candidates running for office seemed as if they thrived on honesty and the ability to better the nation by making a change. As the country evolves the “game” of politics does as well. I say “game” because politicians now meet with an array of people and groups that help them gain voters rather than inform the public. The people who help candidates during their campaigns are consultants, special interests groups, pollsters, and pundits.
Political consultant’s roles in campaigns have increased more and more over the years. “The growth of political consulting services has made the field one in which growing numbers of people are able to make a living” (Trent 357). The burden of finding out how to communicate to the public has now fallen from the candidate to the consultant. They are responsible for the fundraising, the image of the candidate, even the topics the candidate talks about to connect with the public. Political consultants are an integral part of any candidate’s campaign and their roles only seem to increase as we approach more political campaigns.
“Not willing to neglect an opportunity to connect with supporters, interest groups are also harnessing mobile technology” (Kasniunus, Rozell 128). Over the last 10 years social media has reached an all time high. Facebook for instance, has played a major role for interests groups and pollsters when it comes to social media outlets. The most used networking site in the world, Facebook has the ability for millions of people to connect and become informed of a politician or a politicians view on a specific subject simpler than ever. The amount of people that social media outlets can reach really makes interests groups and pollsters a key determining part of an elections result.
Being someone who is not really into politics, pundits have been my most helpful way of gaining political knowledge. Steve Colbert, Bill Maher, and John Stewart are all people I’ve watched in recent years because they make politics easier to understand, even fun. The thing with these shows is that sometimes they have political figures as guests and since it’s in a comedic setting the political guest almost always gains this sense of connection or normality in which me as a viewer appreciates. I don’t pay to much attention to politics on other outlets, so what I see and hear on these shows is what I tend to gravitate to when it comes to my personal political views.
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Consultants, special interest groups, and pundits have drastically changed political campaigns. They’ve all played a part in making campaigns highly choreographed performances. There’s nothing that is not scripted or planned. If something happens that is off script, it usually means that someone made a mistake. First of all, consultants have impacted campaigns as they bring a level of expertise to specific aspects of campaigns. They are experts in helping the campaign shape its image. According to Trent, “Consultants are specialists in designing media messages and ensuring that those media messages are transmitted most effectively.” (356) A good example of a consultant helping shape a candidates message is debate consultants. These people are often brought in specifically to train the candidate for a debate. They teach the candidate things like key words to use, how to stand, how to avoid questions in order to talk about a topic they may be more favorable in. Another key component of debate prep that consultants do is coaching the candidate how to respond to specific statements their opponent may make. This is all to make sure the candidate does not make any mistakes. In 2008, the McCain campaign was concerned about Sarah Palin’s ability to look good in her debate. She was, reportedly, stumbling over her words and was not giving good responses in prep. To ensure she did not embarrass the campaign in the debate, her team wrote down responses for her on index cards so she could memorize those specific statements. Special interest groups have affected campaigns because of the money they funnel to candidates. Money is most important factor to winning an election. To get the money from these groups, candidates are forced into certain positions in order to please that group. On of the most prominent interest groups today is the Tea Party; an extremely conservative movement that has gained a lot of power in politics. Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark Rozell in Campaigns on the Cutting Edge reference an example of the power the Tea Party wield’s. “In Colorado in 2010, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis refused to fill out a questionnaire from a Tea Party group, the Independence Caucus. Many conservative activists disapproved of his refusal, and McInnis struggled for much of the primary season to win their support, which ultimately went to his Republican opponent, Dan Maes.” (131) That shows the amount of support these groups can get. The Tea Party has become so powerful that it could bring down a candidates hopes just because of a questionnaire. Pundits have also shaped political campaigns dramatically as they have been the major driving force behind campaigns becoming scripted. Campaigns try to plan every moment out because they do not want to make mistakes. Their goal is simply to not mess up because pundits will analyze any small slip up. An example of this is from the 2012 Presidential campaign. In one of the debates, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was responding to a question about pay equality for women. Romney said, "We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks,' and they brought us whole binders full of women." The “binders full of women” quote became a huge topic for political pundits to discuss across the media. It was a tremendous distraction that hurt the Romney campaign because, through all the analysis of the comment, many people got the impression that Romney did not fully respect women.
Works Cited:
Semiatin, Richard J. "Political Parties -- Beyond Revitalization." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
Thompson, John B. Political Scandal: Power and Visibility in the Media Age. Cambridge: Polity ;, 2000. Print.
Winston Churchill stated: “Politics is not a game. It is an earnest business” (BrainyQuote). Politics as Churchill stated continues to be an earnest business. Today’s politics have transformed into a business of gaining voters through various medias. It is not like the days of old when the best candidate for a president could be a war hero like Grant or Eisenhower. Today, it is not even who will benefit the voters better, but rather candidates who can get through to voters. The way to get in touch with voters about your policies is through any avenue possible: social networking, emails, webcasts, blogs, pop ups, etc. These things may be annoying but voters see them and often times process the information by attempting to ignore them. Consultants, interest groups, and other various people have changed the way politics runs through the advancement of the media. Interest groups, consultants and other various groups have changed politics because they have found ways to get in touch with voters in new medias other than television and the radio: “interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands of or even millions of voters to get to the polls” (Semiatin 121). Today’s society is more technological than ever before and that is the route to get in touch with voters: “the Internet ranked among the top sources of campaign information. Thirty-one percent of Americans went online for candidate and campaign information” (Trent 348). One of the new forms of getting readers in touch with a candidate and their stance on an issue is through pop-ups. Pop-ups while very annoying often times draw viewers in as they attempt to close them: “can create a pop-up window to educate the website visitor of the stance followed by a request for a campaign contribution” (Semiatin 127). Another new media forum is webcasts. Webcasts are “live video feed or broadcast over the Internet” (Semiatin 129). Webcasts thanks to YouTube has become a site where viewers can be influenced by interest groups all over the place: “An added benefit of webcasts is that usually they are then stored as a video file, accessible on the website for multiple viewings after the initial broadcast” (Semiatin 129). They can look up videos from SNL or campaign videos that had celebrities in them that present the candidates in certain light. But interest groups can also influence voters through advertising before a video. Often times, viewers cannot skip the ads before their videos and have to listen and watch. Videos and pop-up ads are not the only mediums that voters can hear about candidates. Social Networking has become a big medium for interest groups, specifically Facebook. Facebook allows these groups to create their own page and inform voters that way: “Facebook allows the interest groups to post new updates, which are then included in the news feeds of the subscriber” (Semiatin 129). The media as a new forum for interest groups to get in touch with candidates is on the rise: “The Internet not only provides candidates a mean of dispensing information directly to the public, but also provides a means to develop a frequency of individual contact and connect with potential voters” (Trent 348).
Interest groups have taken full reign of the Internet as a business tool. The best way to get in touch with voters while still using old methods of television, mail, and email; the Internet is the brand new method that is perfect for the business of politics. The Internet can gain in touch with various voters while costing little money: Campaigns can establish an Internet presence for a very modest amount, compared to the costs of many other forms of advertising” (Trent 348). The Internet helps to make the business of politics in certain ways blossom.
Works Cited: Churchill, Winston. BrainyQuote. BrainyQuote, 2001. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. "Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: CQ, 2013. 121-136. Print. Trent, Judith S. "Advertising in Political Campaigns." Political Campaign Communication: Principles & Practices. 7th ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. 323-363. Print.
Consultants have absolutely one hundred percent contributed to the overall change of political campaigns over the years. The other groups mentioned certainly have as well, but arguably none have has as large an impact as consultants. This is largely in part due to the nature of the work they do. One of the things that the Trent book mentioned was the advent of the perpetual candidate as society has evolved, and as such the emergence of the always present campaign consultant. Consultants have come to be associated with specific benefits such as, “…specialists in designing media messages and ensuring that those messages are transmitted most effectively…provide the campaign with a better return on its dollars” (Trent 356-357). Resultantly, more campaigns now seek out political consultants and popular firms than ever before. If nothing else, the argument could be made that consultants have changed political campaigns in the sense that they are largely responsible for many of the high costs associated with modern-day races. For instance, Trent mentioned, “In 2008, most of the presidential campaigns went to a flat-fee basis still resulting in nearly 10 percent of funds spent on all advertising. In large market states and national campaigns, fees such as this can quickly amount to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars” (357). It is no secret that modern-day campaigning has become associated with high price tags, and based on some of the evidence presented in the text, consultants have been at least partly responsible for driving that price tag even higher. Special interest groups have also changed campaigns over the years as candidates have really been forced to pay more attention to their wants or needs now more than ever before in order to secure support needed for eligibility and voter support. With the growth of special interest groups in specific regard to their power and influence on the Hill, such as AARP or the NRA, they are able to get the word out to hundreds of thousands of voters, if not millions. Special interest groups have become a force to be reckoned with, and undeniably one that can make or break an election. Pundits over the years have become more influential to campaigns as well. Looking at the Business Insider article, there are dozens of pundits listed that really do have a noticeable influence. Additionally, many of these pundits are names that are becoming more prominent in everyday American households, and are known to the common man. For example, Nate Silver of the New York Times was mentioned, and his blog FiveThirtyEight. Nate Silver has become a respected member of the political world in recent years, and for good reason. One of the things that the article highlights is that he likes to use numbers in an influential way, “Silver backs up his opinions with numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. All caps are easy to argue with. Numbers, not so much” (Dougherty 2011). There are hundreds of reasons why the nature of political campaigns have changed over the years, but the role of specific individuals, such as these previously discussed, may be larger than others and for good reason. As with anything that changes over time, it will certainly be interesting to see how the role of these individuals continues to evolve.
