Campaign 2016 (That Pesky Advertising)
Who gets the advertising millions?
The dollars are there;
money to tell their stories,
'til ads tire you too!
How will voters make that "informed choice"?
The media are salivating. Here comes the campaign cash, millions of it!
The "war chests" are filling up. The crescendo itself is building. Are you ready? Here come the campaign ads for the 2016 primaries and we still have months and months to go!
Cute? Serious? Blah?
What will catch your attention?
Which ads will drive you nuts?
Ads have to be like covers of new books. They have to draw your attention, preferably your full attention.
The follow-on ads have to be like the cover flaps of that book and give you enough insight to draw you into the story enough to make you want to spend some time devoted to the contents.
In the context of the 2016 campaigning, those short 30 seconds ads that will pop up on your TV (and cable TV will get more than their fair share due to the ability of campaign advertisers to target their specific audiences for their ads) will show up on your iphone and ipad, will find their way onto your car stereo, and even robo-dial your phone.
If you still remember the frequency of the 2014 political ads, the chances are good that you have at least added your home phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry (https://www.donotcall.gov/) and now is a good time to verify that you did.
As campaigns have become more and more expensive over the years, we have seen declared candidates dropping by the wayside simply because their campaign funds are too limited to effectively get their message out in the face of voter apathy.
Of the declared candidates who are still in Campaign 2016, most are millionaires backed by other millionaires, and with that backing from private donors, corporations, Political Action Committees (PAC's) and Super PAC's, the money is piling up and a lot of it will soon be invading your ear canals, and irritating your eyes.
The key question is, will they penetrate your brain enough to influence your decision of who may get your vote?
Ad agencies and the media are gearing up their staffs, and their accountants are at the ready. A presidential election year is literally the Super Bowl of Politics! The political ad spending will outshine even the spending on football ads.
Who will have the catchy slogans this time around?
Who will come across as having leadership skills, a proven track record, and at least the minimum amount of charisma to attract and mobilize a following?
Whose negative ads will tear down their opponent, even lead an opponent to withdraw (and that has happened in past presidential campaigns when the money to continue was there, but the will to endure was lacking.)
It can, and probably will, get heated, with claim and counter claim, barb and retort, until hopefully the best candidates will face off in a final showdown.
In the meantime, we may all reach the point at which a quiet walk in the woods, or down at the park, will offer us the only escape we are likely to find, short of wearing out the Mute button on the TV remote, or verifying that listing on the "do not call" list.
There is a potential consolation prize. If over-eager callers violate your verified number on the National Do Not Call Registry, you can share in the penalties they will have to pay for their mistakes!
The phones could be ringing off the hook....or not!
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© 2016 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.
