Joshua Keating takes a look at Hillary Clinton’s new “Red Phone” campaign spot and observes that it “borrows its theme and tone from Lyndon Johnson’s classic 1964 ‘Daisy’ attack against Barry Goldwater.”
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Security Sweep connects researchers affiliated with the Ridgway Center and Ford Institute with policy-makers, citizens, journalists, and scholars interested in sharing views on topics spanning the "security continuum." For more about the blog and its authors, click here.
105. March 18th, 2008 Ray wrote:
Hilary Clinton’s ad is most definitely comparable to LBJ’s “Daisy” ad because both provoke thoughts of putting children in harm’s way. However, this tactic is nothing new. The Bush administration has been known to conjure up alarmist views in order to sway the American people. Fear can be a powerful tool in rhetoric. This story is just one example of the Bush adminstration using fear: [url]http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=75f_1203768072[/url]
113. April 19th, 2008 Anonymous wrote:
I agree that Hilary’s ‘red phone’ ad is comparable to LBJ’s ‘daisy ad,’ but I also feel that they are different.
I feel as though there is a more intense sense of urgency in LBJ’s daisy ad (gained mostly from the countdown and explosion). ‘But have no fear, LBJ is here…’
In Hilary’s ad, there is still a sense of urgency, but it is on a much smaller or controlled scale than LBJ’s. It seems that her ad portrays the U.S. in a state of limbo and focuses on the question of what the next ‘important’ development or situation might be. Moreover, that she is the person we can depend on to be ready.
Although I feel they have their differences, the ads are comparable as a ‘call-to-action’ device. The persuasiveness of each ad is strong- if the viewer considers the message of each within the context of their respective times. LBJ’s ad used the major political force of the time (nuclear warfare) to call Americans out to voting polls. Along the same lines, Hilary uses the ambiguity of what the future holds for the U.S. to gain the attention and loyalty of voters.