Sources: Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Another group that has influenced the political landscape is political consultants The book Political Campaign Communication says “Virtually every political candidate form George Washington’s day forward has turned to a group of advisors for advice on getting elected and often advice on governing” (Trent 354) that remains true today. Consultants play an important role in the “preparation and communication of messages” (Trent 363) although not every message formed by political consultants is a good idea. For example Republican strategist and pollster, Kellyanne Conway recently advised GOP candidates to challenge Democrats who use the term “women’s health” to refer to reproductive rights, and instead focus on brittle bones and breast exams. (Culp-Ressler) Osteoporosis and breast cancer are serious public health issues that plague millions of women but on a national scale they are not the top issues when it comes to women’s health. Completely ignoring reproductive health is the wrong strategy.
The last group that influences political campaigns are Pundits. A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable, or considered a scholar in. Ever since the 24 hour news cycle took hold there has been an increase in demand for political pundits and not all of them are true experts and often sometimes they are selected only to give “validity” to someone’s opinion. This is the case with Bjorn Lomborg a ‘scientist’, and climate inactivist who argue “The Poor Need Cheap Fossil Fuels,” and who asserts “global warming has mostly been a net benefit so far”. DeSmogBlog recently did an analysis of where Bjorn Lomborg’s money comes from. Lomborg runs the Copenhagen Consensuses Center (CCC). The only income for the CCC in its first year in the US came in the form of a $120,000 grant from the New York-based Randolph Foundation an Organization closely affiliated with the Konch Brothers. (Readfearn)
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Right Wing Plans To Reframe ‘Women’s Health Issues’ To Focus On Preventing Brittle Bones." ThinkProgress RSS. 24 July 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Palmer, Anna, and Burgess Everett. "Lindsey Graham Does Sheldon Adelson a Solid on Online Gaming." POLITICO. 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Readfearn, Graham. "The Millions Behind Bjorn Lomborg's Copenhagen Consensus Center US Think Tank." DeSmogBlog. 24 June 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Rozell, Mark J. "Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. By Nina T. Kasniunas. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Political campaigns have evolved into something more abstract then what it used to be, which was simple and straight to the point. Now with the involvement and heavy influence of consultants, special interest groups, pollster and pundits in the political process; the games of political campaigns have changed forever. Consultants added a much needed twist to political campaign strategies. Politicians now have the ability to known more and have access to more information. In the book, Political Campaign Communication, by Judith Trent, she speaks upon the complexity of political campaigns; and how the growing importance of consultants and special interest groups affect the outcome of political campaigns. “As Burdett Loomis has incisively illustrated, since 1974, a ‘new breed’ of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committees (Trent, 356)”. She talks about the growth of the consultant industry and how it is a necessity to politicians. The candidates with consultants have an advantage over ones that do not for two main reasons according to Trent, “First they provide a bigger bang for the buck, a greater return on the money spent on campaign. Consultants are specialist in designing media messages and ensuring that those messages are transmitted most effectively…consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepares message for these voters. Hence, the consulting profession has grown rapidly in the last three decades because it has provided candidates with highly desired services (Trent, 357)”. Consultants have permanently changed the way to have a success campaign strategy in this day and age. The influence of interest groups have also increased over the years because of technology and simply because the importance of public interest has risen. Interest groups like the Tea Party in the United States have given way to the involvement of other interest groups to gain some attention and publicity. The modern society we live in allows groups like the Tea Party movement to become so influential. In the book, Campaign on the Cutting Edge, by Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark J. Rozell, they correlated the increase of modern technology as one of the causes to the increase involvement of interest groups in the political process; they speak upon the Tea Party movement in particular. “…modern technology has given citizens and organized groups more and better means than ever to influence the electoral process. Without the rise of such vehicles of mass communication as social networking twitter, the extraordinary quick rise of the Tea Part in the United States and now major democratic revolutions abroad would not be possible” (Rozell 122). Modern technology plays such a big role in the rising significance of special interest groups. Moreover, consultants, special interest groups, pollster and pundits in the political process have changed the politician campaign process because over the years they have become more relevant and more of a necessity than an accessory. Works Cited: Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print. Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Political campaigns have changed noticeably over the years due to an increase in the technology available to not only the politicians and their team, but to special interests groups, consultants, pollsters, and pundits. Technology has allowed politicians to become closes and on a more personal level with the general public and potential voters. Also, this same technology has allowed the groups listed above to have a greater impact on campaigns because it allows their voices to be heard on a much larger scale. According to Kasniunas and Rozell, “Groups efforts to influence elections have become increasingly sophisticated. Groups with substantial resources make use of the latest technologies to communicate with large number of activists, supporters, and other potential voters,” (123).
Email, social media websites, webcasts, and text messages are just some of the newer ways that these groups are able to reach out to different voters and get their ideas out there. They also use these different tools of communication to try and acquire money and donations from different businesses and the general public. These interest groups are then able to donate more money to the campaigns of the politicians they want to win; therefore changing the way campaigns had previously been run.
Special interest groups are organizations that try and pressure certain politicians into supporting their cause. They do this through lobbyists and new technology. These groups “attempt to shape the issue agenda of elections by providing information directly to like-minded individuals. That way the groups can frame the issue so as to emphasize their own policy positions,” (Kasniuans and Rozell 128).
Consultants are advisers who work for politicians and help give them advice in order to get elected. Thomas Jefferson’s advisor, John Beckley, was one of the first notable consultants. Beckley “wrote campaign material on his behalf, arranged for its distribution in key states, and organized a speaker’s bureau on behalf of Jefferson,” (Trent 354).
Pollsters are people who take polls in order to gather information for politicians and their campaigns. Pollsters take polls in order gather information regarding voting blocks so that politicians are able to direct their campaigns appropriately in a variety of different areas.
A pundit is someone that expresses his or her political views publically, typically on television or some other type of media outlet. One example of a famous pundit would be Jon Stewart. He uses his TV show, The Daily Show, in order to talk politics but mixing it in with comedy. Pundits can affect a political campaign because of their ability to reach a large audience on a regular basis. They usually also target a specific audience and so if a politician were to make an appearance on a pundit’s show they will be able to knowingly target a voting block they might not usually have access too. This can make a huge difference in recruiting people to vote for them.
Works Cited
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Kindle File.
By: Taylor Popielarz
ReplyDeletePolitical campaigns have become a production. It sounds theatrical to say, but with every moving component of a political campaign, one would think you were putting together a new musical. The irony in this ideology is that a modern-day political campaign is like a new theatrical production. Between endless rehearsals, a cast of characters, and a stage crew with more tasks than one can count on two hands, putting together a political campaign has dramatically changed throughout the decades in America.
In Judith Trent’s book, “Political Campaign Communication,” the systematic breakdown of all aspects of political campaigning and communicating is offered in a detailed manner.
“As Burdett Loomis has incisively illustrated, since 1974, a ‘new breed’ of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committees (Trent, 356).
Within this seemingly unending list Trent provides in chapter ten of her book, she exposes the new reality that is political campaigning. Thanks to the dozens of people now involved in any politician’s run or rerun for office, a hierarchy of positions that mimic an athletic roster now exists for each campaign. As Trent explains, it is thanks to the consultants, the special interest groups, the pollsters and the pundits that our political system is now so.
According to Trent, political consultants have truly acted as the trailblazers in making campaigning a group process, particularly since the 1970s. “But the 1970s witnessed the advent of the perpetual candidate. In the footsteps of the perpetual candidate has come the perpetual political consultant” (356). This consultant, who fulfills the role of coach and quarterback, takes on a multitude of tasks aiming at making their political figure the best, the most known, and the most successful. Though political strategists, and even cohorts who aided in political and campaigning decisions, aided the forefathers of our country, it was not until the late twentieth century that the political game truly became a game in terms of teams forming up to compete against one another. The field of choice? The campaign field. And why do consultants have such a high impact on political communication? “Consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepare messages for those voters” (357).
(Taylor Popielarz, cont'd)
ReplyDeleteIt is with these public opinion polls, conducted by the pollsters, that consultants urge their candidate to focus on certain policy issues, speak to particular audiences, and act in evident ways so that political pundits offer positive reviews of the candidate’s performance. Without the pollsters and the pundits, the consultants would lose a lot of material-giving experts who help guide the consulting ways offered to the candidate.
Beyond the political consultants, though, come another significant member of the political battlefield. In Richard Semiatin’s “Campaigns on the Cutting Edge,” the growing role of interest groups within politics in analyzed. “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters” (Semiatin, 121). Why have these groups risen to such a substantial position? The answer, as per usual, points back to the American dollar. “The conservative American Crossroads, for example, spent $5.9 million in independent expenditures against the incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) while the liberal NEA Advocacy Fund spent $1.9 million advocating against the election of Republican Ken Buck” (Semiatin, 123).
These facts and quotes help sum up how significant the rolls of consultants, interest groups, pollsters and pundits have become within political campaigns over the years. What used to be a hard fought battle between two opposing political parties striving for one opportunity in public office has now become a multi-level game on the battlefield where experts for each level come out to play. Whether you choose to focus on the millions of dollars that now fuel campaigns, or the dozens of professionals that pave the way for their particular candidate, it is hard to deny that the skeleton of political campaigning has gained some muscle throughout the years.
Works Cited:
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Political consultants, interest groups, and pollsters have changed the dynamic of our system for electing political officials significantly since they were first introduced to politicians in the 20th century. The main reason I believe these groups have had such a great impact on our politicians campaigns is because they are able to specifically target voters. Getting the demographic of your voters, whether it is a local, state or national campaign, could be the most important strategy a politician or candidate implements in their campaign. Targeting your voting population allows the candidate to really know his voters, what their most important issues are, age, sex, party alliances, if a household is wholly or just partially democrat, republican, independent or unidentified, and if the individual is an active voter or chooses not to vote, just to list a few. This information is important because it allows the candidate to tailor their campaign in a certain way to meet what the voters are looking for in a candidate, and therefore, who they are most likely to vote for.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is what drives a political campaign. What the candidate communicates to his/her voters is what will decide the “image” said voters have of the candidate. Political consultants are able to aid politicians in variety of ways, but most importantly, through phone banks, working with pollsters, and walking events, they have access to the most up-to-date I.Ds of their respected politician’s voter population. Having this information, the consultants know what will work and what won’t work in the campaign. Trent writes, “They (consultants) are aware of what approaches are working or failing in other parts of the country and hence might or might not work in the relevant region” (361). For example, a consultant would most likely advise their candidate to air advertisements on their immigration platform in Texas, and not in Delaware. This is based off the voter population in each state and what policy issues are most important.
Interest groups are evolving our electoral system from candidate-centered to group-centered politics. Getting endorsements from interests groups just adds to the image politicians attempt to project to their voting population. And with the help of political consultants, “many groups purchase campaign broadcast ads in areas of the country where there are competitive elections” (122), writes Nina Kasniunas and Mark Rozell. If there is for example, a future competitive gubernatorial election in a state which has a majority of the voting population which is gay, you would see the candidates seeking endorsements from pro-gay interest groups. Receiving money and endorsements from such interest groups would give the public (voters), which is majority gay, a perception that the candidate is for sexual equality. This would only help the candidate’s image among the people, and by targeting their voters, the candidates know that sexual equality was among the most important policy issues the votes were concerned about.
Pollsters are important to campaigns because through phone banks, walking banks, and other forms of public polling, these people are able to conduct and analyze public opinion polls. Public opinion polls are important to a campaign because they give the candidate and his advisors an idea of what the public is looking for in a candidate, and what policy issues are most important to the voters in the upcoming election. This information just allows the candidate to have a campaign strategy that identifies and plays to what the people want.
Works Cited:
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
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ReplyDeleteAspects of political campaigns such as consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have significantly changed political campaigns over the years. Political campaigns have become multimillion-dollar endeavors. These aspects have allowed for Americans to become accustomed to the role that groups such as consultants and pundits have in campaigns for political office.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a “growing importance of political consultants, especially media consultants, in contemporary politics. While political consultants provide a variety of services to their candidates, most of these services are advertising and media related” (Trent et Al. 354). Political consultants also make a great deal of money as a result of campaigns. An example of how consultants have made an impact on political campaigns includes these consultants accepting as much monetary donations as possible. The 2010 ruling in the Supreme Court’s Citizens United case had a substantial effect on this. All of this wealth is spent on political advertising and has a major impact on campaigns and the work that goes into campaigns.
Noordsy Continued
ReplyDeleteAn example of how political pundits have had an impact on a particular presidential campaign includes the 2008 presidential campaign. These pundits would assess and overanalyze aspects of the two candidates’ lives such as “Mr. Obama’s pastor, the Hispanic vote, Iraq, and the economy” (Lee 1). While I’m sure voters potentially cared about these aspects, I do not think these analyses were the ultimate decision in who won the presidential campaign of 2008.
Transformations in communications and social media have required political candidates to adapt to the “digital age” which can be positive but it is questionable that the candidates even have a say in what is going on in their own campaigns.
In regards to interest groups, they have become a powerful component of political campaigns. “Candidates need interest groups more than ever-not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns” (Semiatin 121). Interest groups have an important impact on voters’ decisions in choosing a political candidate. An example of the influence interest groups have had on campaigns involves the rise of the Tea Party. The Tea Party has “achieved such political traction and even has some major corporate and business sources of funding” (Semiatin 121).
The Tea Party had a substantial effect on the 2012 presidential campaign. For example, the Tea Party “helped shape the debate over federal spending, pushing the House to pass a balanced budget amendment while rejecting Democrats’ effort to raise new revenues to help close the federal deficit” (Peoples 1). In the beginning of the 2012 presidential campaign, candidates such as Michele Bachmann were involved in the Tea Party. Even though Bachmann did not end up lasting very long in the campaign (thankfully), the Tea Party was still involved and had an impact on this particular presidential campaign.
An example of a pollster who made a political impact was Dotty Lynch. A pollster analyzes polls and trends in current affairs. Lynch “collected, parsed and interpreted voter polling and survey data. She became best known, during her work in the 1970s and early 1980s for the Democratic Party, for illuminating the opinions of female voters” (Bernstein 1). Women are an essential demographic when it comes to voting for political candidates. Lynch was a pollster who influenced this demographic and ultimately had a significant effect on women being involved politically.
In addition, political consultants, interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have all made their impression on campaigns over the years. Campaigns are not an easy process and these groups have all had major influences on political candidates and their campaigns.
Works Cited:
Bernstein, Adam. "Dotty Lynch, Political Pollster Who Later Worked for CBS News, Dies at 69." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Lee, Felicia R. "Like the Candidates, TV's Political Pundits Show Signs of Diversity." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Peoples, Steven. "Tea Party Leaders: GOP 2012 Presidential Candidates Have Been Disappointing." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Dec. 2011. Web. 15
Sept. 2014.
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Lindsay Goldstein
ReplyDeleteConsultants, special interest groups, pundits and the like have become integral to the success of every political campaign over the years. Every aspect of campaigns has become mechanical, each speech or debate a rehearsal for when the candidate is elected to office. Thus, a team is required to ensure that they defeat their competition. “The rapid growth of the political consulting profession is a consequence of a variety of changes in our political system during the last decades of the twentieth century,” Trent explains. “From the standpoint of candidates, political consultants provide two big advantages over a candidate’s own campaign staff and the efforts of party professionals,” (Trent et al. 356).
Interest groups in particular, as Kasniunas and Rozell point out, have become necessary for campaigns. “In truth, candidates need interest groups more than ever – not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns,” (Kasniunas and Rozell, 121), they write, continuing, “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters,” (121). The ability to influence voters is key in a successful campaign, which is why interest groups are becoming so important to politicians.
President Barack Obama is one example of a politician who has used consultants and interest groups to help him reach the White House. “Political consultants can provide candidates with virtually any service necessary in the conduct if a campaign, including help in targeting voters, establishing a precinct organization, setting up and utilizing phone banks, polling the electorate, preparing and utilizing direct mail, preparing and using radio and television commercials, writing and preparing to deliver a speech, preparing for a debate, mounting a fund-raising campaign, and establishing and utilizing an Internet website,” (Trent et. al 358), many of which President Obama was able to take advantage of to find success in both his election and re-election.
Lindsay Goldstein (continued)
ReplyDeleteOne tactic that President Obama used successfully, with the aid of his team of consultants, was the Internet, specifically social media. In an article titled “How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power,” for the New York Times, David Carr writes, “Like a lot of Web innovators, the Obama campaign did not invent anything completely new. Instead, by bolting together social networking applications under the banner of a movement, they created an unforeseen force to raise money, organize locally, fight smear campaigns and get out the vote that helped them topple the Clinton machine and then John McCain and the Republicans,” (1). The then-Senator, the first “post-boomer candidate for president,” as he is referred to in the article, was one of the first politicians to use social media to reach his public, which became extremely beneficial to his campaign. The Obama team knew that it was an inexpensive way to reach many people, with Carr writing, “He wondered if social networking, with its tremendous communication capabilities and aggressive database development, might help him beat the overwhelming odds facing him,” (1).
He was obviously right, as social media continues to be an integral part of campaigns. Kasniunas and Rozell write specifically about the importance of Facebook in politics, explaining it’s many benefits. “Facebook allows the interest group to post new updates, which are then included in the news feeds of the subscriber,” (Kasniunas and Rozell, 129), they write, also citing the ability to leave comments and engage with the politician and others as some benefits of the site.
Works Cited:
Carr, David. “How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power.” The New York
Times, 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Kasniunas, Nina Therese and Mark J. Rozell. “Interest Groups and the Future of
Campaigns.” Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin.
Washington,
D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton. Political Campaign
Communication: Principles and Practices. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.
Print.
Political campaigns have changed over the past few years. With the growing use of technology and social media it’s so much easier to connect with the voters. Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits have drastically changed the campaigns over the years. “Candidates must decide when, where, and how much they will concentrate their communication efforts, making sure the campaign does not peak too soon or spend too much in areas of little consequence or electoral support.” (Trent, 323). Its important those candidates as well as their teams know where and what exactly they need to campaign in order to win votes. It’s more important for candidates to win over states with high electoral votes as Trent has somewhat stated above.
ReplyDeletePolitical consultants are the people that help decide what kind of money and time are going to be put into campaigns and certain areas. They take on polling, fundraising and even media. They are pretty much the most important part of the campaign. Millions if not billions of dollars are poured into the presidential race each year. This is because it’s all about image, like we had talked about in previous chapters. Consultants help get billboards or commercials, which is important for viewers and voters to see, or get to know their candidates.
“Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters. In recent years, interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of voters to get to the polls.” (Kasniunas, 121). Special interest groups are often referred to as pressure groups. They achieve their goals by lobbying to a certain policy or candidate. Special interest groups lobby for certain political parties or candidates in order to get voters out to vote preferably for the candidate they are lobbying for.
Pollsters are people that get you opinions on the poll. These are especially important now because they can easily be followed on social media. Pollsters give voters an idea of other people’s opinions on candidates. News outlets will often report on this information via their social media pages, television or on their websites. For example the Huffington Post has a section on their website called Pollster to share opinions.
Finally, a pundit is someone that knows a lot about a certain subject and often shares his or her opinions on radio or television. An example of a popular pundit would be Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly hosts a political commentary program on Fox News. O’Reilly is a person that shares his political opinions with people via media outlets. This is important because people might watch TV and say “wow Bill has this opinion on so and so and I agree with that so I’m going to vote for them.” Its like he’s a celebrity but he’s just a television host with knowledge about politics.
These people have changed campaigns for the future. Candidates could no longer campaign on their own; they need all these people to help them. Without then they will be less likely to win the race. Campaigns have turned into a competition of who spends the most money or who has the most ads. These people will help make sure their candidate is getting the most attention and will ultimately help them win.
Works Cited:
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Parti, Tarini. "State of Political Consulting: Rapid Growth, Long Hours, New Approaches." POLITICO. N.p., 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. .
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Emily Fagan
ReplyDeletePoliticians’ campaigns in today’s society is far different than what it was 60 years ago. It is no longer just what the candidates’ say that matters; there are a lot of different people that contribute to how a candidate is seen in the public eye. We have many groups of people that help a candidate’s career.
Consultants are people who help politicians look good; they advise and assist political campaigns. Virtually every political candidate, from George Washington’s day forward, has turned to a group of advisers for advice on getting elected and often for advisee on governing (Trent 354). The only thing that is different about the consultants during Washington’s day and today, is that Washington didn’t need to worry about any of his scandals being leaked. The consultants today have a lot more experience dealing when it comes to scandals, since we have seen a number of them in the past 20 years. They developed these crisis management skills that help the campaign succeed. The Presidential campaigns of 1828, 1840, and 1896 were especially notable for advances in political campaigning and served as precursors to the consultant- driven campaigns today (Trent 355).
“Interest groups are entirely too powerful. In truth, candidates need interest groups more than ever not only as easy targets of attack to win public approval, but also to facilitate campaigns” (Kasniunas 121). Interest groups have a hand in the campaigns because they can influence large groups of people to vote in a certain direction. They try to identify with voters who sympathize with certain issues and then provide resources to insure that people will vote. A good way the groups get the word out is through email. The National Organization for Womens’ (NOW) website features an option to “Sign Up to Stay Informed about Feminist Issues!” (Kasniunas 128). This is a fast and easy way to get their message out and be able to influence a large group of people all at once.
Polling is a really great way to reach out to the people on a national level. Polling is when random digits are dialed to contact and you get such a wide variety of demographics that the sample you are getting contributing a lot to a campaign. The people who are getting polled have a significant impact on the message and strategy for the campaign. Their answers help decide which programs a candidate supports or opposed during the campaign (DeLaney). It gives the people a voice, and makes them feel involved in the campaign. I know as someone who works in the polling institute, you need to make sure that those answers you are getting down are right, because if you mess up an answer it could hurt a candidate in the polls.
Fagan cont...
ReplyDeleteA pundit is someone who expresses his or her political options publically. In a way this almost makes it easier for people to understand. Not everyone has a good idea what going on in politics today, and that’s okay. Pundits are just regular people who express their options. They are the new way that voters are getting their information about a candidate, especially newer voters. For example, Jon Stewart, the host of The Daily Show, is an extremely comical man (Dougherty); who expresses his options, and he doesn’t care if people like them or not. It also helps that he can have a political figure on his show, and a less formal setting. It makes the candidate seem more approachable. Which in the end will always make them look good I the eyes of the voter.
Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits have changed political campaigns over the years. With the ever-changing world, political candidates need to change as well. These help a campaign for being ordinary to extraordinary. Without them, politics would be a completely different thing.
Work Cited
DeLaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." - For Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Kasniunas, Nina Therese and Mark J. Rozell. “Interest Groups and the Future of
Campaigns.” Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin.
Washington,
D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
There once was a time in American Politics that the elected official or candidate spoke their own minds and addressed the issues at hand without anyone’s assistance. We do not live in that America any longer. “The rapid growth of the political consulting profession is a consequence of a variety of changes in our political system during the last decades of the twentieth century” (Trent 356). The utilization of consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits has dramatically increased, giving a large amount of power and influence to the people associated with them. All of these entities are used in a variety of ways to make the candidate seam as impeccable as possible.
ReplyDeletePolitical Consultants have basically become the most significant part of any candidate political success. Not only because they give advice to the various politicians, but they know exactly have to reach the voters and sway them in favor of their client. The role of the consultant far exceeds just helping them on the campaign trail though. They tremendously help with the image and perception of the candidate. Sarah Palin for example had a very “mom” look about her when she was fulfilling her daily duties as governor of Alaska. It was at the recommendation of her consultant to change her look to, for lack of a better term, a more sexy appearance to enhance her national view. The consultants role has transcended that of the past, showing that their responsibilities far exceed that of heir predecessors.
Both special interest groups and pollsters play very significant roles in political campaigns, especially as technology advances. “Although groups use a variety of techniques to try to influence campaigns, technology is changing at a rapid rate and redefining how races are conducted. Groups that can offer resources to candidates, in an environment that is demanding more and more knowledge of how to exploit emerging trends, thus become more influential” (Kasniunas, Rozell 125). Special interest groups now have the ability to take a trending topic and through various outlets of social media, project their message to tens of thousands of people at once. It is the job of the pollsters to constantly provide them with the information that they seek. Pollsters in a matter of minutes can learn what the public thinks of an issue or candidate, allowing the interest groups to focus their tactics on what people actually want to talk about. Both work together in such a way that they can more or less dictate the entire flow of an election.
Pundits to me are the most interesting development in the modern campaign era. This is a person who has an opinion about a topic and goes on to share this on some sort of entertainment platform. While long ago there were opinion leaders, they were only able to influence small groups of local voters. Today, a pundit such as Bill Maher or John Stewart has a tremendous amount of pull in how the uninformed voter feels about an election. The majority of people who watch heir shows do not have a pre determined political affiliation. Therefore, the information being thrown at them regarding politics is all they know and what they are going to continue to believe.
Work Cited
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
The political sphere has become increasingly complex, abbreviated, and staged over the history of American Democracy. Simple numbers now represent decisions of the masses, intricate political conflicts are explained within 140 characters, and money has more power than ever before. Political consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits are all byproducts of this phenomenon that has taken over the world of mass media, and are all to blame for its perpetuation. Political communication has become increasingly strategic as politicians navigate through the intricacies of the current media system, and developed into mere pawns on the board. With the evolution of a media that enables instant gratification, the players within political communication are all a part of the evolution that has occurred, whether it is beneficial to the democratic system or not.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, consultants are at the basis of political communication, charged with the task of crafting a strategy of navigation. Campaigns and political action thus become much more rehearsed. The money wrapped into this art is a major reason for the cost of political operation. For example, in the 2008 election, “Kerry received [consulting] fees...from 9 to 4.5 of the media buy” which “quickly amount[ed] to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars” spent (Trent 357). The cost of consulting and advertising has resulted in cases such as the Citizens United, perhaps the largest acknowledgement in political history of this phenomenon.
Special interest groups like Citizens United are at the heart of this decision, as they are providing funding. “Because of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC there are no limitations on what type of group or entity may use independent expenditures” (Semiatin 131). Therefore, political interest groups gained even greater control. The group’s role in the hearings is largely based on the desire to maintain such power, and influence the success of candidates through their funding in elections.
Continued...
ReplyDeletePollsters are another financially motivated group specialized in generalizing public political opinion. They are a tool used by all aspects of the game, including candidates, interest groups, and media. This is because “a well-run, well-funded candidate tests his message before he spends money communicating it.” (Delaney) The ability to do so makes the message more impactful, and the money better spent. Obama knew the importance of testing his message of change before bringing it to the forefront of his campaign.
Lastly, pundits are unique players as they are not as predictable and controlled as the others. “Nowadays things are a lot messier and a whole lot more fun. And for better or worse very few of the old standards and definitions apply.” (Dougherty & MacNicol) Due to a lack of archaic values, there is more desire for politicians to gain the support of pundits. As they are the ones that everyday citizens are listening to and trust, politicians cannot underestimate the relationship between the two. From a well-read Politico journalist to Morning Joe, the citizens of the nation can directly connect, and hear what they have to say. Yet another reason why so much money is put into shaping what is being said.
In the end, the amount of power any one person or group possesses equates to the money they were willing to spend. The entire practice of democratic political communication has evolved into a financially driven and strategic machine, made up of many different parts. In order to be elected, it is required that each piece is funded and utilized. Obama raised so much money in 2008, because the stakes were so high. The game of political communication continues to evolve as the stakes increase and the funds follow suit. Being successful is due in large part to ones ability to not just raise the most money, but utilize each component—acknowledging the role each of them play in shaping the public opinion of American citizens and ultimately the way in which they cast their ballots.
Works Cited
Delaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael Brendan, & MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2011. Print.
Jack Holiver
ReplyDeleteBlog 3
As this country has evolved, so has its politics. For instance, political pundits are becoming increasingly powerful with a responsibility that grows with it. Pundits can be a useful source of news or a simple means of entertainment to the educated voter. Subsequently, they can also steer other less informed voters down a blind path. In addition to pundits, the reliance on political advisors has never been more prominent. Some people claim the country is the most divided it has ever been since the Civil War. With the innovation of technology and information being transferred at speeds the original American politicians never dreamed of, the science of campaigning is becoming increasingly difficult. Candidates have become more focused on the next election rather than passing legislation and executing the job they were elected for. The people who know most about successful campaigning techniques are often not the candidates, but rather the advisors that are behind the scenes.
“Political consultants can provide candidates with virtually any service necessary in the conduct of a campaign” (Trent et al, pg. 358). An example of a significant political advisor that comes to mind is Karl Rove. During the Bush-Gore election, Rove was a key player in getting Bush elected, despite it being one of the more controversial elections. Rove has been dubbed the “political mad scientist” due to his unique ability to accurately judge elections and successfully run campaigns. In a previous class I had, the professor mentioned how he will go down to details most people would never notice such as having the candidate drink a specific type of beer that is more common to the potential voters being sought after. Political Campaign Communication has outlined the various advisors a candidate or politician would have. These include writers for advertising to the public, speech coaches for public speaking, direct mail specialists to target swing voters and people who are unaffiliated with a party, and specialists in television commercial production and placement.
The biggest impact on the voters’ decisions may come from political pundits. Similar to the increasingly competitive campaigning world, political pundits have gained power at a rate that I find unsettlingly fast. These pundits had very little power not too long ago.
“Back in the days of the cigar smoke-filled backroom journalists like Walter Lippmann told you what to think while you drank your morning coffee. And then Edward R. Murrow told you what to think while you ate a T.V. dinner. These days are no longer” (businessinsider.com).
This article continues to state that the “backroom” has been replaced by Twitter and videos that run rampant throughout the web. The way I see it, the uniformed voter population is increasing because people are setting their opinions based on what people like Bill O’Reilly and Anderson Cooper preach. However, pundits are not always a bad segment of political communication. Despite being Republican, I often listen to CNN and MSNBC, which are considered to be left-winged news sources, in order to better understand how the other party views particular issues. It only becomes dangerous when a voter is blindly following the bias information being given by these pundits.
Bibliography:
1.) Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Dention, Jr. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Praeger, 1991. Print.
2.) Michael Brendan Dougherty and Glynnis MacNicol. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Sarah Faidell
ReplyDeleteIn a time of seemingly endless technology and ways to connect to people, it is no surprise that an aspiring candidate would need to employ a plethora of people to assist in her campaign. These consultants, special interest groups, pollsters, and pundits may not all be on the payroll of a candidate, but they all affect how their campaign runs. A good relationship is critical with these groups that have changed the way campaigns are run.
Consultants play a major role in the shaping of a political candidate. I find that the role of consultants and the image they create can sometimes be ironic. For example, Trent talks about when Adlai Stevenson challenged Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. Stevenson rallied against consultants and the effect of “merchandising” candidates, but this was done by a consultant agency. Stevenson knew exactly what he was doing in trying to act like the type of candidate who does not need consultants. I see that becoming a trend with today’s politicians, especially the younger ones. Candidates want to appear laid back and a friend of the people, but very intelligent consultants orchestrate all of this. (Trent 354)
Career politicians have become common in the world of politics today, and as a result, “helping candidates has become a perpetual job” (Trent 356). Consultants set up many aspects of the candidates’ campaign, but they are only one piece of a puzzle. The role of interest groups has increased as the costs of campaigns have risen. However, interest groups do not always support a candidate but sometimes elect their own. For example, the AFL-CIO decided “it can best promote its policy goals by recruiting its own members, rather than by recruiting and training candidates from outside the labor movement” (Therese 123). Sometimes interest groups can do more harm than good when increasingly negative commercials adversely affect viewers and the form negative opinions of candidates even though the candidates did not directly make the commercials.
Pundits also play a major role in campaigns. I think the reason pundits are so popular today is because of the 24-hour news cycle. News stations need to fill airtime, and may see having a political expert (or expert in a field) on air as a good way to fill that time. Pundits are a good way for a candidate to be in two places at once, as long as your mouthpiece does not backfire on you.
The post-campaign, pre-election results players are the pollsters. Pollsters also feed into the 24-hour news cycle. A candidate that is about to win wants to motivate his followers and create a buzz by having pollsters announce his lead. Of course, that is probably the opposite for the losing candidate. Now, it would be unheard of for a news station that is reporting on a major political election to not have pundits and pollsters on air.
Works Cited
Therese, Nina. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. "Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices". New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Political Consultants, special interest groups, pollsters and pundits all have tremendously changed political campaigns over the years. Now more than ever these numerous different groups have direct impact on elections and are key to a candidate’s success or failure.
ReplyDeletePolitical consulting has considerably changed the way campaigns are run today. In recent years political parties and candidates have had extensive amounts of money to fund their campaigns and as a result political consulting for campaigns has become a major industry. Now consulting firms are competing fiercely amongst each other to run campaigns, and as such, they have to always innovate and develop new strategies which make them more viable for the job.
The great changes political consulting has had on elections and campaigns can be seen in the tremendous campaign expenditures. Politico reports that this year alone campaigns have spent 206 million on political consulting. The competition to get the best guidance has resulted in campaigns becoming massive spending ventures.
Special Interest groups are also at the forefront of campaigns. In Richard Semiatin he states “Interest groups have become the potent intervening force in political campaigns by influencing the choices of voters." (121)
One example of the tremendous influence these groups have is through their fundraising methods. Special interest groups are responsible for raising tremendous amounts of money for campaigns. Interest groups can now use committees known as PACs in order to raise funds for an election. The huge amounts of revenue generated by interest groups makes them incredibly important players in the campaign and, in many cases, essential for a candidate’s success. Candidates and political parties will seek groups that are willing to contribute their campaign.
Polling organizations have also changed campaigns, although to what extent remains unclear. Yet more and more polling takes place prior to campaigns every year. Polls give indications on how people feel about an issue or candidate and arguably this information can change a campaign.
The effects of pollsters on campaigns and the political process are often debated. For example some have argued that poll results can be biased and be used to demoralize the opposition and discourage voting. This was the case around the time of the 2012 presidential election when republicans accused polls of sampling more democrats in their surveys. They argued that by showing a greater amount of the population learning towards the democratic candidate or issue it would discourage voters from even trying to vote republican. It’s unclear if this was the case but clearly pollsters are a part of the campaigns more than ever before.
During election cycles more people tend to listen to political pundits. Pundits provide information and analysis on politics and can be influential in people’s understanding of different issues. Clearly pundits have changed campaigns through their prevalence and insight on political topics. During major campaigns viewership of major network pundits and panels generally increases, as was the case in the 2012 election. Many of the networks saw increased viewership and on election night ratings were staggeringly high. This is a reflection of how many people want to be informed but also how they are curious for ideas pertaining to politics and the campaign.
•Parti, Tarini. "State of Political Consulting: Rapid Growth, Long Hours, New Approaches Read More: Http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/political-consulting-110834.html#ixzz3DUHPuADk." Politico. 11 Sept. 2014. Web.
•Harwood, John. "Pollsters Struggle to Pin Down the Right (Cell) Number." The New York Times. 5 Aug. 2012. Web.
•Patten, Dominic. "Election Night Ratings: NBC Wins But Overall Viewership Down From 2008." Deadwood. 7 Nov. 2012. Web.
•Semiatin, Richard J. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Second ed. Print.
Thomas Chamoun
ReplyDeleteThe role of pundits, pollsters, special interest groups and consultants has changed campaigns dramatically. The chapter in the Trent book makes clear all the number crunching that takes place in justifying every decision made by a candidates campaign manager. All four of these things help the campaign justify its’ decisions.
The way in which pollsters influence or help justify decisions on certain issues made by candidates is by getting a good feel about how certain demographics would feel about the stance. Ann DeLaney states the importance of polls when she writes
“Polling is advisable whenever an office involves policy or a campaign is going to be anything more than "I'm Carly Candidate; vote for me!" A well-run, well-funded candidate tests his message before he spends money communicating it,” (DeLaney, 2). We can come to the conclusion that something this important has to have an impact on every decision a campaign makes.
The way that consultants impact campaigns is made clear in the Trent chapter by all the thought that is put into just the advertising. With lots of money being committed to the candidate there is pressure on his team to make the right choices and win the election. With all this pressure the patrons and candidate will want to be sure that every decision made has a purpose and is analyzed by consultants. The usage of polls by consultants once again highlights the importance of polls, (Trent, 356-378).
The roll of the pundit is communicating the message of the party, politician or special interest group to the public. By going on talk shows/ tweeting ect. to the pundit’s following, it can act as an effective advertisement. If you look at the businessinsider.com article on pundits they all have a description that appeals to a certain type of political following. Whether describing Chris Hayes as the super nerdy liberal out of the west wing or James Carrival as the the Ragin' Cajun and his ragin' mouth. The pundits have personalities that fit certain niches inside the intellectual group. When a pundit backs a certain candidate it can act as an editorial or sponsorship that will go a long way with the following that that pundit has built up, (Dougherty).
The role that special interests groups have in political campaigns is finance, and that means everything. The Trent chapter emphasizes the role of money spent on creating an image during the campaign. The special interest group is willing to donate money to a candidate if the candidate will support their cause. The money that comes in can go towards advertising, consulting, polling and other things. This can create a conflict of interests between what consultants think is the right position and where the money for those consultants comes from, (Trent, 356-378).
When money is spent on something, patrons and candidates want justification for the decision that is made. People are turned into demographics so rational decisions can be made about them. Weather it is polling, consulting about those polls, pundits that cater to those demographics, or special interest groups that need those voters on their side. These 4 things have changed campaigns by modernizing them. By this I mean campaigns are just like marketing, advertising and other business decisions influenced by all the data that we have and the way researchers think of the world.
DeLaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." - For Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Campaigning for an election far different today than it used to be. Nowadays, the political candidate has an entire team working to help them win the election. As Judith Trent stated in her book, Political Campaign Communication, “ A new breed of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committee. (Trent, 365)
ReplyDeleteThis may seem like a lot staff, seemingly “too much” staff, but everyone has an important job. A political consultant, for example, is a very important job. They have a vast understanding of how elections work, and share their advice to better campaign. As Trent states earlier in the chapter, “They are aware of what approaches are working or failing in other parts of the country and hence might or might not work in a relevant region.”(Trent, 361) interest groups are also extremely important; they not only give the candidate support, but aid in getting funding, even promoting the candidate. This is especially useful in competitive states, where interest groups can act as your own campaign team and work for more votes.
Two other key positions in a political campaign are Pundit’s and Pollsters. Pollsters work much like the Quinnipiac Poll does, calling various people to ask for their opinions. With the growing popularity and usage of social media, Pollsters have become super important because they need to monitor and know what certain groups/areas think of their candidate, and with that info the consultant can work and improve or maintain that image. A pundit is someone who shares their political opinions on media platforms such as television or radio. One infamous example of a famous pundit is Bill O’Reilly. Bill is a pundit that expresses his far right views on fox, 90% of the time bashing the democrats and spewing hate at Obama. Pundits are important because they can really shape peoples opinions, and they reach a large number of people talking on television, but also tweeting, having a Facebook group, etc.
With the world constantly changing, political campaigns have been evolving to keep up. What used to be a simple election is now an orchestra of hundreds of different staff working in sync, keeping their candidate from being swallowed up and making sure they have a good shot in winning their voters.
Trent, Judith S., and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. New York: Rowman & Littlefie
Communication has changed as the media has changed and that is why political communication is the monster it is today. From Fox News correspondents to twitter bloggers, everywhere we look there’s a new piece of political information. We’ve come to rely on these people so much for our information that they have become political pundits. Because political pundits are constantly being seen on popular media outlets more people are getting informed as to what is going on in the political world which has in return made the campaign teams do more clean-up work to get their message out. The tables have turned and the politicians no longer run the media, the media runs them.
ReplyDeletePolitical pundits absolutely destroyed the “Romney for President” campaign in 2012 when his “47 percent” comments were made. Obviously the comment did immense damage because it played right into Obama’s campaign strategy of painting him as an out of touch rich guy but with that aside, his comments were caught on video and posted for everyone to see. The raw image of Mitt Romney saying those words was enough to shake up his entire campaign (Cillizza).
Pollsters have just as much of an impact on campaigns now, if not more. Polling firms “are hired to perform polls that the handler (that is, the campaign consultant) and the candidate need and for which they can afford to pay” (DeLaney). Polls can be used for any issue that the campaign doesn’t have a clear viewpoint from the voters on. Polls can also be used for special interests groups to present to the politicians and campaigns that shows either if the public would be in favor of supporting an interest or not in favor of an interest. Political consultants share this role in a political campaign, “Consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepare messages for those voters” (Trent, 357).
Whatever light you want to show it in political pundits, political consultants, pollsters and special interests groups ALL play an important role in a campaign—whether they are traumatizing it for increasing the popularity. Political pundits have become the watch dogs for Americans not paying attention to politics, special interests groups provide the money and poll results and political consultants use all the information to spin their candidate to look their best.
Works Cited:
Cillizza,Chris. "Why Mitt Romney's "47 Percent" comment was so bad." The Washington Post. 4 March 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Delaney, Ann. "Understanding the Role of Polls in Politics." Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
I couldn’t agree with Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark J. Rozell more, “Interest groups are entirely too powerful”. As described in chapter eight of Campaigns on the Cutting Edge, “In recent years interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of voters to get to the polls” (Semiatin, 121)
ReplyDeleteWealthy donors can write checks for the maximum allowable amount to as many candidates as they want As John Stewart once said, “The last great hope of preserving our democracy from the corrupting influence of money is carpal tunnel syndrome.” (Thompson)
The money raised by special interest groups is not used solely to trade favors Kasniunas and Rozell describe how often the money is necessary. “The costs of waging an effective political campaign have continued to rise and candidates can no longer afford to rely on contributions from individuals and political parties alone.” (Semiatin 132)
Perhaps, no two people have made a larger impact than conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and their affiliated organizations. Chapter 8 predicted that the effects of citizens united would “increase greatly” in the 2012 election; they were spot on. (Semiatin 122) The political network linked to the brothers raised at least $407 million in the 2012 election, almost matching Mitt Romney’s campaign funds. By comparison, the Koch network raised more than George W. Bush did in 2004, and outdid both presidential candidates in 2000. (Windsor)
You may be wondering, why would savvy business people contribute such huge sums to political candidates and causes? Because there is a return on investment.
One of the largest contributors to political campaigns is casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson alone gave over 150 million to campaigns in 2012 and the impact is obvious. In March, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed a federal Internet gambling ban, a proposal that mirrored the agenda of his major backer - Sheldon Adelson. Historically online gambling had never been one of Graham’s policy priorities so it seems that Adelson’s contributions were being recognized. (Palmer, Burgess)
Although the potential for corruption seems obvious some lawmakers are pushing for even less restrictions on campaign finance. In June senator Ted Cruz introduced bill that would “allow unlimited direct contributions by citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to candidates in Federal elections.” (Weigel). That quote is not from a commentator critical of the bill. Nor is it from a policy analysis explaining the bill’s effects. That’s actually a quote from the text of the bill itself. Cruz is clearly not trying to hide his agenda.
Another group that has affected the modern day political landscape is pollsters. In theory, polls are meant to be unbiased so they paint can make an accurate prediction about an election. But political strategists know that by simply saying their candidate is ahead in the polls they can gather more support through group think.
That’s why in 2012 Dean Chambers launched unskewedpolls.com a site that took scientifically conducted polls and, with no particular methodology or reasoning, made them pro-Romney. By assuming that all polls vastly under-sampled independent and Republican voters. (Cramer)
Even when polls can’t be “unskewed” they are spined. That was what happened to a Quinnipiac University Poll that found 54 percent of Catholics support Gay Marriage. The special interest group “The Family Research Council” sent out an email to its supporters that claimed the survey was skewed because Quinnipiac lumped together the responses of practicing and non-practicing Catholics. In order to be considered a practicing catholic you had to go to church at least once a week. In other words The Family Research Council said the poll was skewed because Quinnipiac was counting people who they don’t consider to be real Catholics. When you apply the Family Research Council’s rule only 38% of Catholics support gay marriage. (Abdill)
Nick Meccia
ReplyDeleteIn early American Politics, elected candidates and even candidates running for office seemed as if they thrived on honesty and the ability to better the nation by making a change. As the country evolves the “game” of politics does as well. I say “game” because politicians now meet with an array of people and groups that help them gain voters rather than inform the public. The people who help candidates during their campaigns are consultants, special interests groups, pollsters, and pundits.
Political consultant’s roles in campaigns have increased more and more over the years. “The growth of political consulting services has made the field one in which growing numbers of people are able to make a living” (Trent 357). The burden of finding out how to communicate to the public has now fallen from the candidate to the consultant. They are responsible for the fundraising, the image of the candidate, even the topics the candidate talks about to connect with the public. Political consultants are an integral part of any candidate’s campaign and their roles only seem to increase as we approach more political campaigns.
“Not willing to neglect an opportunity to connect with supporters, interest groups are also harnessing mobile technology” (Kasniunus, Rozell 128). Over the last 10 years social media has reached an all time high. Facebook for instance, has played a major role for interests groups and pollsters when it comes to social media outlets. The most used networking site in the world, Facebook has the ability for millions of people to connect and become informed of a politician or a politicians view on a specific subject simpler than ever. The amount of people that social media outlets can reach really makes interests groups and pollsters a key determining part of an elections result.
Being someone who is not really into politics, pundits have been my most helpful way of gaining political knowledge. Steve Colbert, Bill Maher, and John Stewart are all people I’ve watched in recent years because they make politics easier to understand, even fun. The thing with these shows is that sometimes they have political figures as guests and since it’s in a comedic setting the political guest almost always gains this sense of connection or normality in which me as a viewer appreciates. I don’t pay to much attention to politics on other outlets, so what I see and hear on these shows is what I tend to gravitate to when it comes to my personal political views.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2011. Print.
Kasniunas, Nina, and Mark Rozell. "Interest Groups and the Future Campaigns." Camaigns on the Cuttign Edge. 2nd ed. Washington DC: Sage, 2013. 121-37. Print.
Consultants, special interest groups, and pundits have drastically changed political campaigns. They’ve all played a part in making campaigns highly choreographed performances. There’s nothing that is not scripted or planned. If something happens that is off script, it usually means that someone made a mistake.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, consultants have impacted campaigns as they bring a level of expertise to specific aspects of campaigns. They are experts in helping the campaign shape its image. According to Trent, “Consultants are specialists in designing media messages and ensuring that those media messages are transmitted most effectively.” (356) A good example of a consultant helping shape a candidates message is debate consultants. These people are often brought in specifically to train the candidate for a debate. They teach the candidate things like key words to use, how to stand, how to avoid questions in order to talk about a topic they may be more favorable in. Another key component of debate prep that consultants do is coaching the candidate how to respond to specific statements their opponent may make. This is all to make sure the candidate does not make any mistakes. In 2008, the McCain campaign was concerned about Sarah Palin’s ability to look good in her debate. She was, reportedly, stumbling over her words and was not giving good responses in prep. To ensure she did not embarrass the campaign in the debate, her team wrote down responses for her on index cards so she could memorize those specific statements.
Special interest groups have affected campaigns because of the money they funnel to candidates. Money is most important factor to winning an election. To get the money from these groups, candidates are forced into certain positions in order to please that group. On of the most prominent interest groups today is the Tea Party; an extremely conservative movement that has gained a lot of power in politics. Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark Rozell in Campaigns on the Cutting Edge reference an example of the power the Tea Party wield’s. “In Colorado in 2010, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis refused to fill out a questionnaire from a Tea Party group, the Independence Caucus. Many conservative activists disapproved of his refusal, and McInnis struggled for much of the primary season to win their support, which ultimately went to his Republican opponent, Dan Maes.” (131) That shows the amount of support these groups can get. The Tea Party has become so powerful that it could bring down a candidates hopes just because of a questionnaire.
Pundits have also shaped political campaigns dramatically as they have been the major driving force behind campaigns becoming scripted. Campaigns try to plan every moment out because they do not want to make mistakes. Their goal is simply to not mess up because pundits will analyze any small slip up. An example of this is from the 2012 Presidential campaign. In one of the debates, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was responding to a question about pay equality for women. Romney said, "We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks,' and they brought us whole binders full of women." The “binders full of women” quote became a huge topic for political pundits to discuss across the media. It was a tremendous distraction that hurt the Romney campaign because, through all the analysis of the comment, many people got the impression that Romney did not fully respect women.
Works Cited:
Semiatin, Richard J. "Political Parties -- Beyond Revitalization." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2008. Print.
Thompson, John B. Political Scandal: Power and Visibility in the Media Age. Cambridge: Polity ;, 2000. Print.
Winston Churchill stated: “Politics is not a game. It is an earnest business” (BrainyQuote). Politics as Churchill stated continues to be an earnest business. Today’s politics have transformed into a business of gaining voters through various medias. It is not like the days of old when the best candidate for a president could be a war hero like Grant or Eisenhower. Today, it is not even who will benefit the voters better, but rather candidates who can get through to voters. The way to get in touch with voters about your policies is through any avenue possible: social networking, emails, webcasts, blogs, pop ups, etc. These things may be annoying but voters see them and often times process the information by attempting to ignore them. Consultants, interest groups, and other various people have changed the way politics runs through the advancement of the media.
ReplyDeleteInterest groups, consultants and other various groups have changed politics because they have found ways to get in touch with voters in new medias other than television and the radio: “interest groups have often resembled political parties in their ability to inform, influence, and mobilize hundreds of thousands of or even millions of voters to get to the polls” (Semiatin 121). Today’s society is more technological than ever before and that is the route to get in touch with voters: “the Internet ranked among the top sources of campaign information. Thirty-one percent of Americans went online for candidate and campaign information” (Trent 348). One of the new forms of getting readers in touch with a candidate and their stance on an issue is through pop-ups. Pop-ups while very annoying often times draw viewers in as they attempt to close them: “can create a pop-up window to educate the website visitor of the stance followed by a request for a campaign contribution” (Semiatin 127). Another new media forum is webcasts. Webcasts are “live video feed or broadcast over the Internet” (Semiatin 129). Webcasts thanks to YouTube has become a site where viewers can be influenced by interest groups all over the place: “An added benefit of webcasts is that usually they are then stored as a video file, accessible on the website for multiple viewings after the initial broadcast” (Semiatin 129). They can look up videos from SNL or campaign videos that had celebrities in them that present the candidates in certain light. But interest groups can also influence voters through advertising before a video. Often times, viewers cannot skip the ads before their videos and have to listen and watch. Videos and pop-up ads are not the only mediums that voters can hear about candidates. Social Networking has become a big medium for interest groups, specifically Facebook. Facebook allows these groups to create their own page and inform voters that way: “Facebook allows the interest groups to post new updates, which are then included in the news feeds of the subscriber” (Semiatin 129). The media as a new forum for interest groups to get in touch with candidates is on the rise: “The Internet not only provides candidates a mean of dispensing information directly to the public, but also provides a means to develop a frequency of individual contact and connect with potential voters” (Trent 348).
(Damianos cont.)
ReplyDeleteInterest groups have taken full reign of the Internet as a business tool. The best way to get in touch with voters while still using old methods of television, mail, and email; the Internet is the brand new method that is perfect for the business of politics. The Internet can gain in touch with various voters while costing little money: Campaigns can establish an Internet presence for a very modest amount, compared to the costs of many other forms of advertising” (Trent 348). The Internet helps to make the business of politics in certain ways blossom.
Works Cited:
Churchill, Winston. BrainyQuote. BrainyQuote, 2001. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
"Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: CQ, 2013. 121-136. Print.
Trent, Judith S. "Advertising in Political Campaigns." Political Campaign Communication: Principles & Practices. 7th ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. 323-363. Print.
Consultants have absolutely one hundred percent contributed to the overall change of political campaigns over the years. The other groups mentioned certainly have as well, but arguably none have has as large an impact as consultants. This is largely in part due to the nature of the work they do. One of the things that the Trent book mentioned was the advent of the perpetual candidate as society has evolved, and as such the emergence of the always present campaign consultant. Consultants have come to be associated with specific benefits such as, “…specialists in designing media messages and ensuring that those messages are transmitted most effectively…provide the campaign with a better return on its dollars” (Trent 356-357). Resultantly, more campaigns now seek out political consultants and popular firms than ever before. If nothing else, the argument could be made that consultants have changed political campaigns in the sense that they are largely responsible for many of the high costs associated with modern-day races. For instance, Trent mentioned, “In 2008, most of the presidential campaigns went to a flat-fee basis still resulting in nearly 10 percent of funds spent on all advertising. In large market states and national campaigns, fees such as this can quickly amount to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars” (357). It is no secret that modern-day campaigning has become associated with high price tags, and based on some of the evidence presented in the text, consultants have been at least partly responsible for driving that price tag even higher.
ReplyDeleteSpecial interest groups have also changed campaigns over the years as candidates have really been forced to pay more attention to their wants or needs now more than ever before in order to secure support needed for eligibility and voter support. With the growth of special interest groups in specific regard to their power and influence on the Hill, such as AARP or the NRA, they are able to get the word out to hundreds of thousands of voters, if not millions. Special interest groups have become a force to be reckoned with, and undeniably one that can make or break an election.
Pundits over the years have become more influential to campaigns as well. Looking at the Business Insider article, there are dozens of pundits listed that really do have a noticeable influence. Additionally, many of these pundits are names that are becoming more prominent in everyday American households, and are known to the common man. For example, Nate Silver of the New York Times was mentioned, and his blog FiveThirtyEight. Nate Silver has become a respected member of the political world in recent years, and for good reason. One of the things that the article highlights is that he likes to use numbers in an influential way, “Silver backs up his opinions with numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. All caps are easy to argue with. Numbers, not so much” (Dougherty 2011).
There are hundreds of reasons why the nature of political campaigns have changed over the years, but the role of specific individuals, such as these previously discussed, may be larger than others and for good reason. As with anything that changes over time, it will certainly be interesting to see how the role of these individuals continues to evolve.
Sources:
Dougherty, Michael and MacNicol, Glynnis. "THE POLITIX 50: Here Are The Only Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Another group that has influenced the political landscape is political consultants The book Political Campaign Communication says “Virtually every political candidate form George Washington’s day forward has turned to a group of advisors for advice on getting elected and often advice on governing” (Trent 354) that remains true today. Consultants play an important role in the “preparation and communication of messages” (Trent 363) although not every message formed by political consultants is a good idea. For example Republican strategist and pollster, Kellyanne Conway recently advised GOP candidates to challenge Democrats who use the term “women’s health” to refer to reproductive rights, and instead focus on brittle bones and breast exams. (Culp-Ressler) Osteoporosis and breast cancer are serious public health issues that plague millions of women but on a national scale they are not the top issues when it comes to women’s health. Completely ignoring reproductive health is the wrong strategy.
ReplyDeleteThe last group that influences political campaigns are Pundits. A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable, or considered a scholar in. Ever since the 24 hour news cycle took hold there has been an increase in demand for political pundits and not all of them are true experts and often sometimes they are selected only to give “validity” to someone’s opinion. This is the case with Bjorn Lomborg a ‘scientist’, and climate inactivist who argue “The Poor Need Cheap Fossil Fuels,” and who asserts “global warming has mostly been a net benefit so far”. DeSmogBlog recently did an analysis of where Bjorn Lomborg’s money comes from. Lomborg runs the Copenhagen Consensuses Center (CCC). The only income for the CCC in its first year in the US came in the form of a $120,000 grant from the New York-based Randolph Foundation an Organization closely affiliated with the Konch Brothers. (Readfearn)
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteAbdill, Rich. "Conservatives Still Unskewing Polls With Super-Smart Anti-Gay Math." Wonkette. 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Cramer, Ruby. "Conservatives Embrace Alternate Polling Reality." BuzzFeed. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Right Wing Plans To Reframe ‘Women’s Health Issues’ To Focus On Preventing Brittle Bones." ThinkProgress RSS. 24 July 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Palmer, Anna, and Burgess Everett. "Lindsey Graham Does Sheldon Adelson a Solid on Online Gaming." POLITICO. 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Readfearn, Graham. "The Millions Behind Bjorn Lomborg's Copenhagen Consensus Center US Think Tank." DeSmogBlog. 24 June 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Rozell, Mark J. "Interest Groups and the Future of Campaigns." Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Ed. Richard J. Semiatin. By Nina T. Kasniunas. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ, 2013. Print.
Thompson, Catherine. "Jon Stewart Rips Apart Supreme Court's Campaign Donations Ruling (VIDEO)." Talking Points Memo. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. Print.
Weigel, David. "Ted Cruz Trolls the Campaign Finance Reformers." Slate Magazine. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Windsor, Lauren. "Exclusive: Inside the Koch Brothers' Secret Billionaire Summit." The Nation. 17 June 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
Political campaigns have evolved into something more abstract then what it used to be, which was simple and straight to the point. Now with the involvement and heavy influence of consultants, special interest groups, pollster and pundits in the political process; the games of political campaigns have changed forever.
ReplyDeleteConsultants added a much needed twist to political campaign strategies. Politicians now have the ability to known more and have access to more information. In the book, Political Campaign Communication, by Judith Trent, she speaks upon the complexity of political campaigns; and how the growing importance of consultants and special interest groups affect the outcome of political campaigns. “As Burdett Loomis has incisively illustrated, since 1974, a ‘new breed’ of politicians has encouraged the growth of administrative staffs, subcommittee and committee staffs, campaign staffs, a variety of political caucuses and their staffs, a variety of task forces and their staffs, a host of party organizations and their staffs, as well as the expansion of lobby groups and the dramatic growth of political action committees (Trent, 356)”. She talks about the growth of the consultant industry and how it is a necessity to politicians. The candidates with consultants have an advantage over ones that do not for two main reasons according to Trent, “First they provide a bigger bang for the buck, a greater return on the money spent on campaign. Consultants are specialist in designing media messages and ensuring that those messages are transmitted most effectively…consultants provide the campaign with a better return on its dollar. Second, political consultants provide campaigns with public opinion polling designed and executed specifically to help the campaign locate voters and prepares message for these voters. Hence, the consulting profession has grown rapidly in the last three decades because it has provided candidates with highly desired services (Trent, 357)”. Consultants have permanently changed the way to have a success campaign strategy in this day and age.
The influence of interest groups have also increased over the years because of technology and simply because the importance of public interest has risen. Interest groups like the Tea Party in the United States have given way to the involvement of other interest groups to gain some attention and publicity. The modern society we live in allows groups like the Tea Party movement to become so influential. In the book, Campaign on the Cutting Edge, by Nina Therese Kasniunas and Mark J. Rozell, they correlated the increase of modern technology as one of the causes to the increase involvement of interest groups in the political process; they speak upon the Tea Party movement in particular. “…modern technology has given citizens and organized groups more and better means than ever to influence the electoral process. Without the rise of such vehicles of mass communication as social networking twitter, the extraordinary quick rise of the Tea Part in the United States and now major democratic revolutions abroad would not be possible” (Rozell 122). Modern technology plays such a big role in the rising significance of special interest groups.
Moreover, consultants, special interest groups, pollster and pundits in the political process have changed the politician campaign process because over the years they have become more relevant and more of a necessity than an accessory.
Works Cited:
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Print.
Political campaigns have changed noticeably over the years due to an increase in the technology available to not only the politicians and their team, but to special interests groups, consultants, pollsters, and pundits. Technology has allowed politicians to become closes and on a more personal level with the general public and potential voters. Also, this same technology has allowed the groups listed above to have a greater impact on campaigns because it allows their voices to be heard on a much larger scale. According to Kasniunas and Rozell, “Groups efforts to influence elections have become increasingly sophisticated. Groups with substantial resources make use of the latest technologies to communicate with large number of activists, supporters, and other potential voters,” (123).
ReplyDeleteEmail, social media websites, webcasts, and text messages are just some of the newer ways that these groups are able to reach out to different voters and get their ideas out there. They also use these different tools of communication to try and acquire money and donations from different businesses and the general public. These interest groups are then able to donate more money to the campaigns of the politicians they want to win; therefore changing the way campaigns had previously been run.
Special interest groups are organizations that try and pressure certain politicians into supporting their cause. They do this through lobbyists and new technology. These groups “attempt to shape the issue agenda of elections by providing information directly to like-minded individuals. That way the groups can frame the issue so as to emphasize their own policy positions,” (Kasniuans and Rozell 128).
Consultants are advisers who work for politicians and help give them advice in order to get elected. Thomas Jefferson’s advisor, John Beckley, was one of the first notable consultants. Beckley “wrote campaign material on his behalf, arranged for its distribution in key states, and organized a speaker’s bureau on behalf of Jefferson,” (Trent 354).
Pollsters are people who take polls in order to gather information for politicians and their campaigns. Pollsters take polls in order gather information regarding voting blocks so that politicians are able to direct their campaigns appropriately in a variety of different areas.
A pundit is someone that expresses his or her political views publically, typically on television or some other type of media outlet. One example of a famous pundit would be Jon Stewart. He uses his TV show, The Daily Show, in order to talk politics but mixing it in with comedy. Pundits can affect a political campaign because of their ability to reach a large audience on a regular basis. They usually also target a specific audience and so if a politician were to make an appearance on a pundit’s show they will be able to knowingly target a voting block they might not usually have access too. This can make a huge difference in recruiting people to vote for them.
Works Cited
Semiatin, Richard. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. USA: CQ Press, 2013. Kindle File.
Trent, Judith. Political Campaign Communication. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011. Kindle File.